Northamptonshire Dyslexia
Association
Pam Tomalin (Volunteer Trustee – Chair)
Our Vision :
A dyslexia friendly society enabling all dyslexics to reach
their potential
Our Aim :
To support the needs of all dyslexics in Northamptonshire
Who are we?
•
•
•
•
•
A very small charity covering the whole county
Run totally by volunteers (6)
A membership organisation
Affiliated to the British Dyslexia Association
Provide support
What do we do?
Dyslexia in Northamptonshire
Over 68,000
Of which
Over 18,000
Are
0 – 19 year olds
Some of our services may include:
• FREE Confidential Helpline (run by a small team of volunteers from
their homes)
• FREE Befriender and Advocacy Service
• FREE information advice and guidance
• Directory of local specialist Dyslexia tutors and assessors
• Support for Parent groups
• Referral to Screening and Assessments services for children and adults,
and Workplace Needs Assessments For Reasonable Adjustments
• Dyslexia awareness training workshops for Parents, Teachers and
Employers
Our Wish list
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
To raise the awareness of dyslexia and our charity
Partnership working with Local Authorities, Schools, Health and other
agencies
More volunteers and members
Provision of a drop-in and testing Centre
Research and development and provision of extended services
Out of school clubs for dyslexic children with specialist teachers
Provision of at least one large scale conference or road show P.A.
Employment of at least one part time administrator
• To be able to claim out of pocket expenses for the volunteers
Dyslexia
What is it?
_______________
The Myths
______________
The Benefits
The overlapping nature of Specific Learning Difficulties or Differences
(SpLD)
Dysgraphia
Specific Language Impairment (SLI)
Asperger Syndrome.
Visual Stress
Dyscalculia.
Dyslexia
A.D.D/A.D.H.D
Dyspraxia or DCD
Developmental Co-ordination
Disorder
Auditory Processing Disorder
How Dyslexia is viewed
(Observer impressions)
•
He/she’s not Concentrating, impossible on
purpose
•
He’s not listening or paying attention
•
He’s Lazy
•
He’s slow
•
He’s Careless, He doesn’t Look Carefully,
He’s not Checking his Work
•
He did it yesterday so why can’t he do it
today?
What does a dyslexic experience?
•
Dyslexics think in pictures instead of words
•
Dyslexics are holistic
•
Perceiving and pronouncing words is difficult
•
Dyslexics are not aware of the importance of words
Dyslexia – What is it?
A different way of thinking.
A Learning ‘Difference’
A complex mixture of Strengths and Difficulties
However lots of people don’t REALLY understand what
it is.
Short Term
Working
Memory
• Copying from the board
• Having correct books equipment
• Remembering facts or formulae
• Remembering instructions or
messages
• Making notes or taking dictation
• Learning times tables
• Messy work environment
Directions
• Difficulty with
up/down,
under/over,
left/right
• Difficulty with
finding their way
around a building
Concentration
• Short attention
span
• Tiredness /
restlessness
• Poor auditory
discrimination
Sequencing
• Remembering what
event follows
another
• Muddled order in
words, sentences,
stories
• Following
instructions
• Telling stories/jokes
• Confusion with days
of the week/months
of the year
Emotional and
behaviour
difficulties
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Low self esteem
Lack of confidence, self - doubt
Frustration
Confusion and bewilderment
Embarrassment, shame and guilt
Nervous anxiety
Anxiety, stress, fear and panic
•
•
•
•
Shy/introverted
Aggressive
Defensive and evasive
Lack of assertiveness
BUT ON THE PLUS SIDE - IT’S NOT ALL
BAD NEWS!
Dyslexics have many talents and gifts that others do not have:
 Conscientiousness and determination
 Holistic ways of dealing with tasks
 lateral thinking
 good powers of visualisation
 good problem solving skills
 good spatial and practical skills
The role of visual factors in dyslexia
This is not
Dyslexia!
Visual Stress – or - Meares-Irlen Syndrome – or – Scotopic Sensitivity
Visual problems may contribute to reading difficulties
Visual problems are not “visual dyslexia”
Optometrists do not treat dyslexia.
Optometrists do not diagnose dyslexia
They treat reading-disabled children who manifest some type of visual dysfunction
Colour overlays and precision tinted lenses
(Solan 1993)
The Intuitive Colorimeter
How to identify dyslexia
•
Check lists (Indicators - signs to look out for)
•
Dyslexia Screening Tests
Computerised Tests:

Lucid Rapid www.lucid-research.com and
started/computer-assessment-and-screening/
BDA http://bdatech.org/getting-
Paper-based Tests:

Hodder Tests (Snap) http://www.hoddertests.co.uk/special-needs.html
Pearsons (Dest, DST,
Dast) http://www.pearsonclinical.co.uk/SearchResults.aspx?keywords=Dyslexia.
•
Diagnostic Assessments

Educational/Clinical Psychologist or Specialist Teacher/Assessor with an Assessment
Practising Certificate.
In an ideal world ......
Find strategies to cope with the difficulties
Help with emotional issues.
Multi sensory learning
One to One teaching
Modify the teaching methods
Check for understanding
Plenty of revision and reinforcement
Extra time
Other
Resources:
Crossbow Education
Hands on resources – NDA website
Using I.C.T. to support Dyslexic pupils
•
•
•
•
•
•
Text reading software.
Predictive text software.
Voice recognition software.
Word Shark
Number shark
Touch Typing course
What the Northamptonshire Dyslexia Association can do for you....?
•
Support and work in partnership with:
Schools/teaching
Staff/Governors and parents, to enable all dyslexic children to
meet their full potential.
•
Continue to raise the awareness and understanding of
Dyslexia and SpLDs to the wider network e.g. Everyone
included in the EHCP, Local Offer and other agencies.
•
Screenings of the Big Picture
•
Development of Dyslexia Awareness workshops
(subject to funding and personnel availability)
What you can do for the NDA and your students and young people:
•
Help us create a better future for dyslexic students
•
Become a Dyslexia Friendly School
•
Target Government and Ministers for mandatory SpLD to be
inclusive for all teacher training
•
Become associate members of the NDA. You could
be making a difference and keep up to date with the latest
news about dyslexia
•
Order Crossbow SEN resources via NDA
Website
New Pilot Projects for 2015
‘Dyslexia Parent Support Initiative’ (DyPSI)
Session 1
Awareness and understanding of dyslexia and
other co-occurring Specific Learning Differences
Session 2
How to support your child with reading
Session 3
How to support your child with writing
Session 4
How to help with spellings
Session 5
Memory and Organisation Effects and how to
help
Review and evaluation – Next steps.
Session 6
To include:
Building partnerships with your child’s
school - Profiling your child – Help with
homework –Building self- esteem: How to
recognise dyslexia
How children learn to read. Why some
children struggle. How to help with a
range of strategies
The mechanics of writing, cognitive
processes and motor skills
Spelling rules and strategies to help learn
spellings
Tips and strategies for spelling and
organisation skills
(Possible showing of the ‘Big Picture’)
Dyslexia Awareness Workshops for Parents
•
•
•
•
Workshops will be delivered by dyslexia specialist professionals
It is hoped to deliver the first two series of workshops in Daventry and Wellingborough, early in 2015.
Dates and Venues to be confirmed
Maximum of 20 places available per workshop
All Training resources and materials provided.
Northamptonshire Dyslexia
Association
Pam Tomalin (Volunteer Trustee – Chair)
Our Vision :
A dyslexia friendly society enabling all dyslexics to reach
their potential
Our Aim :
To support the needs of all dyslexics in Northamptonshire
www.northantsdyslexia.co.uk
Direct dial: 01327 703626
Email: info@northantsdyslexia.co.uk
Helpline: 01604 820158
(answerphone only)
Mob: 07976 430959 20, Norton Road, Daventry, Northants NN11 4GX
The Dyslexia Motto