Disabilities including Dyslexia
Dyslexia
What is Dyslexia?
The British Dyslexia Association state that '...Dyslexia is a combination of
abilities and difficulties that affect the learning process in one or more of
reading, spelling and writing.'
Dyslexia can occur at any level of intellectual ability. The effects of a
specific learning disability can be mitigated by skilled specialist teaching and
committed learning.
Dyslexic people often possess strengths in visual and spatial abilities,
original thought and creativity. These strengths enable them to excel in a
wide range of careers
Dyslexia isn't
A reading difficulty alone
A result of low intelligence
An impediment to an academic career
A result of poor eye sight or hearing, or emotional
problems
Could dyslexia affect you?
Maybe you are having problems with reading - or spelling, or writing, or it
could be with organising your work. Do you seem to work harder than
other people on your course and still get poorer results? Has a friend or
tutor has suggested you might be dyslexic? Or you find out that a
member of your family is dyslexic. What do you do?
How Dyslexia can affect your study?
Students with dyslexia may experience difficulties in one or more of the
following areas:
- reading
- note-taking
- spelling, grammar and punctuation
- organising and expressing ideas in writing
- handwriting
- time management, and/or
- memory
There may be other issues related to a specific learning disability that can
prevent a student from achieving their full potential.
What to do if you think you are Dyslexic
The first thing to do if you think you are dyslexic is to contact the
Additional Learning Support Organiser, who will do a dyslexia screening test
with you to see if you may have a specific learning difficulty.
As with all students with specific needs, we treat each person individually
and any information disclosed is treated confidentially. YMCA George
Williams College respects your rights to confidentiality with respect to
your diability and is committed to providing you with appropriate support
– see confidentiality Consent Form
Declaring Dyslexia
The first step is to formally notify us that you have dyslexia. If you did
not declare on your application form; you may declare dyslexia at anytime
during your course (refer to the confidentiality consent form).
If you have already started your course, you should arrange an
appointment with the Additional Learning Support Organiser (bring a
copy of the educational psychologist report with you to the
appointment).
Students with reports from School or College should be aware that in
order to claim funding for any support at higher educational level you will
need an up-to-date report. Meaning a report that has been completed
since the age of 16 by an independent Educational Psychologist.
Once you have received a report that clearly states you are dyslexic, you
must then contact the Additional Learning Support Tutor and contact
your funding body to apply for the Disabled Students Allowance.
What to do if you are assessed as a student with Dyslexia
You are encouraged to make your tutors aware of your particular needs. If
you feel uncomfortable with this, or wish the information to remain
confidential, please discuss this with the Additional Learning Support
Tutor (also see Confidentiality consent form).
For those on courses with written examinations, it is important that you
contact the Additional Learning Support Organiser to discuss what
concessions may be possible.
Mental Health
What are mental health difficulties?
A mental health difficulty may be defined as psychological distress or disturbance
which interferes with an individual's ability to function normally. Mental health
difficulties take many different forms and vary greatly in severity, from short-term
depression or anxiety triggered by some personal experience, to long-term
psychiatric illness.
About one person in four experiences mental health difficulties at some time in
their lives. For most, these difficulties are short-term, and can be greatly assisted
by medication, counseling or other forms of treatment. Students suffer the same
types of problems as the rest of the population, although research suggests that
they can be more prone to anxiety and depression. Some students arrive at
university with a pre-existing condition but not all will have fully recognised or
disclosed their difficulties.
There is an increasing amount of information available on student mental health,
and some relevant resources are listed below. Sometimes it can be helpful to
search out more information to help you identify what your own, or another
person's, difficulty might be, or how you might manage to deal with it differently.
Self-help can be really useful but it is not a substitute for professional help. Often
we like to think that we can sort something out for ourselves, and sometimes we
can. However, sorting out can mean asking someone else for help.
All YMCA George Williams Students are registered with Canterbury Christchurch
University (CCCU) and have access to all student services including the CCCU
Counselling Service. The CCCU Counselling Service has produced a number of
leaflets describing the symptoms and offering practical advice for mental health
problems commonly experienced by students.
Please note that YMCA George Williams College and Canterbury Christ Church
University is not responsible for the quality or neither accuracy of the information
given by external organisations nor the content of their websites.
Support within the YMCA George Williams College
Resources available:
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Exam concessions and arrangements
Support to access to learning fund for mentors, etc
Peer support
Equipment
Confidentiality
Other resources for students
There are a number of excellent websites produced by other UK university
counselling services and disability services offering information and guidance on
mental health problems. However, these are no substitute for seeking personal,
professional help when appropriate.
 Information on many mental health problems, compiled especially for
students by a number of UK University Counselling Services, can be
found at www.student.counselling.co.uk. This site also has useful links to
other national organisations.
 www.studentdepression.org has information about depression. It also
offers advice for anyone feeling suicidal.
 The Oxford Student Mental Health Network has a site providing
National websites and Help lines
Websites can be a good source of information about various issues and
difficulties. No substitute for professional help. YMCA George Williams College
accepts no responsibility for the content of these independent websites.
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MIND 'understanding' leaflets give straightforward and practical
information on a range of mental health issues, together with resource lists
for seeking further help. For information go to www.mind.org
MIND 'how to' leaflets cover topics such as assertiveness, dealing with
panic attacks, coping with student life, and much more. See www.mind.org
Royal College of Psychiatrists 'Help is at Hand' is a series of leaflets
offering information on depression, bereavement, problems with food and
eating, anxiety etc. For more information go to www.rcpsych.ac.uk
Royal College of Psychiatrists 'Mental Health' fact sheets contain
information on specific psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia,
obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc. For more information go to
www.rcpsych.ac.uk
Other useful links:
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Ahead 4 health Useful student mental health website
www.leeds.ac.uk/ahead4health/serviceshtm
Alcoholics Anonymous www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
@ease Mental health resources for young people under stress or worried
about their thoughts and feelings. Includes lots of useful topics and links
www.rethink.org/at-ease
British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy
www.bacp.co.uk
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Eating Disorders Association Information for women and men with
eating difficulties www.edauk.com
National Self Harm Network supports those who self harm and provides
information, contacts and workshops on matters relating to self harm.
www.nshn.co.uk
Relate Help with relationship issues. Includes useful and informative selfhelp fact sheets www.relate.org.uk
Feeling desperate right now?
You may have opened this page because you are considering suicide or
because you are worried about a friend who seems to be in this situation.
It is most important that anyone contemplating suicide seeks assistance at the
earliest possible time. Whatever their problems, they are also very likely to be
experiencing deep feelings of shame, loneliness and hopelessness. Research
and experience suggests that if these feelings are addressed, suicide may cease
to seem the only choice.
Once the immediate crisis is past, many people express relief that they have not
acted on their suicidal intentions.
Immediate help
During working hours
The Canterbury Christchurch University Counselling Service (01227 782233 or
01227 782686, email counselling@canterbury.ac.uk)
Speak to your Tutor or Additional Learning Support Organiser at the YMCA
George Williams College
Out of working hours
 www.co-health.co.uk or 0207 224 4980 The Co-health organization
provide an assistance programme called STUDENTLINE, a 24 hour
telephone helpline for students with emotional, legal or financial
problems.
 www.studentdepression.org has helpful advice and links for anyone
feeling suicidal
 See also www.befrienders.org for support and information in many
languages as well as English.