Contents
• Students with dyslexia at the University of
York
• What is dyslexia?
• What are the signs of dyslexia?
• What can you do?
• What is the support given to students?
• Other Web dyslexia resources
Students with dyslexia at the University of York
There are many students with dyslexia studying at the University of York. Dyslexia is a recognised disability and dyslexic students have a right to expect that their educational needs are taken seriously.
We aim to:- Give students guidance on applying for a disabled student allowance (DSA). Usually, undergraduates make DSA applications to their Local Education Authority and postgraduates apply to the research council whch is providing them with funding for their academic course. More information is available at www.dfes.gov.uk
- Give guidance on arranging an Assessment of Need. These assessments draw information from a psychological assessment and make specific requests to the funding body for assistive study aids, study skills support sessions, and recommendations for examination arrangements.
- Provide study skills support, where appropriate
- Provide training to University staff, so that they are able to recognise students who may have undiagnosed dyslexia.
Students can assist us by:
- Notifying us on their UCAS form that they have dyslexia
- Providing us with a psychological assessment that has been completed using the adult scale (usually this means at the age of 16, or above). If your last psychological assessment was completed pre-16, but you had a 'top up' assessment in the sixth form, please provide both reports. If you wish to be granted special examination arrangements, including extra time, it is important that your Department is given copies of these as soon as possible after you start your course.
- Providing proof that a DSA has been approved by a funding body, if applicable.
What is dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a term used to define a pattern of specific learning difficulties which are not predicted by age or intelligence. These difficulties are thought to be genetic in origin, and affect the acquisition of reading and spelling.
Dyslexia affects the individual throughout the life-span, but its manifestations change with age, and may be disguised by the use of effective coping strategies. The brain functioning of dyslexic people is physiologically different from that of a non-dyslexic person; it is a hidden disability.
Strengths of People with Dyslexia
People with dyslexia are often highly intelligent, creative and successful. Famous people who have had symptoms of dyslexia include: Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Hans Christian Anderson, Winston Churchill and Richard Branson. Particular strengths may include:
- Excellent problem solving skills
- Strong visual-spatial skills: people with dyslexia often excel in subjects where these are demanded, such as architecture and engineering.
- Artistic ability
- Holistic thinking
What are the signs of dyslexia?
One of the difficulties of diagnosing dyslexia in the student population at HE level is that by this stage of study, individuals have usually compensated for basic spelling and reading difficulties. Often, performance will be inconsistent from day to day and no two people with dyslexia will have exactly the same profile. However, a number of the following signs may still be evident:
Reading
- This may be slow and require great effort. There may be visual disturbance or physical discomfort, especially when reading black print from a white page, or when using a computer screen (scotopic sensitivity).
- Reading may be inaccurate. Words or lines may be missed completely, or words may be misread.
- Reading aloud in front of other people is often extremely embarrassing for a person with dyslexia.
- A text may have to be re-read many times, before the meaning becomes clear.
Spelling
- Handwritten work may contain many errors, and a great deal of crossing out.
- Work corrected using spell check facilities or voice recognition software may contain inappropriate words or incorrect homophones. These mistakes may make meaning unclear, or give incorrect information: humorous fractures, fungus pours (pores).
- Spelling may be phonetically accurate, but contain visual errors: practicle, ocuppy
- In words, letters may be omitted : intial, or reversed: specailise
Writing
- Starting an assignment may take a long time.
- There may be a wide discrepancy between verbal and written communication. Students may not use a sophisticated vocabulary in written work because of spelling and/or reading difficulties.
- Sentences may be poorly constructed, ideas may be muddled within paragraphs, and the whole piece may lack structure.
- The student may lose focus, and digress from the question
- Handwriting may be illegible. There may be irregularities of letter size or slant, letters may have been corrected by overwriting, and inappropriate case may have been used. Sometimes immature printing may be used as a coping strategy, if there has been difficulty writing cursively because of poor motor control.
- Small words, or the ends of longer words, may be missed out
- Students may be unable to proofread their work
Lectures, seminars, discussion groups and laboratory work
- The student may not be able to keep up with taking notes in lectures
- When speaking, ideas may appear muddled, words may be mispronounced, and the student may lose concentration.
- There may be difficulties with word retrieval.
- Some dyslexic students are highly articulate; others are unable to verbalise thoughts as they think predominantly in pictures and symbols.
- Problems interpreting written or spoken instructions can lead to considerable confusion in laboratories or workshops.
Mathematics
Difficulties with reading, memory and sequencing can seriously affect mathematical ability. This may result in:
- An inability to remember times tables, formulae and mathematical operations
- Misreading mathematical terms used in problems
- Miscopying numbers, letters and symbols
- Losing track during mental calculations
Other Symptoms of dyslexia
- There may be difficulties with personal organisation
- Appointments and deadlines may not be kept
- Processing speed may be slow
- There may be difficulties with short term memory: remembering people's names, telephone numbers and messages
- Orientation may be a problem: reading maps, left/right confusion, getting lost easily, being unable to give or follow directions.
- Some students may panic at the thought of using a library, and locating information in books and journals.
- Students may be easily distracted by background noise or visual clutter.
- It may be difficult to remember different pieces of information simultaneously. (This may lead to difficulties with multiple choice examinations questions).
Emotional Effects
Symptoms of dyslexia may make a person feel frustrated, angry, embarrassed, depressed or defensive. A history of battling against undiagnosed specific learning difficulties can lead to a lack of confidence, and low self-esteem. A student with dyslexia typically has to work significantly longer hours to achieve the same result as non-dyslexic peers. This can lead to fatigue, which may exacerbate the symptoms.
If you recognise any of these symptoms in yourself, you may wish to investigate the matter further.What can you do?
- Talk to someone. Initially, this may be your supervisor, or you may prefer to come straight to Disability Services, where someone will discuss your concerns with you, in confidence.
- If it is felt that you may have dyslexia, an appointment will be made for you to see a Dyslexia Support Tutor for an initial screening assessment
- If the screening test identifies a number of positive indicators of dyslexia, you will be offered a full assessment by an educational psychologist. As there is usually a waiting list for this service, it is recommended that you make contact with us as soon as possible, so that we can ensure that your needs are met.
- If you give your permission, copies of the results of the both the screening test and the full assessment will be passed to your Department.
- Advice can also be given on assessment for scotopic sensitivity (visual discomfort).
If English is not your first language
A person can have a pattern of specific learning difficulties consistent with dyslexia, irrespective of mother tongue. However, the symptoms of dyslexia are more apparent in a language where spelling is irregular, such as English. A student whose first language is not English, would need to be assessed for dyslexia in their native language. Exceptions may be made if a student has been residing in an English-speaking country for a considerable period of time, so that English has become their dominant language.
What is the support given to students?
The transition to Higher Education may be difficult for a student who has relied heavily on previous structures of support from teachers, schools and peers, which are suddenly no longer there. Coping strategies which were adequate at school, may no longer suffice at the level of Higher Education.
While encouraging all students to move towards independence, it may be necessary for a student to be supported in a number of ways.
- The University may provide an Assessment of Need, if the student's funding body agrees.
- Assistance may be given if a student has difficulties with applying for a DSA, and/or subsequent difficulties liaising with a funding body.
- Disability Services may liaise with a student's Department, to work towards ensuring that needs are being met.
- Arrangements can be made for an updated psychological assessment to be made. Funding for this can usually be provided.
- One to one study skills support sessions may be provided. The aim of these is to guide students towards understanding their own learning style, learn and gain confidence in a variety of teaching situations, and implement effective coping strategies and study skill techniques. These may include:
Reading and spelling strategies
Taking notes from books and lectures
Essay planning and writing
Revision and examination techniques
Time management and organisational skills
Speaking and listening, and oral presentation skills
Retrieving information and using references
Proofreading strategies
If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact Angela Parker (01904 434785, DisabilityServices@york.ac.uk) or June Rawden (01904 434146, jr504@york.ac.uk) in Disability Services.
