Dyslexia in Post Industrial Manchester

Roger Broadbent: Manchester Dyslexic Self Help Group

11th June 2015Ragged University, Manchester

Aim: To Explore Why Manchester Struggles to Support Dyslexics.Areas Covered: 1) Mancunian Overview2) What is Dyslexia?3) Dyslexia and Self Esteem.4) Dyslexia and Education.5) Fear and Ignorance.6) Positive forces for inertia.7) Barriers to Employment.8) Solutions.

Post Industrial Manchester 2015

Manchester has struggled coming to terms with its new identity. It is top/bottom of most indicators of social privation in Europe: alcohol abuse, truancy, dental hygiene, social disengagement, teenage pregnancy, etc.

What is Dyslexia?Dyslexics are missing 8 strands of DNA.10% of the population.4 types: Dyslexia (words), Dyspraxia

(movement), Dysgraphia (handwriting), and Dyscalculia (numbers).

Underlying symptoms: short term memory, organisation, concentration.

Dyslexia and Self Esteem“Repeated episodes of maltreatment...substantially contributes to child mortality and morbidity also long lasting effects on mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, risky sexual behaviour, obesity, and criminal behaviour, which persists into adulthood.” The Lancet, Jan 2009.“the legacy of...abuse; and the sad admission that those who are the most psychologically damaged, the most in need of love, often present themselves as the most unlovable...” James Rhodes, Instrumental (2015).

Dyslexic Self EsteemConstant erosion of self worth from early

years onwards.“You are stupid and lazy”.“Why are you always late?”“Why did you forget to do your homework?”“You never remember my name”

Education and Dyslexia“Teachers need to bear in mind the importance of how individual dyslexics react to failure....despair, pain, misery and depression.” Janice Edwards, “The Scars of Dyslexia” (1995)

“pupils with dyslexia...were more likely to display timid behaviour, avoid situations of possible stress and continually ask for help and reassurance...learners with dyslexia experience teasing and bullying and feelings of exclusion.” Humphrey, British Journal of Special Education (2002)

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Education and Dyslexia“The (dyslexic) child’s school marks,

moreover, generally become known to his parents, siblings, and many of his school mates; and their judgements of him are likely to be affected by this information.” Rosenberg & Simmons, National Institute of Mental Health (1971).

“An early diagnosis of dyslexia is essential for creating a positive self image.” Jonathan Glizzard, Self Esteem

Education and DyslexiaThere are 1.2 million children with dyslexia in the UK, David Imrie, The Guardian, 09/09/13.

Only 2% of dyslexics are diagnosed.

Due to cost constraints schools are encouraged not to diagnose and parents struggle to persuade schools to get an educational psychologists assessment.

Education and DyslexiaHereditary implications: “in the UK, father’s

education level has the biggest impact on the likelihood of low educational attainment. People are 7.5 times more likely to have a low educational outcome if their father has a low level of education, compared with a highly educated father.”

Hence their should be a 7.5 times greater amount of resources directed to children in these homes to give them a fairer chance.

Education and DyslexiaOf 450 parents surveyed for the charity Dyslexia Action, 90% said that teachers lacked awareness of the condition (July 2012).

Teachers often lose patience with dyslexic children, especially if undiagnosed.

“Some children may become severely frustrated and may also have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.” The Code (DENI 1998).

Pupil frustration leads to need for attention, hence, dyslexic pupils will adopt typical coping strategies: being the class clown, appearing disaffected, truanting, getting excluded, getting pregnant, abuse of drugs/alcohol.

Education and DyslexiaStyles of education, Victorian v

Modern/Scandinavian can have a direct impact upon the 1.2 million dyslexic school children.

Gove’s changes will lead to: low self esteem due to early years test/exam failure.

Ken Robinson (TED) called this the “Educational Death Valley”.

Scandinavian educators focus on individual development and avoid early years testing. They also pay their teachers double the salary of UK teachers.

Education and Dyslexia“High quality teaching is vitally important if students with dyslexia are to make progress with their academic learning, but this needs to go well beyond multisensory or phonemic awareness programmes to encompass the needs of the whole child” Burden and Burdett (2005).Bullying, dyslexics suffer this at school, university, the workplace, and socially.“Dyslexic boy, 16, hanged himself 'after bullying by teachers at his primary school eight years earlier.” Mail Online (8th July 2011).

Fear and Ignorance

Fear and IgnoranceDyslexia is a “Cruel Fiction” invented by “the educational establishment” to divert blame for illiteracy from “their eclectic and incomplete methods for instruction”. It should be consigned to the “dustbin of history.” MP Graham Stringer (Blackley and Broughton), Manchester Confidential (2009).

“There are incentives in the system: students who can’t read are given longer in exams, extra aid, free computers, financial assistance” MP Graham Stringer, The Guardian (13/01/09).

Mr Stringer Manchester City Council leader from 1984 to 1996, and Manchester MP 1997 to 2010.

Fear and IgnoranceParental fear of the unknown.Teacher ignorance; PGCE courses leave

dyslexia as a subject to the Special Needs course.

Individuals from deprived areas are thought to be less academically able and so weaker test scores are not thought to be linked to dyslexia.

Dyslexia thought to be an “excuse”.Dyslexic individuals are unaware of their

condition.Rich parents more prepared to fight for their

children’s rights/support.

Fear and Ignorance• Little or no support for dyslexic in the community of

Manchester.• No appetite by Manchester council/government to

raise awareness or fund support.• This inertia is maintained by lack of will by those in

power in Greater Manchester to look to support elements of the community who present with complex anti social behaviours.

•

Forces Against Change50% of prisoners are dyslexic (over 50,000

people); 70% of youth offenders, Cynthia Klien, Increased Criminality.

Financial Forces: legal aid £2 billion, Daily Telegraph (May 2015); prison service £4 billion (2009); police £14.5 billion, Policy Exchange (2011); probation service, truancy services, organised crime, drug/alcohol services.

Jobs created by Manchester’s inability to address dyslexia in a fair and intelligent way: lawyers, police, family workers, homeless services, etc.

Barriers to Employment1.High levels of unemployment in the dyslexic

community, 40% (Dyslexia Foundation).2.Post industrial Manchester is not providing the type

and numbers of jobs that it did in the past.3.School gate to dole queue.4.Online applications.5.Job Centre sanctions.

Solutions1.Dyslexics to be treated with the equality and

respect they deserve.2.Manchester council to have a dyslexia

department.3.A concerted effort throughout the city for all

departments to work together to provide a better future for the city and its dyslexic community.

4.Schools to be supported to train all staff, teachers, managers, teaching assistants, and SENCOs, in how to teach dyslexic/non-dyslexic classes.

Solutions1.Promote educational resilience in the classroom, and

strengthen the bond between school, parents, and external specialists.

2.Include students in designing their own learning plans.3.Enhance student’s confidence by recognising their

strengths.4.Free assessments for anyone in Greater Manchester

who thinks they may be dyslexic.5.Free training for all HR managers, and management in

general in the public or private sector.6.All people brought into the justice system to undergo

dyslexia testing.7.All pupils to be tested for dyslexia in primary schools.8.The same level of support given to dyslexic children as

is given to dyslexic students at university.

Solutions13. Simplified spelling, see English Spelling Society.14. Learn from other countries that deal with dyslexia in a more positive way.15.