Nancy Doyle C. Psychol. AFBPsSUsing Coaching to improve

Dyslexia and Dyspraxia in the Workplace

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What I promised to cover..

An overview of how dyslexia and dyspraxia affects people in the workplaceDiscussion of the results that can be achieved through coaching and their implications An interactive exercise to demonstrate some of the coaching methodsA group plenary of the implications for further research and evaluationWhere to signpost dyslexic and dyspraxic clients for specialist support

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Before we begin....

How are you planning to acquire knowledge and retain it during this session?

What strategies do you use for:

Taking notes?

Remembering facts?

Making seminars useful?

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‘Neuro-diversity’

!

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Which profiles indicate what?

• High perceptual / verbal reasoning

• Low working memory• Low processing speed

Dyslexia

• High verbal reasoning• Low working memory• Perceptual reasoning can be

low• Processing speed affected by

motor coordination

Dyspraxia

Case history is keyGuest (2007)

Guest D. The psychological assessment of neuro-diversity. In Pollack, D (ed). Neuro-diversity in higher education. John Wiley and Sons Ltd: Chichester, UK.

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Evaluating the coaching

Who?

• 95 coaching clients in the UK mainly referred through Access to Work or Occupational Health

• 41 men, 44 women

• Aged between 23 and 59

• All receiving coaching to improve workplace productivity on account of being dyslexic and / or dyspraxic

• Average of 9.86 hours received over 4.6 sessions

How?

• Both manager and client asked to identify topics to cover and then independently give a score out of 10 for their current performance

• Researcher calls 1 month after coaching and asks for current performance again, without revealing the initial score

• Scores are compiled and analysed using SPSS

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Working M

emory

Organisa

tional Sk

ills

Spelli

ng

Grammar

Mangin

g Tim

e

Planning

Stress

Man

agemen

t

Communicating y

our need

s

Reading

Prioriti

sing

Writing S

tyle

Dyslexi

a Aware

ness

Numeracy

Handwriti

ng

Finding D

irecti

ons0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Working M

emory

Organisa

tional Sk

ills

Mangin

g Tim

e

Spelli

ng

Grammar

Planning

Stress

Man

agemen

t

Prioriti

sing

Reading

Writing S

tyle

Communicating y

our need

s

Dyslex

ia Aware

ness

Numeracy

Handwriti

ng

Finding D

irecti

ons0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

% Clients responding

% Managers responding

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Impact on Perceived Productivity

Clients report a 57% improvementManagers report 28%

clients managers0.00

1.00

2.00

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7.00

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Does the amount of coaching affect outcomes?

For clients, the number of sessions significantly affected their scores for:

Working memory (F=2.35 p=.019)Spelling (F= 2.201, p= .043)Organisation (F=2.064, p=.048)

The hours of coaching significantly affected scores for:

Planning scores (F=2.438, p=.021) Finding directions (F=2.96, p=.044)

For managers, the number of sessions significantly affected:

Dyslexia Awareness (F=4.095, p=.028)Communicating their needs (F=3.403, p=.041)

Whereas the hours of coaching significantly affected:

Numeracy (F=3.822, p=.042)

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Do any topics have a ‘halo effect’?

Planning

Prioriti

sing

Short

term m

emory

Time m

anag

emen

t

Grammar

Stress

man

agemen

t

Handwriti

ng

**Finding d

irecti

ons

Writing

Organisa

tion

**Read

ing

**Spell

ing

**Numera

cy

**Dysl

exia

aware

ness

**Communica

ting nee

ds0

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Nancy Doyle C. Psychol. AFBPsSUsing Coaching to improve

Dyslexia and Dyspraxia in the Workplace

MPG Handout Pack

BlushTooth

SmoothCrocodile

HairPollenHunger

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Nancy Doyle C. Psychol. AFBPsSUsing Coaching to improve

Dyslexia and Dyspraxia in the Workplace

MPG Handout Pack

Slip

Shine

Diary

Quiet

Green

Lend

Song

Nancy Doyle C. Psychol. AFBPsSUsing Coaching to improve

Dyslexia and Dyspraxia in the Workplace

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Self reflection....

How does what you’ve just experienced relate to the strategies do you use for:

Taking notes?

Remembering facts?

Making seminars useful?

Is there anything you’d like to do more of? Less of?

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What feedback and suggestions do you have for:

Further Research?

Further Practice?

Research: Correlate coaches interpretations of

distance travelledPractice:

Educate managers and HR as to the nature of dyslexia in the workplace

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Signposting

What might you notice?

•Difficulty managing appointments•Forgetting or failing to follow up on verbal advice•Poor articulation•Going off on tangents•Workplace stress absence•Poor personal organisation•Clumsiness, lack of driving skills (dyspraxia)•Chaotic personal life, multiple jobs (ADHD)

Where can be done?

•Referral to Access to Work•Referral to Occupational Health•Companies are legally obliged to take neuro-diversity seriously and risk Unfair Dismissal cases if they fail to make ‘reasonable adjustments’•Technology adjustments•Coaching programmes•Video Learning Journeys and online specialist support

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Specialist Support

Assistive Technology

•Spellcheckers & auto-correct•Text-to-speech & Speech-to-text software•Mind mapping software•Adaptive use of everyday software

Strategy Coaching

•Extra time•Memory skills•Organisational skills•Timekeeping•Dyslexia awareness•Working to strengths

Ergonomics

•Adaptive pens, mouse, keyboard•Environmental noise management•Double screens for computer work•Reading stands

Albert Einstein

“If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid.”

67% of our clients report depression, anxiety, work-related stress and

insomnia

Correctly identifying the root cause is the first step to getting on the right track