REACH in Partnership with De Montfort University, University of Leicester & Loughborough University

For further information or advice, please email: Reach@dmu.ac.uk 1

WHAT IS ASPERGER

SYNDROME?

Asperger syndrome (AS) is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that affects social interaction, communication and behaviour. It is estimated that 1 in 100 people have an ASD. The National Autistic Society explains Asperger syndrome as: ‘...a form of autism, which is a lifelong disability that affects how a person makes sense of the world, processes information and relates to other people. Autism is often described as a ‘spectrum disorder’ because the condition affects people in many different ways and to varying degrees.’ (www.nas.org.uk) The three common areas that people with AS often experience difficulties with are:

SOCIAL INTERACTION A student may seem aloof or odd to other people and often find it hard to understand another person’s feelings and thoughts. A student will often need to learn appropriate social behaviour as a set of rules, without appreciating emotionally why this is necessary. COMMUNICATION AS may often cause a student to be very literal with language. A student may seem repetitive and pedantic, or avoid speaking to others through fear of ‘getting it wrong’. On the other hand, they will often speak at great length about their interests without realising that this can be boring to other people. A student may also be unaware of body language or the hints and subtleties of conversation.

FLEXIBILITY The need for routine and insistence on sameness can be very strong. While easily distracted, a student may also confuse relevant and irrelevant information and focus on inappropriate details. Students may also notice poor motor skills and coordination as well as sensitivity to noise, light and being touched. These indicators can often lead to a lack of adaptability and flexibility on their part, especially in new situations. THE STRENGTHS OF AS STUDENTS Asperger syndrome often allows a student to show: • Intense concentration on studying • Independence • An affinity with computers and other technology • Good formal essay writing • Attention to detail and precision • Original ideas • Reliable meeting of deadlines.

REACH in Partnership with De Montfort University, University of Leicester & Loughborough University

For further information or advice, please email: Reach@dmu.ac.uk SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION The British Dyslexia Association website includes information about dyscalculia. The British Dyslexia Association bdadyslexia.org.uk The Dyspraxia Foundation dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk

WHAT IS DYSCALCULIA?

If you are dyscalculic, you might struggle with the size and order of numbers, judging time or dealing with money. Dyscalculia belongs to a ‘family group’ of Specific Learning Differences (SpLD), which includes dyslexia and dyspraxia and which can share certain characteristics. It is legally recognised as a disability. POSITIVE ASPECTS OF DYSCALCULIA Most books and websites on dyscalculia focus on difficulties yet dyscalculic people often have strengths as well, such as: • Creativity • Strategic thinking • Practical ability • Problem solving • Love of words • Intuitive thinking SOME PROBLEM AREAS The way that some areas of study are organised means that dyscalculic students may experience some problems. These include: Arithmetical issues • Understanding place value • Carrying out sums without a calculator • Working out money Reasoning problems • Moving from concrete to abstract • Following steps in a mathematical process

Memory difficulties • Remembering what different signs/ symbols mean • Remembering formulae or theorems • Recalling names, dates, times, phone numbers etc. • Reading problems • Reading and understanding maths books • Feeling that nothing makes sense • Relating printed questions to mathematical techniques General • Fluctuations in concentration and ability • Increased stress or fatigue • Anxiety and exasperation • Students may find some aspects of study challenging as a result of your dyscalculia. This means that students have to work out the best ways that they study.

REACH in Partnership with De Montfort University, University of Leicester & Loughborough University

For further information or advice, please email: Reach@dmu.ac.uk SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION The British Dyslexia Association website includes information about dyscalculia. The British Dyslexia Association bdadyslexia.org.uk The Dyspraxia Foundation dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk

WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?

Dyslexia belongs to a ‘family group’ of Specific Learning Differences (SpLD), which includes dyspraxia and dyscalculia, and can share certain characteristics.

Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence. Being dyslexic is not simply about spelling difficulties or not being able to read and write fluently. It is legally recognised as a disability. POSITIVE ASPECTS OF DYSLEXIA Most books and websites on dyslexia focus on difficulties with reading, writing and memory tasks. Dyslexic people often have strengths as well, such as: • Creativity • Seeing the whole picture • Making unexpected connections • Three-dimensional thinking • Problem solving SOME PROBLEM AREAS The way some areas of study are organised means that dyslexic students may have some problems, usually due to issues such as: • Short-term memory • Linear thought • Speed of information processing • Emphasis on the printed word Students may find some aspects of study challenging, as a result of their dyslexia. This means that they have to work out their best ways to study.

Reading A dyslexic student may: • Read slowly, and need to read things many times • Quickly forget what has been read • Add words or miss them out • Lose their place and have to start again • Find that it is very hard to focus on the page Writing Writing issues for dyslexic students: • Confusing words with similar ones • Spelling words the way they sound • Organising ideas into order • Not being able to understand what they have written • Writing very fast before they forget their ideas • Writing slowly and making lots of drafts • Leaving words out Time management Students might find it hard to organise aspects of their life, such as knowing how long something will take, arriving at the right time.

REACH in Partnership with De Montfort University, University of Leicester & Loughborough University

For further information or advice, please email: Reach@dmu.ac.uk SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION The British Dyslexia Association website includes information about dyscalculia. The British Dyslexia Association bdadyslexia.org.uk The Dyspraxia Foundation dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk

WHAT IS DYSPRAXIA?

The key feature of dyspraxia is difficulties with co-ordination, but it can also involve problems with organisation, memory, concentration and speech. Dyspraxia has nothing to do with intelligence. Dyspraxia belongs to a ‘family group’ of Specific Learning Differences (SpLD), which includes dyslexia and dyscalculia, and can share certain characteristics. It is legally recognised as a disability.

POSITIVE ASPECTS OF DYSPRAXIA Most books and websites on dyspraxia focus on difficulties yet dyspraxic people often have strengths as well, such as: • Creativity • Strategic thinking • Determination • Problem solving • Motivation SOME PROBLEM AREAS The way some areas of study are organised may mean that dyspraxic students may have some difficulties due to issues concerning: • Practical work • Personal organisation • Memory and attention span • Written expression • Visual, spatial and oral skills Students may find some aspects of study challenging, as a result of their dyspraxia. This means that they have to work out the best ways to study.

Practical work As a dyspraxic student they may experience: • Problems using a computer • Frequent spills in labs, etc. • Difficulties with craft work Spatial skills • Often bumping into things • Not good at team or ball games • General untidiness and clumsiness Writing • Slow, poor or illegible handwriting • Erratic spelling and punctuation • Confused sentence structure • Irrelevant material in essays • Slow to finish • Wrong pronunciation of new words • Speaking indistinctly and interrupting • Problems dealing with text on screens • Tracking problems when reading