Accessing Support

What is Dyslexia?

It is important to note that any cognitive processing weaknesses mentioned are not indicative of low ability. They are specific difficulties in processing, unrelated to intelligence and characteristic of the dyslexic/SpLD profile.

British Dyslexia Association (2019) provide this information about dyslexia:

Dyslexia is a learning difference which primarily affects reading and writing skills. However, it does not only affect these skills. Dyslexia is actually about information processing. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact on other areas such as organisational skills.

It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently. Many dyslexic people show strengths in areas such as reasoning and in visual and creative fields.

Definition of dyslexia

In 2009, Sir Jim Rose’s report on ‘Identifying and Teaching Children and Young People with Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties’ gave the following definition of dyslexia:

• • Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.

  • Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed.

  • Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities.

  • It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there are no clear cut-off points.

  • Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, but these are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia.

  • A good indication of the severity and persistence of dyslexic difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds or has responded to well-founded intervention.

In addition to these characteristics, the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) acknowledges the visual and auditory processing difficulties that some individuals with dyslexia can experience, and points out that dyslexic readers can show a combination of abilities and difficulties that affect the learning process.

Available at: https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexia/about-dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia

Dyslexia Checklist

A checklist cannot tell you if someone is dyslexic. It is a tool used to help understand whether there is a likelihood of dyslexia, and whether further investigation should take place. Dyslexia can only be diagnosed through a formal Diagnostic Assessment.

The Adult Dyslexia Checklist contains questions that help predict dyslexia. The scores for each answer show the relative importance of that question. Alongside each line you can keep a tally of your score and at the end find your total. You can find the dyslexia checklist here.

If you think you may have dyslexia, the start of your foundation year is an important time to seek further information and support.

What is ADHD? (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)

ADHD can be categorised into 2 types of behavioural problems:

• inattentiveness (difficulty concentrating and focusing)

• hyperactivity and impulsiveness

Many people with ADHD have problems that fall into both these categories, but this is not always the case. For example, around 2 to 3 in 10 people with the condition have problems with concentrating and focusing, but not with hyperactivity or impulsiveness. This form of ADHD is also known as attention deficit disorder (ADD). ADD can sometimes go unnoticed because the symptoms may be less obvious.

Symptoms in adults

In adults, the symptoms of ADHD are more difficult to define. This is largely due to a lack of research into adults with ADHD. As ADHD is a developmental disorder, it's believed it cannot develop in adults without it first appearing during childhood. But symptoms of ADHD in children and teenagers often continue into adulthood.

The way in which inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness affect adults can be very different from the way they affect children. For example, hyperactivity tends to decrease in adults, while inattentiveness tends to remain as the pressures of adult life increase. Adult ADHD symptoms tend to be far more subtle than for children.

Some specialists have suggested the following as a list of ADHD symptoms in adults:

• • carelessness and lack of attention to detail

  • continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones

  • poor organisational skills

  • inability to focus or prioritise

  • continually losing or misplacing things

  • forgetfulness

  • restlessness and edginess

  • difficulty keeping quiet, and speaking out of turn

  • blurting out responses and often interrupting others

  • mood swings, irritability and a quick temper

  • inability to deal with stress

  • extreme impatience

  • taking risks in activities, often with little or no regard for personal safety or the safety of others – for example, driving dangerously

 taken from NHS 2022: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/symptoms/

To get a screening appointment for ADHD, contact our Dyslexia Adviser by email: r.hartland-fox@newman.ac.uk.