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Personal Learning Plans (PLPs)
Training to support the Faculty-wide
adoption of recommendations for students
with dyslexia (March 2013)
Rose Farnhill (Learner Development Service Adviser
and Faculty Link Adviser)
Dawn Nicholson
(School of Science and the Environment)
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Students’ experiences of being dyslexic
• “I know what I want to say, but I can never find the right
word”
• “I see things from a different perspective”
• “I’ve got all the right ideas but I can’t get them down onto
paper”
• “It takes me ages to read anything and I can’t remember it
even if it read it over and over”
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What is Dyslexia/SpLD?
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that mainly affects
the development of literacy and language related skills.
It is likely to be present at birth and to be life-long in its
effects; not linked to IQ, gender, age, social class
It is characterised by difficulties with phonological
processing, rapid naming, working memory, processing
speed, and the automatic development of skills that may
not match up to an individual's other cognitive abilities.
(British Dyslexia Association, 2007)
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Dyslexia / SpLD is identified by:
• Referral
• Screening
• Educational Psychology assessment
… and students with dyslexia access
institutional support via their
Personal Learning Plan
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Activity 1
• How do you think dyslexia will manifest itself in
our students, their learning, and their work?
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Manifestations of dyslexia
• Common weaknesses are:
• short-term and working memory,
• speed of processing,
• sequencing skills,
• auditory and /or visual perception,
• spoken language, motor skills.
Common strengths are:
• good visuospatial skills,
• creative thinking
• intuitive understanding
• problem solving
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This means that students will take longer
(inter alia) to:
• Read
• Research
• Comprehend and extrapolate key information
• Make notes
• Order or plan written work
• Remember and recall information
• Express their understanding accurately in writing
• Handwrite
• Spell
• Proofread, recognise and amend errors
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Activity 2
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The Equality Act 2010
(subsequent to The Disability
Discrimination Act 2005)
"Where … a provision, criterion or practice … places
the disabled person concerned at a substantial
disadvantage in comparison with persons who are not
disabled…
… it is the duty of the employer to take such steps
as it is reasonable … in order to prevent the
provision, criterion or practice … having that effect.“
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Why is dyslexia classed as a disability?
A person is classed as being disabled if:
“He/she has a physical or mental impairment that
has a substantial and long term adverse effect on
their ability to carry out normal day-to-day
activities.” (Equality Act 2010)
Our context is education, specifically teaching and
learning.
The new process
Disclosure
Academic
staff
Assessment
Negotiated
deadlines
CRO
Info sheet
Circulation
of list
Reasonable
adjustments
Exams
Officer
Extra time in
exams
Library
Loan period
Reasonable adjustments are provided
‘as standard’ for all students
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Embedding reasonable adjustments
as standard
• Information sheet for staff
and students, includes:
• Reasonable adjustments
• Student responsibilities
• Resources, people to contact
• Working with the library
• Inclusive practice is really all about developing
policies and practices that reduce barriers to
learning and participation for all students (Fuller
et al. 2004, Williams and Quinn 2007)
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Activity 3: PLP recommendations
• Identify issues and challenges
• Suggest strategies, solutions for
embedding ‘as standard’
1. Extra time (25%) given for timed in-class tests
(e.g. timed computer, lab and practical tests)
2. Engage with students in re-negotiating
coursework deadlines (for reasons related to
a students’ disability) where necessary
3. Learning materials and resources provided in
electronic format and 48h in advance of
session
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PLP Pilot Project (as above  PLPs)
http://www.celt.mmu.ac.uk/disability_
guidelines/plpproject/index.php
Centre for Learning and Teaching 
Support for Teaching  Supporting
Disabled Students
celt.mmu.ac.uk/disability_guidelines/ind
ex.php
Learner Development Service
mmu.ac.uk/learnerdevelopment
British Dyslexia Association
bdadyslexia.org.uk
Dyslexia Action
dyslexiaaction.org.uk/
Useful Links
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Here to help:
How to contact the
Learner Development Service
Learner Development Service
Employability Hub
Business School and Student Hub
All Saints Campus
Oxford Road
Manchester
M15 6BH
0161 247 3491
learner.development@mmu.ac.uk
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