Page 39 - Part-A

Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties

R Further Research: SpLD guidance

Use the link below to access guidance from the University of
the West of England in Bristol as an example of support. There
are many more and you may want to do some research on the
internet to find examples of your own and compare them.
http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/
disabilityservices/dyslexiaandspldservice.aspx

In the workplace, many people worry about disclosing their dyslexia to their employers.
It is common for adults with dyslexia to develop ways of hiding the signs and
symptoms. This in turn can make it more difficult for an employer who wants to find
ways of helping the employees who have dyslexia or other SpLDs. In fact, it is likely
that around 15% of the workforce has an SpLD, so the need for greater awareness
and understanding is clear.

It is important that mental health professionals are trained to identify, refer and
support those with SpLDs. Health professionals in all contexts need to have an
awareness and understanding of SpLDs, as the following real case study reveals.

Case Study: Criminal behaviour

My son is 17 years old and has severe dyslexia and dyspraxia. He is
easily led and unfortunately got in with the wrong crowd. Some of
the members of the group were involved in criminal behaviour and
there were arrests, including my son, although he was only on
the fringes of things.

At the police station I told them of his difficulties, but he was cleared
by the police surgeon (Force Medical Examiner) as fit for interview.
During the interview he was asked things in a random way, out of
chronological order. He couldn’t remember and provided inconsistent
answers becoming increasingly confused, stressed and inarticulate.
He was charged and subsequently convicted.

Source: https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/common/ckeditor/
filemanager/userfiles/Justice_guide_to_SpLDs.pdf

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