Supporting Dyslexic Adults in Higher Education and the Workplace

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 Contributors vii

Acknowledgements 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

“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)

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. 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.