Three-pronged approach
McLoughlin and Leather (2013, p. 49) outline three ways to support adults with dyslexia. These are to develop their skills, find compensations that work for them, and provide adjustments where needed.
1. DEVELOP SKILLS Students with dyslexia should receive appropriate learning support to help them develop skills they have difficulty with. For example, this could include systematic spelling instruction for a student who has difficulty with spelling.
2. FIND COMPENSATIONS Compensations are aids students can use independently to help them in areas they have difficulty with. This could mean teaching a student how to proofread their work using spellchecking software.
3. PROVIDE ADJUSTMENTS Reasonable adjustments are put in place by learning institutions to allow students with dyslexia to access an education on an equal basis as other students. For a student who has difficulty with spelling, this could include allowing the use of spellcheck during exams, avoiding the marking of spelling, or allowing the use of a scribe for exams.
| Difficulty | Develop Skills | Find compensations | Provide adjustments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spelling | Teach spelling rules | Teach use of spellcheck | Allow the student to have their work proofread, allow the use of spellcheck for exams, and/or do not mark spelling rules |
| Reading | Teach reading strategies | Teach students how to use text to speech software | Allow students extra time to complete readings |
| Note-taking | Teach students strategies for taking notes | Allow students to use their phones to take pictures of notes on the board or to record lessons | Provide students with notes; allow students to use other students’ notes |
Supporting Adult and Adolescent Students with Dyslexia
Supporting Adult and Adolescent Students with Dyslexia
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