Dyslexia in the UK

1. STV Mins 7 June 2011: Appendix 1 Dyslexia in the UK Share the Vision Jane Gallagher Head of Marketing and Communications 7 June 2011

2. Largest dyslexia charity In UK • 400 employees mainly specialist teachers • In an average year we help more than 30,000 children and adults • Assessments • Tuitions • Specialist training • Research • Product Development • Dyslexia Action Shop • Government Policy Core business

3. How important is reading really? • Getting from A to B • Driving, trains, buses. • Shopping • Prices, sizes, • Which department and where’s the loo? • Maps • Cash machines • Working • It helps to be able to read to function in today’s world.

4. Dyslexia: Picture in the UK Primarily affects reading, spelling, organisation and sequencing. Often occurs with dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Aspergers, ADD and ADHD. 10% of the population has dyslexia or a SpLD that affects literacy. • Major impact on self esteem. • Early intervention help children achieve. • Every teacher teaches children with special educational needs. • If you can’t learn to read, you can’t read to learn.

5. There is still a lack of general awareness about dyslexia and the related issues arising from literacy difficulties. One in five children is not meeting expected levels in literacy. In London a million people are functionally illiterate. It is ‘a hidden disability’, Dyslexia Action is campaigning to stop it being a hidden cause.

6. Ensure that every child that needs extra support has access to a specialist teacher • Guarantee all qualified teachers are able to recognise and support children struggling with literacy • Increase support for unemployed adults with a hidden disability • Ensure all offenders and those who are at risk of offending have access to support for their hidden disabilities • Fully implement the recommendations of the Rose Review (June 2009) Dyslexia Action Manifesto

7. The 7 key recommendations : • More specialist teachers • Building on wave 1 systemic phonics teaching of reading  • Improving schools’ use of effective interventions for children with literacy or dyslexia difficulties  • Developing and providing additional training for teachers and support staff to provide interventions  • Training Accreditation • Improve support and advice to parents and carers • Improve support to schools The Rose Review

8. All recommendations immediately accepted by Secretary of State (DCSF), Ed Balls and £10m allocated to train 4,000 specialist dyslexia teachers over 2009 – 2011. As the biggest provider of specialist Post Graduate teaching in dyslexia we were calling for the time to be extended. The Rose Review

9. Support and Aspiration: The SEN Green Paper • Critically calls for up-skilling teachers • Single early years assessment • Multi agency approach • Parental choice The Importance of Teaching: Schools White Paper • Quality of teachers • Reduction of bureaucracy • Behaviour • Parental choice Political context June 2011

10. Dyslexia Action Facebook response to asking if the Chronically Sick and Disabilities Act (1970), which first recognised dyslexia as a disability, has made a difference. “My 8 year old son is Dyslexic, ….. I have always fought to make sure it doesn't stop him achieving in life, but the 'Education System' is still in the Dark Ages. They refused to even acknowledge there was a problem, let alone do anything about it. As his mental health began to suffer we had absolutely no choice but to take him out of school & home educate him. Its a tragedy that not much has changed from one generation to the next. Teachers still do not know what dyslexia looks like.” “My son is dyslexic + is leaving school this year. Our experience of the education system hasnt been good. He was told at 9 that hel never pass any exams etc + it wasnt much better in secondary school with only a few teachers that cared + bothered about him. The system sucks!” What it is like having dyslexia

11. "If i died and my sole went into someone elses body would i still be Dyslexic?" this is what my 8 year old son asked me one night when i was tucking him into bed if teachers could hear these terrible words they may feel that more could be done troughout the education system to massively improve things for these poor children! when is it going to get better?what can i tell my boy? “My 39 year old brother is dyslexic as is my 8 year old son. As far as I can tell my frustrating experience of dealing with the education system in respect of dyslexia is not materially different to my mother's experience all those years ago.” What it is like having dyslexia

12. What it is like having dyslexia Thef ox anb the bare Therew asa tiwe mhen the aniwals coulb talk. They mere the desto ff rienbs. Ouly later, all these things changed.

13. What it is like having dyslexia Take a piece of paper. Hold it on your forehead. Write your name in the bottom left hand corner. Write your telephone number in the centre. Fold it twice.

14. Long term unemployed and offenders need access to screening and support. • Evidence shows that 52% of offenders have low literacy skills and that 40% of this group has an unidentified hidden disability such as dyslexia • It costs over £40,000 a year to keep someone in prison • The cost in unfulfilled lives cannot be calculated. Adults and Offenders

15. Dyslexia Action Facebook "If I never talked to anyone with same problems as I do that's realy good if u can turn ur life around it's stop me doing so many things really gets me down I 42 now finding work so hard not slepping” “i am 44 and life is hard all my job's was clening .ithis has take me a long time i envy all you that can just write thing down ,” Adults and Offenders

16. Early and universal recognition and intervention • Support at school and in thecommunity • Training for teachers • Access to screening and support for: • Adults who are struggling • Long term unemployed • Offenders • Flexible access • Dyslexia presents in different ways in different people and a range of different options are necessary to give people the choice. Summary

17. Patchy access that lacks consistent national policy or strategy though willingness to engage • Funding will get scarcer but pressure to provide added value to the community will increase • Increasing support and services specifically for people with dyslexia are being extended • Every town has a library and everyone knows where their library is • Libraries are scary places for people with dyslexia – they are full of words • Coherent national strategy to give consistent access to the print disabled Libraries