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Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties: Identification and Diagnosis (Briefing) June Massey

Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties: Identification and Diagnosis (Briefing) June Massey. Disability Resource Centre. Aims. This session aims to promote an understanding of: The SpLD assessment process and model How an SpLD diagnosis is obtained

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Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties: Identification and Diagnosis (Briefing) June Massey

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  1. Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties: Identification and Diagnosis (Briefing) June Massey Disability Resource Centre

  2. Aims This session aims to promote an understanding of: • The SpLD assessment process and model • How an SpLD diagnosis is obtained • The time frame for the SpLD diagnostic process

  3. Aims: to address common concerns Commonly asked questions: • Why are students assessed for the first time at University? • How robust is the assessment process?

  4. Assessment process

  5. What is Dyslexia? • Definition (handout) • Problems in: • Speed of processing (visual and phonological) • Working memory • Phonological awareness • Deficit model / discrepancy model • Subtle profiles – relative /absolute difficulties

  6. Profile of dyslexia ‘spiky profile’

  7. Case study – Jane e-mails DRC Student receives e-mail from SpLD administrator with following: • Appointment date (up to 2 weeks) & Confidentiality agreement (disclosure) • Pre-screening questionnaire (self-completion) • Closed questions and narrative responses • Students own description of difficulties/concerns • Referral for eye test • Eliminate eye conditions as reasons for literacy problems • Request for sample of unedited handwritten notes (lecture notes / supervision essay)

  8. Jane – pre-screening questionnaire What do her responses indicate at this stage? • Working memory (times tables / sequencing ideas) • Phonological awareness (poor at listening aspect of French, difficulty with new words) • Speed of processing (slow reading, slow writing of ideas) Refer to definition of dyslexia Familial history of SpLD (brother, father)

  9. Screening interview - purpose • 1:1 with SpLD specialist • Structured interview • Questions are trigger points • Looking for patterns consistent with SpLD (or other) • Eliminate other reasons for the difficulties • Norm referenced tests • To support/contradict interview findings

  10. Screening interview – structured questions • Language/listening behaviour • Writing and spelling • Reading • Note-taking • Medical & educational background • Maths • Memory • Spatial/temporal • Visual motor

  11. Screening interview – data • Adequate cluster of signs of deficits in: • working memory • Processing speed • Phonological awareness • Select norm referenced tests to test findings: • Speed of reading (TOWRE -SS=89) • Spelling- (WRAT –IV - SS= 105) • Rapid naming (objects and colours) (CTOPP – SS= 85)

  12. Screening interview – Jane’s outcome • Test results lower than expected • Test results consistent with reported problems in processing speed and spelling • Outcome warrants referral for full diagnostic assessment to EP • Write up outcome of screening interview as short report and pass this to diagnostic assessor (see handout).

  13. Full Diagnostic assessment • Appointment with EP – around 2 weeks from referral by DRC (longer if student needs to obtain funding from ALF) • DRC pool of EP’s are quality assured by DRC & liaise closely with DRC Disability Advisers • Student may need to travel to London • Session lasts around 4 hours & Costs £400

  14. Full Diagnostic assessment - Jane • Underlying ability (verbal & non-verbal) • Processing speed • Working memory • Phonological processing • Reading & Comprehension • Spelling and prose writing

  15. Full Diagnostic assessment - outcome EP Compares: • data across all the psychometric tests & test behaviour • outcome of screening interview • students self report of difficulties

  16. Full Diagnostic assessment - outcome Diagnosis of dyslexia due deficits in: • Working memory • Speed of processing • Phonological awareness • meets definition of dyslexia (see handout) • Recommendation is 25% extra time in exams to compensate for slow processing speed (slow reading and writing) and poor working memory (need to re-read)

  17. Diagnostic assessment process - timeframe • Student contact – screening interview appointment = 2 weeks • Screening interview appointment – EP appointment = 2 weeks • EP write up report = 2 weeks • Student feedback appointment at DRC for support arrangements = 2 weeks • Minimum of 8 weeks from initial contact to discussion of report and support arrangement • In addition – during feedback meeting student applies for DSA to fund support– 12 weeks process before funding for support is available.

  18. Diagnostic assessment process Any questions?

  19. Diagnostic assessment process Useful contacts and links: • DRC website • Inclusive teaching DRC Online resources (via DRC website) • DRC workshops : Teaching students with Specific Learning Difficulties (via PPD)

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