Thursday 22-10-2020 - 10:52

What actually is Dyslexia?

 

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) describes Dyslexia as an information processing learning difference. That basically means that people with Dyslexia may struggle with reading, writing, memory and processing information they see and hear. Dyslexia is very common too, it is assumed that around 10% of people are dyslexic, but not everyone who has it has a diagnosis.

 

The way that dyslexia affects each person is also very unique, it can affect you differently at different times in your life and the barriers one person may face could be completely different from someone else.

 

It is key to remember, however, that dyslexia does not affect your intelligence. It just means you may arrive at solutions using a different route.

 

People with dyslexia often have strengths in other areas: they can be very imaginative, creative, highly observant, or great at seeing the bigger picture. These things should be celebrated as they are key skills which are valuable in their own right.

 

It is well known that people who have dyslexia may struggle without having an official diagnosis, or they may have been diagnosed with other neurodivergent differences.

 

The bottom line is, if you’re struggling please do come forward and talk to someone, we are all here to help you and there are a multitude of services available at Edge Hill that can offer you support.

 

 

Ok, so what is the #GoRedForDyslexia campaign all about?

 

#GoRedForDyslexia is a fundraiser and awareness campaign which is ‘reclaiming the red’.

 

We have all had our mistakes circled in red at some point in our education, and rather than see this as highlighting our faults and errors, #GoRedForDyslexia aims to reclaim the colour red and bring very important awareness to people with dyslexia all over the world. 

 

 

So, you know what #GoRedForDyslexia is all about but what support is in place if you have dyslexia as a student at Edge Hill?

 

Well, the University’s fantastic Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) team is always on hand to help.  They provide support for students with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and ADHD, and all support is currently remote via Teams to make it as accessible as possible.

 

They strive to make sure that students are the active voice in their own support, developing skills such as learning study strategies, time management, planning and assessment techniques, as well as research skills and using assistive technology to make things a little easier.

 

This support is available as soon as you contact the SpLD team. They will immediately put steps in place to support you, specialised for you specifically and led by you. 

 

Assistive technology is available for all staff and students at Edge Hill and can be really useful whether you have dyslexia or not.

 

Inspiration is a mind mapping programme which allows you to create very visual, colourful mind maps. You can add links, photos and information which will then export into a word document.

 

Read and write is a text to speech software, which can be excellent for spell-checking and proof-reading your work. You are much more likely to pick up the errors in sentences if you hear them out loud, and so this can be great before you hand in any assignments. This software also offers screen tinters and rulers for reading on a screen - especially useful if your reading lists are all eBooks this year!

 

If you are interested in finding out more about any of these programmes, speak to the Catalyst Help Desk. They can send you links to download them and videos to show you how to use them.

 

You may also find the UniSkills sessions useful, which are available to all students at Edge Hill. Anyone can sign up to the sessions or arrange appointments. UniSkills give support with academic reading and writing, referencing, organisation and even 1:1 appointments.

 

These skills, alongside the skills you can develop with the SpLD team, are all key life skills. You will use them throughout your degree and afterwards too; they will help you get that dream job, keep yourself organised, and support you in everything you do.

 

The Students’ Union is also here to lend a hand too, whether you need some advice regarding academic support and assignments from our Advice Team, have a suggestion for student council, or want to ask a question directly to our elected officers or VEO’s.

 

 

What can you do as a student or staff member?

 

We will be lighting up the main building red on Thursday 22^nd October and we would love to see you wearing something red too.

 

Spread the word to friends, colleagues and tutors, we’d love to see you send some photos to our social medias too!

 

Want to be the first to find out about opportunities, resources, and campaigns relating specifically to students with disabilities? Join our Disabled Students Network today!

 

 

Contact details for support services below, don’t hesitate to use them if you need a hand:

 

• SpLD team: spld@edgehill.ac.uk
• Catalyst Helpdesk: catalystenquiries@edgehill.ac.uk
• UniSkills site: https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/ls/uni-skills/  
• Beth Kirkland-Bobs (Disabled Students’ Officer): supresidency@edgehill.ac.uk (Mention in your email you want to contact our Disabled students’ Officer and you will be redirected to their address)

 

 

This blog post was written by your Disabled Students’ Officer, Beth Kirkland-Bobs. For more news, blogs, and updates from your Students’ Union, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.