Synopses & Reviews
Supporting Dyslexic Adults provides an overview of the latest research and best practice in supporting adults with dyslexia in higher education and employment. Many of these individuals may have received little or no dyslexia-specific support throughout their school lives; some will not have had their dyslexia identified until they reached university or started work. This book provides guidance on practical support that can be offered to dyslexic adults, and processes which can alleviate the emotional issues they face.
The first section of the book focuses on dyslexia in higher education; it covers screening and identifying dyslexia in adulthood, and offers hands-on assistance for dyslexic students, to enhance their learning. Examples of successful practical support from universities and colleges are included to guide practitioners.
The second section advises on supporting dyslexic adults in the workplace, preparing individuals for work, and offering strategies on disclosing their particular needs to employers and colleagues. It also considers the legal aspects of dyslexia support and crucially highlights the skills and strengths that dyslexic adults can bring to the workplace.
Contributions are written by a wide range of experts in the field. Each one possesses a wealth of practical experience which provides invaluable guidance for dyslexic adults, professionals who support dyslexic adults, and employers of dyslexic staff.
Review
This comprehensive and essential handbook offers a wealth of expertise to all those supporting adults with dyslexia. It explores the world of the student in Higher Education, transitions into the workplace and the subsequent world of employment, recognising that dyslexia is a life-long condition and that different settings and new demands bring different pressures. Highly experienced practitioners provide detailed guidance into the tried and tested approaches and strategies which are known to be successful.
The book also points the way forward, demonstrating how dyslexia awareness and effective adjustments will help to remove the barriers for dyslexic adults, enabling them to work to their strengths and so contribute fully to our society. I strongly recommend this book.
—Katherine Kindersley, Director, Dyslexia Assessment & Consultancy, www.workingwithdyslexia.com
Dyslexia is a lifelong condition and, depending on severity, it can have a negative impact on educational achievement and career prospects. The message of this book, however, is that, if managed well, dyslexia need not be a barrier to success. By bringing together experts on dyslexia in higher education and in the work place, the book signals a ‘coming of age’ of research and practice on dyslexia in adulthood. The book is not just about screening, assessment and examination arrangements but rather its scope is wide, covering support for learning, key transitions, preparation for the workplace and psychosocial aspects. Within the legal framework of the Disability Discrimination Act it also explores sensitive issues surrounding the disclosure of dyslexia in the work place, and the extent to which dyslexia support is also appropriate for people of lower ability who have poor levels of literacy. In bringing together best practice on the management of adults with dyslexia, this book provides much food for thought and will be an important reference for all those who work in the field.
—Maggie Snowling, Professor of Psychology, University of York
Review
“The book is an essential guide for teachers, practitioners and employers working with the dyslexic adult and covers recent research and practices within the field of dyslexia . . . The book is well structured with useful contents pages and a clearly presented index.” (
Dyslexia Review, 1 November 2012)
Synopsis
Supporting Dyslexic Adults provides practical advice in supporting dyslexic adults in education and employment, and guidance on the latest research
- Provides an important overview of current research and practice in supporting dyslexic adults in education and employment, deftly combining academic understanding with everyday issues
- Contributors possess a wealth of practical experience in the field which provides an indispensible guide to the subject
- Case studies are included to capture the immediate experiences of dyslexic adults in education and at work to highlight prevalent issues
- Offers practical advice to adults with dyslexia, from how to disclose their particular needs to employers and colleagues to legal aspects of dyslexia support
- Highlights to employers the particular skills and strengths that dyslexic adults can bring to the workplace
About the Author
Dr Nicola Brunswick is Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Middlesex University. She researches in the areas of reading and developmental dyslexia, and is author of A Beginner's Guide to Dyslexia (2009) and Living with Dyslexia (2011), and the editor of The Dyslexia Handbook 2009/2010 (2009). She also co-edited Reading and Dyslexia in Different Orthographies (with S. McDougall & P. de Mornay Davies, 2010), and is a trustee of the British Dyslexia Association.
Table of Contents
About the Contributors viiAcknowledgements xi
1 Dyslexia in UK Higher Education and Employment: An Introduction and Overview 1
Nicola Brunswick
Section 1 Supporting Dyslexic Adults in Higher Education 11
2 Socio–Emotional Aspects of Dyslexia: We’re all in this Together 13
Ruth Gwernan-Jones
3 How Well Are Students with Specific Learning Difficulties Prepared for Higher Education? A case study of a pre-1992 university 22
Vikki Anderson and Sue Onens
4 Screening for Specifi c Learning Diffi culties in Higher Education 33
Sarah Nichols
5 The Complex Nature of Dyslexia Support in the Context of Widening Participation 43
Vivien Fraser
6 Why Can’t I Learn? Metacognitive Strategy Instruction 51
Geraldine Price
7 Supporting Higher Education Students Who are Dyslexic 59
David Pollak
8 Dyslexia Support at the Royal College of Art: A Symbiotic Relationship 74
Qona Rankin
9 Dyslexia, eLearning and eSkills 84
E.A. Draffan
10 Reading Comprehension in Adult Students with Dyslexia: Areas of Weakness and Strategies for Support 91
Rob Fidler and John Everatt
11 Dyslexia Support at University and on Work Placement 101
Pauline Sumner
12 Preparing for Work: Dyslexic Undergraduates Making the Transition into Employment 112
Fiona White, Richard Mendez and Rosanne Rieley
Section 2 Supporting Dyslexic Adults in the Workplace 123
13 Disclosing Dyslexia: An Exercise in Self-Advocacy 125
Alan Martin and David McLoughlin
14 Self-Disclosure in Adults with Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia: Complexities and Considerations 136
Paul J. Gerber and Lynda A. Price
15 Dyslexia on the Defensive 149
Sylvia Moody
16 Achieving Success in the Workplace 157
Carol Leather and Bernadette Kirwan
17 The Knowledge and Skills Required by a Specialist Tutor within the Field of Adult Support 167
Margaret Malpas
18 Dyslexia and Disability Discrimination: The Legal Requirements 177
John Mackenzie
19 The Design and Development of the Sylexiad Typeface 185
Robert Hillier
20 Dyslexia and Creativity: Tapping the Creative Strengths of Dyslexic People 197
Morag Kiziewicz
Index 207