Archive


Archive of material that may be no longer current but still of some use.


The information contained within the articles on this site does not imply any specific recommendation by the SDA.



First Class Honours for Local Dyslexic(pre08)

Dyslexic Kate Mead was recently awarded a first class BA Honours degree in Textile Design (Embroidery) at Birmingham University of Central England. Kate attended William Brookes School in Much Wenlock

and also the Shrewsbury Dyslexia Workshop.

In this issue's insert, Kate shares the tips that helped her at college and university.

Very well done Kate and thank you.

Carol Goodhew


DYSLEXIA AND THE LAW (pre08)

A very interesting and informative talk was given at Shirehall on 7th November by Bryony Walker, a partner with Mortimers of Bridgnorth. She specialises in the field of family and educational law and has personal experience of living with a child with Special Educational Needs.

Bryony skilfully explained how the Special Needs Code of Practice is used in schools. She stressed the importance in the first place of communication between schools and parents.

If communication breaks down or the child fails to make progress, the parents or the school may wish to apply to the LEA for a Statutory Assessment of the child with a view to obtaining a 'Statement of Educational Need'. Usually, the dyslexia needs to be profound to receive this.

A 'statement of need' outlines the learning difficulty of the individual and the resources allowed for additional help either in school or in another educational establishment if the needs cannot be met in mainstream education.

Many applications from parents are turned down and there is a possibility of appealing the decision of the LEA at a tribunal. Bryony outlined the procedure, stressing the need to ensure there is a 'paper trail' at each stage.

Having a child with Special Educational Needs can be very stressful and she recommends keeping records of letters, assessments and meetings with LEA etc.

If anyone needs to discuss this area further contact the SDA office, helpliners or Bryony herself at Mortimers.

Joy Armstrong

 

Vital Issues: Employment and the Adult Dyslexic(pre08)

A twilight meeting was held at the Roy Fletcher Centre on the 10th July. This was hosted by Ann Pierce who is the Disability Support Officer from 'Job Centre Plus'.
Ann explained that through a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA), a locally based trained specialist, people affected with dyslexia can be helped to find and keep work.
Once contact has been made, job centre staff can arrange for assessments and provide an 'Action Plan' in which training, advice to employers and job seeking can be undertaken by 'matching' job seekers to appropriate employers.
She maintained that all levels of support can be continued and financial help can be given to employers if specialist equipment or training is required.
She gave a FREEPHONE helpline number which can be used to set up an appointment with a DEA.
Helpline Number: 0800 032 1181

Joy Armstrong

Dyslexia and Visual Perceptual Difficulties(pre08)

I work as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired for the Sensory Inclusion Service. Due to visual perceptual difficulties within my family, I became interested in the visual difficulties faced by children with dyslexia. I assess children who have visual perceptual difficulties; this can include distortion of print, poor visual memory and difficulty with complex images. These perceptual difficulties can impact greatly on ability to read, copy from the board and navigation around a complex work sheet. Many children also have Meares Irlen Syndrome, which is a sensitivity to glare from white paper, white boards and interactive boards. Visual perceptual difficulties occur frequently in children with dyslexia, the autistic spectrum, dyspraxia and ADHD; these neurologically often overlap too.

The first step to checking for visual difficulties is to take your child to an Optometrist to rule out any refractive errors that may need correction with glasses. If there are still problems, you can ask for either referral through your GP to the Orthoptic department or referral to the Sensory Impairment Service. We take referrals through the school SENCO; I will arrange to visit your child with a parent/carer present. I take a full background history of the visual difficulties from a parent and teacher. I look at the seating position in class, samples of handwriting and current reading books. I use the Arnold Wilkins Colour Overlay Assessment and assess rate of reading both with and without an overlay. If I consider the child/young person would benefit from an overlay or needs further investigation I will refer directly to the Orthoptic department at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for eye movement/colorimeter assessment. I also write a report with recommendations for school and parents.

The use of a colour overlay/tinted specs is not a cure for dyslexia but helps to improve visual perceptual difficulties. Undiagnosed dyslexia needs investigating through the school SENCO/ LSAT. Dyspraxia needs assessment by an Occupational Therapist and the CAHMS team diagnoses autistic spectrum disorders, both routes need referral through your GP.

Georgina Barre, Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired Sensory Inclusion Service, The Glebe Centre
Glebe Street, Wellington.

Access Arrangements(pre08)
Access Arrangements for school children taking public exams.
Prepared by Pat Stokes-Smith
See ARTICLES

Your Library Service(pre08)
Did you know that you can now go online at: www.shropshire.gov.uk/library.nsf to
- join the library
- find out which books, music, films...are in the library service (All the Harry Potter books are available to borrow in large print and on tape/CD read by Stephen Fry)
- see what you've got out on loan/renew or reserve items.

You'll need to get a PIN to do some of these things. You can get this from the library. Do tell us if there's something you want that isn't in stock. We'll do our best to get it for you!

Joining is free. You can borrow up to ten books and up to six other items such as DVDs or CDs. If you or another member of your family is dyslexic, you can get a special library ticket which allows you to borrow items for longer. Just ask at your library for further details.

Surf the web for free using broadband internet access (with parents' permission) and look out for special activities, especially in the school holidays.
Please tell us what you think about your library, especially your ideas for making it better. We want everyone to enjoy using the library.

Barrington Stoke books
Barrington Stoke is a wonderful publisher of children's books for dyslexic readers -and everyone else aged 8+! They publish short and exciting stories by top writers such as Michael Morpurgo, Terry Deary, Malorie Blackman and Jeremy Strong. The books are printed using a special secret font on cream paper. This makes them easier to read.
Barrington Stoke consult with young people like you to get their books just right. Maybe you'd like to be one of their consultants? For more information, log onto: www.barringtonstoke.co.uk.
Anne Williams

'Wordshark' in Libraries(pre08)

Following recommendations through SDA about the usefulness of the spelling software 'Wordshark', Shropshire libraries at Oswestry, Shrewsbury (Main). Shrewsbury (Information), Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Harlescott, Market Drayton, Craven Arms, Broseley and Ellesmere have installed the package in their children's computer sections. The software is great fun to use, it covers a wide range of spelling levels and is a most useful revision tool. Do try it out!

Thank you to the Children's Library staff for their work to obtain this facility.

C.Goodhew

 

The Dyslexic Child as a Whole Child(pre08)

As part of our AGM on the 29th June at the Malthouse in Atcham, we welcomed an interesting and thought provoking discussion on the holistic approach to dyslexia.

Terry Hobday traced her background through being a concerned mother of a dyslexic son to training as a special needs teacher. She noticed that many of her pupils had a variety of other issued such as allergies and emotional problems. In an effort to help she continued training in the fields of nutrition and kinesiology.She found that for children to learn and to be psychologically and neurologically healthy they need:

A) a good nutritious wholefood diet with regular meal times.

B) plenty of water and sleep.

C) lots of playtime.

D) a secure and stable homelife.

Particularly important for dyslexics she found were good levels of trace minerals which are vital for psychological functioning (magnesium, selenium). In some cases there can be wheat and dairy intolerances and levels of preservatives and additives need to be reduced or stopped. Terry found that treating dyslexic children in this holistic way working alongside special education, led to marked improvement in their literacy and learning skills.

Joy Armstrong