Transcript Understanding SpLD - University of Chester

Understanding
Specific Learning
Difficulties
(SpLDs)
Dr Jane McKay
Faculty of Education &
Children’s Services
University of Chester
Definitions
SpLD is an umbrella term used to cover a range of frequently
co-occurring difficulties, more commonly:
 Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia,
 Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder,
 Auditory Processing Disorder.
 SpLDs can also co-occur with difficulties on the autistic
spectrum such as Asperger Syndrome.
SpLDs affect the way information is learned and processed:
 They are neurological (rather than psychological) and are
usually genetically transferred.
 They occur independently of intelligence.
 They can have significant impact on education and
learning and particularly on the acquisition of literacy skills.

Source: (British Dyslexia Association)
Incidence
 UK
population - approximately 10% with
around 4% of people suffering serious affect,
making it the largest disability group in the UK.
 The proportion of individuals in offender units
who have specific learning difficulties is within
the range 46-60% (BDA, 2004).
 School population- the most up to date
statistics from the DfE (2012-13)
As at Jan 2013:
School pupils (England) with SEN
- Statements = 229,390 (incidence 2.8%)
- SpLD = approx. 18% of children with SEN
- Action Plus = 473,035 (incidence 5.7%)
Incidence in Higher Education
 Difficult
to provide accurate statistics…
 UK domiciled students (undergraduate)



1995-96 – 0.5-1.0% HE students with dyslexia
(Dearing, 1997; Richardson & Wydell, 2003)
2005-6 – 2.6% HE students with dyslexia (HESA,
n.d.)
2012-13 – 6.5% with SpLD (1st years) (HESA, 2014)
 University


of Chester:
2013-14 – 693 enrolled students with a declared
SpLD
Not all of these are from recognised diagnosis –
61 students referred for assessment
Pre/post entry to HE diagnosis





Pre-HE diagnosis will almost always have resulted from
school-based assessment by educational psychologist,
and student may well have been in receipt of support
through school.
Evidence of diagnosis being brought into HE must have
been obtained post-16.
SASC (SpLD Assessment Standards Committee) provide
guidance on assessment of SpLDs in HE students (relates
to application for DSA – Disabled Students Allowance).
Assessment and diagnosis can only be conducted by
appropriately qualified practitioners (see SASC website
http://www.sasc.org.uk/Default.aspx )
In a UK study of over 100 institutions, 43% of the total
dyslexic population were diagnosed as dyslexic after
admission to university (Reid & Kirk, 2005:19).
Legal requirements and
implications

Disability Discrimination Act (1995) and Special
Educational Needs & Disability Act (2002)


Equality Act (2010)



Required HE institutions to provide reasonable adjustments to
enable students to access curriculum equitably
Supersedes SENDA (2002) and DDA (1995)
States it is ‘illegal to treat a disabled person less favourably
than others for a reason that relates to their disability without
justification, and in some cases, it may be legitimate to treat a
disabled person more favourably’
The QAA Code of Practice for the assurance of academic
quality and standards in higher education recommends
that:

"Academic assessment practices ensure that disabled
students are given the opportunity to demonstrate the
achievement of competence standards and learning
outcomes." (Section 3 Precept 11, Mar 2010)
Principles of reasonable
adjustment
 The
Equality Act 2010 requires institutions to
make reasonable adjustments for students
with disabilities, which includes
dyslexia/SpLDs.
 Reasonable adjustments refer to
implementation of modifications to enable
students to demonstrate their abilities and
achieve their full potential academically.
 These should be anticipatory.
What does ‘reasonable adjustment’
mean?
 Structural
eg. Modifications/changes to the learning
environment – inside or outside
 Resources eg. Learning materials etc.
 Using IT; alternative methods of dissemination
 The learning environment – classroom alterations
 Pedagogy – training for staff; lesson planning;
inclusive activities and materials; admissions etc
 In
practice this means doing things differently if the
usual way would substantially disadvantage a
disabled person.
What is meant by ‘substantial
disadvantage’?
 The
reasonable adjustments duty is triggered
only where there is a need to avoid ‘substantial
disadvantage’.
 Substantial is defined as being anything more
than minor or trivial.
 Whether or not a disabled student is at a
substantial disadvantage or not will depend on
the individual situation.
 The student must be at a substantial
disadvantage in comparison with non-disabled
students.
The Disability Rights
Commission (2007) state:
 The
measure of what is a reasonable
adjustment will depend on an institution’s
circumstances in relation to the:
 resources available
 cost of the adjustment
 practicality of the changes
 potential benefit to other staff, students
and visitors
Financial support
 Disabled
Students Allowance
Undergraduate allowances
Full time students
Part time students
2013-14
2014-15
2013-14
2014-15
Specialist equipment allowance
£5161
£5212
£5161
£5212
Non-medical helper allowance
£20520
£20725
£15390
£15543
General allowance
£1724
£1741
£1293
£1305
Postgraduate allowance
£10260
£10362



Paid in addition to regular student finance
Requires evidence of diagnosis
Applications through Student Finance England (or SF
Wales)
Useful websites:






ADSHE – Association of Dyslexia Specialists in
Higher Education http://adshe.org.uk/
ADDISS – Attention Deficit Disorder Information
and Support Service
http://www.addiss.co.uk
BDA – British Dyslexia Association
http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
Dyspraxia Foundation –
http://www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/
Equality Challenge Unit - http://www.ecu.ac.uk/
SASC – SpLD Assessment Standards Committee
http://www.sasc.org.uk/
References





ADSHE. (2009). Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Specialist
Support for Students with SpLDs in Higher Education:
http://www.adshe.org.uk/WordDocs/ReasonableAdjustme
nts.doc
British Dyslexia Association/Bradford Youth Offending Team
(BDA/Bradford YOT) (2004). Unrecognised Dyslexia and the
Route to Offending. British Dyslexia Association.
Dearing, R. (Chair) (1997). Higher Education in the Learning
Society. Report of the Committee of Enquiry into Higher
Education. London: DfEE
Department for Education. (2013). Statistical First Release
42/2013
Equality Challenge Unit (2010) Managing Reasonable
Adjustments in Higher Education





Equality and Human Rights Commission (2011) What
equality means for you as an education provider –
further and higher education. Manchester: EHRC
HESA (n.d.) Statistical First releases on Student Numbers
http://www.hesa.ac.uk/content/view/1897/239/
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2010).
Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality
and standards in Higher Education:. Section 3: Disabled
Students. Mansfield: Linney Direct
Reid, G., & Kirk, J. (2005). Dyslexia in Adults: Education
and Employment. Chichester: Wiley.
Richardson, J. & Wydell, T. (2003). The representation and
attainment of students with dyslexia in UK Higher
Education, Reading and writing: an interdisciplinary
journal, 16: 475-503