Fact Sheet 1 What is Dyslexia? [email protected]
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia means ‘difficulty with words’
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects a child’s ability to develop a
strong understanding of language.
The child that seems bright and capable yet struggles with reading,
writing, and spelling.
Children have difficulty hearing the sounds in words and converting from
sound to symbol and symbol to sound.
Dyslexia may affect one out of five children in each class (10-20%)
The brain of a person with dyslexia works SIX times harder when reading.
How do children with dyslexia
learn?
Multi-sensory
Techniques
Direct and Explicit
Instruction
Evidence Based
Reading Methods
Phonics -Synthetic
and Systematic
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
Fact Sheet 2 Strengths of Dyslexia [email protected]
Individuals with Dyslexia can excel in the following areas:
Cognitive Strengths of Dyslexia
Inquiring Mind
Problem Solving
Creative Thinking
3D Construction
Generating New Ideas
Finding Different Strategies
Analytical Thinking
Insightful Thinking
Seeing the ‘BIG’ picture
Computer Science
Business
Architecture
Design
EngineeringArt
Music
Sport
Science
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
Fact Sheet 3 Impact of Dyslexia [email protected]
Unidentified dyslexia may cause classroom behaviour problems:
Difficulty follow instructions
Work not completed and avoiding work
Easily distracted and daydreaming
Withdrawn and reluctant to participate in class
Disruptive behaviour to conceal their learning difficulty
Outbursts to express anger and frustration
Tiredness, exhaustion and irritability
Avoiding school and truancy
Oral
LanguageWritten
Language
Working Memory
Executive Function
Attention Motor Skills
Mathematics
Reading
Writing
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
Dyslexia can
impact on the
following
areas of
learning
Teacher Checklist - Indicators of Dyslexia
The child that seems bright and capable yet struggles with reading, writing, and spelling.
□ Oral language skills are often stronger than written language skills
□ Difficulty pronouncing sounds in words
□ Problems with phonological awareness – difficulty segmenting, blending and manipulating the sounds (phonemes) and syllables in words
□ Confusion with ‘direction’ words of space or time – left/right, up/down, yesterday/tomorrow
□ Very slow in acquiring reading skills
□ Limited reading fluency – oral reading is slow and laboured with many mistakes
□ Poor sight word recognition and difficulty remembering familiar words
□ Stumbles when reading longer words and may rely on phonics to sound out words
□ Poor spelling skills and often spells words phonetically
□ May reverse letters or the order of letters/numbers when reading and writing (visual perception problems) ‘b’ and ‘d’ , ‘was’ and ‘saw', ‘from’ and ‘form’
□ Limited reading comprehension due to reading processing difficulties
□ Poor rote memory –trouble learning the alphabet and letter sounds, multiplication tables
□ Difficulty with sequencing information and following complex instructions
□ Avoids reading and writing whenever possible – especially fearful of reading aloud
□ Slow to complete reading and writing tasks
□ Difficulty copying written work – slow and written work is untidy with many errors
□ Written responses are less detailed than their actual knowledge
□ Complaining that letters and words on the page move or become blurred
□ Complaining of dizziness or headaches while reading but eyesight is fine
□ Easily distracted by visual or auditory stimuli and appears to lack concentration
□ Inconsistent school work and a downward trend in academic achievement
Parent Checklist - Indicators of Dyslexia
□ Delayed speech and troubles pronouncing sounds to learn new words
□ Mixes up familiar words when speaking – ‘pootfrints’ instead of ‘footprints’
□ Difficulty making connections between letters and their sounds
□ Confusion with words of space or time – left/right, up/down, yesterday/tomorrow
□ Struggles following more than one instruction at a time
□ Problems with remembering things in correct sequence or order
□ Difficulty with rote learning – alphabet, times tables, telling time, days of the week
□ Oral language skills are stronger than written language skills
□ Trouble learning frequently used ‘sight’ words and continually fails to recognise familiar
words
□ May reverse letters (‘b’ and ‘d’ )or the order of letters (‘was’ and ‘saw') when reading and
writing – this is common in young children (6-7 years) but should not continue
□ Rely heavily on pictures in readers and books
□ Complains of difficulty ‘seeing’ words and headaches when reading but eyesight is fine
□ Oral reading is slow and laboured – the child may skip words, mix up or jumble words and
wildly guess unfamiliar words
□ Trouble with understanding what they have read but good comprehension when read to
□ Poor spelling skills and often spells words as they sound rather than correctly
□ Messy handwriting - writes slowly and often awkwardly
□ Written work is untidy with many errors and crossing out
□ Avoids writing tasks or writes very little
□ Easily distracted and may not concentrate when completing homework
□ Doesn’t enjoy going to school
□ Often comes home from school exhausted, stressed and disagreeable
□ May have good days or very bad days at school
□ Has an immediate family member who had difficulty learning to read, write or spell
Fact Sheet 4 Indicators of Dyslexia [email protected]
Key Indicators of Dyslexia
Late to learn to talk and prefers non-verbal gestures
Mixes up and mispronounces words in speech
Difficulty remembering nursery rhymes and playing word games
Confusion with space and time
Slow to learn the alphabet letter names and their sounds
Poor verbal memory - struggles to follow complex instructions
Strong oral language skills
Excellent social skills
Reading is slow and laboured - reads word by word with little
expression, stumbles when sounding out unfamiliar words,
words read incorrectly, guesses unknown words, relies on
pictures for information, unable to recognise common words by
sight and depends on context to figure out unfamiliar words.
Reading is hard work and requires a lot of effort
Poor spelling skills and spells phonetically
Good comprehension when read to
Handwriting is messy, disorganised and untidy
May avoid writing or write the bare minimum in tasks
Written work does not reflect their oral language ability
Difficulty with rote learning such as times tables
Requires more time to finish tasks and struggles to keep up
with the workload
Easily distracted and may not appear to concentrate
Strengths in art, music, sport, maths, science, computers,
design or mechanics
Over time their self esteem and confidence decreases.....
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
Fact Sheet 5 Causes of Dyslexia [email protected]
What Causes Dyslexia?
Inheritance
Dyslexia is genetic. Several specific genes have been identified that
influence brain development and can cause a predisposition to dyslexia.
Studies have indicated that if a child has a parent or older sibling with
dyslexia, there is a strong chance that the child will also have difficulty in
learning to read.
Neurology
Dyslexia is caused by a difference in the way the brain processes
information and for this reason, children with dyslexia learn differently.
Reading requires the activation of several areas of the brain.
Brain imagery studies show most people use three distinct regions on the
left side of their brain when reading.
A person with dyslexia uses secondary pathways on the right side of their
brain to read and write.
Excellent remedial instruction can re-wire the brain of a dyslexic child by
strengthening the secondary pathways and by activating the rear occipital
region of the brain.
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
Fact Sheet Books on Dyslexia [email protected]
Useful Books on Dyslexia
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
Fact Sheet 7 Phonological Awareness [email protected]
Phonological Awareness is the ability to hear, isolate and
manipulate syllables and rhyme.
A syllable is a unit of spoken language consisting of a single
uninterrupted sound. A syllable always contains a vowel.
Rhythm
• syllables provide rhythm
• clap the 'beats' in multisyllable words
Rhyme
• words ending in the same sound 'dog' and 'frog'
• identfy words that rhyme and create rhyming words
Onset
• divisions within a syllable
• parts of a syllable before a vowel
Rime
• divisions within a syllable
• the vowel and all subsequent consonants
• combine the syllables into a word
• ‘bas–ket–ball’ is ‘basketball’Blending Syllables
• sound out the syllables in a word
• ‘kitten’ is ‘kit-ten’Segmenting
Syllables
• delete a syllables from a word
• ‘Monday’ without the ‘mon’ is ‘day’ Deleting Syllables
• manipulate syllables within a word
• 'birdhouse’ take out bird and add dog to get ‘doghouse’Manipulating
Syllables
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
Fact Sheet 7 Phonological Awareness [email protected]
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, isolate and manipulate
the individual sounds in words (phonemes).
Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in words.
•What is the first sound in man? /m/
•What is the last sound in duck? /k/
•What is the middle sound in cup? /u/Phoneme Isolation
•listen to a sequence of spoken phonemes and then combine them into a word
•/t/, /a/, /p/ is ‘tap’Blending Phonemes
•sound out the separate phonemes in a word by finger spelling
•‘cat’ is /k/, /a/, /t/Segmenting Phonemes
•delete a phoneme from a word
•‘pan’ without the /p/ is ‘an’Deleting Phonemes
•manipulate phoneme sounds to form different words
•‘map’ replace the /a/ with a /o/ to make ‘mop’
Manipulating Phonemes
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
Fact Sheet 8 Synthetic Phonics [email protected]
Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in words.
Sequence for introducing phonemes:
Phonics refers to the relationship between individual sounds
(phonemes) and the letters that represent them.
Vowels (v) –a,e,i,o,u - short and long sounds
Consonants (c) – all the other letters of the alphabet.
Consonant Digraphs – sh, ch, th, wh, ph
Vowel Teams – ai and ay, ee and ea, igh and ie, oa and ow, ue and ew, y as a vowel
Vowel Dipthongs – oi and oy, ou and ow, au and aw
R-controlled vowels – ar and or, er, ir and ur
Less common vowel combinations
Practice writing the alphabet
• Say the letter sounds as you write the letters
Phoneme Soundcards
• Say the phonemes on the soundcard
Decoding by blending sounds - reading
• practice decoding using flashcards
Encoding by pulling apart sounds - spelling
• practice encoding on the whiteboard
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
Fact Sheet 8 Synthetic Phonics [email protected]
Synthetic phonics teaches blending sounds together and pulling
apart sounds.
Sequence for synthetic phonics:
Supplement synthetic phonics with:
In higher grades, the focus moves to spelling instruction, word
analysis and morphemes (Greek and Latin root words).
Three letter cvc words
Four letter ccvc and cvcc words
Open vowels - cv words
Silent 'e' vowels - cvce words
r- controlled vowels
Consonant-le words
Multisyllable words
Sentence Dictation
Oral Reading
Fluency Training
Vocabulary Building
Comprehension Strategies
Creative and Genre Writing
Fact Sheet 9 Advocate for your child [email protected]
Being an advocate for your child with dyslexia
1. Follow your intuition
Complete the parents’ indicator checklist - if most boxes are ticked then it may be worth
getting a screen or assessment.
2. Get an screen or assessment
A screen is helpful for you and the school to know if your child is at risk.
An assessment is required to get an IEP (individual education plan), to obtain for
modifications to the curriculum and to apply for accommodations to exams.
3. Learn as much as you can about dyslexia
An informed parent knows what is best for their child.
Liz Dunoon’s ‘Helping Children with Dyslexia’ is a must have book for parents.
4. Explain dyslexia to your child
Take time to explain why learning for your child is difficult.
Outline to them they learn differently and explain the ways they like to learn.
Highlight their strengths, find their areas of talent and encourage them in these areas.
Inspire you child by sharing with them the poster of talented people with dyslexia.
5. Promote dyslexia
Inform family and friends about your child’s dyslexia as these are the people that are part of
your support network (along with us).
6. Meet with your child’s teacher
Teachers are very caring and dedicated people. The classroom teacher spends more time
with your child than anyone and they will support your child.
7. Coordinate a school meeting
Invite teachers, support teachers, school executives and your child’s dyslexia assessor.
Discuss your child’s assessment and their learning needs – initiate the development of an
individual implementation plan (IEP).
8. Communicate with your child’s teacher
Maintain ongoing communication with your child’s teacher to monitor your child’s progress
and address any concerns.
9. Encourage your child and believe in them
Value your child’s opinion and allow them to express themselves, listen and be patient.
Allow their strengths to define them as a person rather than focusing on their weaknesses.
Do not lessen expectations of your child and support them to pursue their dreams.
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
THE HON CHRISTOPHER PYNE MP MINISTER FOR EDUCATION
LEADER OF THE HOUSE
MEMBER FOR STURT
Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone (02) 6277 7350 Fax (02) 6273 4134
Policy Roundtable on Students with Dyslexia
Minister for Education the Hon Christopher Pyne MP hosted a dyslexia roundtable in Adelaide on
13 June 2014. This was the first in a series of education policy roundtables to be held on issues
affecting students with disability and learning difficulties, involving students, parents, teachers,
education experts and the community.
As many as one in ten Australians experience dyslexia, ranging from mild to severe cases.
Appropriate identification and support in schools will help young people with dyslexia to achieve
their potential at school.
The roundtable provided a forum for constructive discussion around what is working in schools and
what can be done better. Participants on the day provided a number of practical suggestions to
support students with dyslexia including:
Early Identification: focussing on timely screening, early intervention, and equipping
teachers with information on free screening resources and pathways to formal diagnosis by
professionals.
Teacher Education: the need for high quality teacher preparation and training around
identifying and supporting students with dyslexia and other learning difficulties. Also raised
was the need for greater use of evidence and solid research about the literacy interventions,
educational adjustments and assistive technology that best support student results.
Dyslexia-Friendly Schools: schools in Australia should aspire to become dyslexia-friendly
and help students with learning difficulties reach their full potential. In line with the
Australian Government’s focus on school autonomy, school leaders and communities should
be given the ability to make decisions on the type of activities and professional development
that suits the needs of their students, including dyslexia interventions.
Assessment and Examinations: access to technology and other support during exams is
important to help students with dyslexia and learning difficulties achieve their potential.
The Australian Government is committed to addressing education issues that affect students, parents,
teachers and the community. Through future roundtables and other discussions, Minister Pyne will
continue to consult on how to improve education outcomes for students with disability and learning
difficulties. It is essential that every Australian student gets the best education possible, regardless of
circumstance.
Further information including presentations from the day and the Minister’s opening address is
available at www.studentsfirst.gov.au.
School Resource 1 Dyslexia Friendly Classroom [email protected]
Dyslexia Friendly Classrooms
Classroom Instruction:
Explicit – concepts are clearly and directly explained by the teacher
Systematic – the entire system of speech sounds, spelling patterns, sentence
structure, text genres and language conventions is taught.
Cumulative – continual review as one skill builds on the previous skill
Multisensory – actively engaged in learning by using VAK (visual, auditory and
kinaesthetic) sensory systems.
Sequential and incremental – instruction proceeds in a sequence of
manageable steps
Pace is determined by students level of understanding
Don’t just tell me, show me!
Classroom Management:
Simple, clear and concise verbal instructions – short sentences that are to the
point
Demonstrate examples of what is required
Seat close to the teacher for instruction, monitoring and support
Don’t give too many instructions, too fast
Proactively monitor for understanding - ask questions or prompt to monitor
the child’s understanding
Rephrase if the child does not understand or remember
Encourage questions – smile when they ask for help then explain it again with
an example or two
Be prepared to repeat instructions
Be patient with mistakes and requests for help
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
School Resource 1 Dyslexia Friendly Classroom [email protected]
Classroom Strategies:
Break tasks up into small manageable steps
Allow extra time to complete their work
Show enthusiasm for a topic
Teach key vocabulary words before each topic
Make learning meaningful by connecting it to life experiences
Teach memory strategies such as category and mental rehearsal
Restate important points
Emphasise major ideas
Support explanations with a visual display such as diagrams, concept maps or
flow charts
Organise their thoughts on a mind map using post-sticks – this is a useful
technique for writing tasks.
Include hands-on activities including experiments and games
Study-Buddy system – partner them with a capable student so if they can
observe their classmate to figure out what is expected
A reluctance to start work may indicate he is unsure of what is required and
may need assistance.
Sit him near the board and try to avoid a seat with glare from the whiteboard
Leave notes on the board as long as possible
Copying from the whiteboard is difficult, try to give written notes on paper to
copy or photocopies to paste in their book
Assist visual tracking of reading with finger pointing or a reading rule
Use numbered points in preference to bullet form
Do not call upon to read aloud or present information unless the child has had
a chance to prepare and understands what is required
They will require extra time for tests and exams
They will require exam papers with larger print
Preference for font styles (Trebuchet MS, Comic MS Sans, Arial, Geneva) and a
larger font size with plenty of spacing
Believe in your student and give them lots of positive feedback!
School Resource 2 Dyslexia Initiatives for Schools [email protected]
Dyslexia Initiatives for Schools
1. Best teaching practices using evidence-based reading methods using direct and
explicit multisensory instruction in systematic phonics.
2. Effective literacy instruction that integrates:
a. phonological and phonemic awareness
b. phonics and word analysis
c. decoding and encoding
d. oral reading fluency
e. grammar and syntax
f. vocabulary
g. comprehension
h. creative and genre writing
Recommendation 2 of the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy (NITL, 2005)
states:
‘The Committee recommends that teachers provide systematic, direct and explicit
phonics instruction so that children master the essential alphabetic code-breaking
skills required for foundational reading proficiency. Equally, that teachers provide an
integrated approach to reading that supports the development of oral language,
vocabulary, grammar, reading fluency, comprehension and the literacy’s of new
technologies.’
3. Professional development in evidence-based reading instruction, dyslexia and other
significant reading difficulties.
4. The provision of a specialist ‘dyslexia’ teacher in each school with extensive
knowledge of the learning requirements of students with dyslexia.
5. The screening of all prep children and the early identification of students ‘at risk’ of
dyslexia and other reading difficulties.
6. Early reading intervention for students ‘at risk’ of dyslexia using a direct, explicit and
systematic phonics programs and multisensory instruction.
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
School Resource 2 Dyslexia Initiatives for Schools [email protected]
7. Classroom teachers receive professional development in teaching for differentiation
and/or multi-sensory instruction to support children with dyslexia in a classroom
environment. All children benefit from this teaching pedagogy.
8. Multisensory instruction where students are actively engaged in meaningful learning by simultaneously using the Visual-Auditory-Kinaesthetic sensory systems.
9. Dyslexia friendly classrooms with modifications and adjustment to cater for the
learning needs of students with dyslexia – may include differentiated curriculums
and adaptive teaching practices.
10. Response to intervention (RTI) for students identified with dyslexia who do not
respond to early reading intervention.
11. The provision of exam accommodations to students with dyslexia such as personal
reader and/or scribe, large format test papers, a separate room and extra time to
complete exams.
12. The inclusion of assistive technology including audio books and e-text, voice
recognition software for writing, speech software for reading text and electronic
spellers.
Our list of objectives is based on the research and recommendations of:
Helping people with dyslexia: a national action agenda, Dyslexia Working Party
(2010)
National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy (2005)
International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Recommendations
Australian Dyslexia Association (ADA) Recommendations
Overcoming Dyslexia, Sally Shaywitz (2002)
Professional Development and Training
The More Support for Students with Disabilities (MSSWD) program offers the
‘Understanding Dyslexia and Significant Difficulties in Reading’ e-learning course.
Speld Qld: http://www.speld.org.au/professional-development
Australian Dyslexia Association (ADA):
http://dyslexiaassociation.org.au/index.php?page=msl-training-provider
Learning Difficulties Australia (LDA): https://www.ldaustralia.org/conferences-and-
seminars/
School Resource 3 Reasonable Adjustments [email protected]
Reasonable Adjustments – Accommodations and Modifications
Adjustments are measures or actions taken to assist a student with a disability by altering
the learning environment to reduce their barriers to learn and perform.
Reasonable adjustments provide students with disabilities an opportunity to participate in
education on the same basis as student peers without the disability.
Think about the learners needs in terms of:
Reading
Writing
Hearing and Processing
Communicating/ Expressing Ideas
Concentration
Memory and Retention
Applications in Teaching:
Be flexible
Differentiated Teaching – use a range of teaching strategies and learning experiences
to cater for individual needs and learning preferences.
Focussed Teaching – providing additional classroom support using explicit instruction
and scaffolded learning to consolidate prior learning and to present key concepts
and skills.
Inclusive Practices – recognise the differences among learners and ensure no one is
excluded.
Universal Design – designing the curriculum, learning materials and instruction
methods to be accessible to all learners with different abilities.
Learning Support – providing intensive teaching (individual or small group) with
direct and explicit multisensory instruction.
Applications in Assessment:
Presentation - provide learning materials in alternative formats such as audio; large
print with extra spacing; large format; coloured paper or overlays; provide a reader;
present instructions orally.
Response – allow answers to be verbal; dictated to a scribe; digitally recorded.
Assistive Technology – for access to information and to allow communication so the
student can complete tasks independently.
Setting – preferential seating; dimmed lighting; special acoustics; minimal
distractions.
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
Teacher Resource 3 Reasonable Adjustments [email protected]
Allow extra time to process information and complete tasks.
Provide learning materials beforehand so students can become familiar with them.
Substitute alternative tasks where existing ones pose a problem.
Consider personal FM devices for those with auditory processing difficulties.
Consider lighting and glare for learners with scotopic sensitivity or epilepsy.
Reduce distraction due to others and background noise.
Disability Provisions for consideration in assessment:
Additional time
Separate venue
Rest breaks or split sessions
Use of a reader
Use of a scribe
Alternative formats
Present information in a range of media (increases accessibility)
Alternative assessment methods
Use oral assessments as alternatives to written tasks
Use generic terms and inclusive language when constructing assessment tasks
Ensure there are access to power points for equipment
School Resource 4 Evidence Based Reading [email protected]
Evidence Based Reading
Evidence based reading means a reading program or instruction practice has a proven
record of success with children by making adequate gains in reading achievement.
Evidence based reading instruction is also known as research based instruction or
scientifically based research.
Effective evidence based reading includes:
1. Phonemic Awareness – hearing and manipulating individual sounds in spoken
language.
Phonemic awareness helps children understand the alphabet.
Phoneme manipulation helps children learn to read.
Phoneme segmentation helps children learn to spell.
2. Phonics – making a connection between sounds and letters.
Alphabetic code – grapheme-phoneme correspondences.
Direct and explicit instruction in systematic phonics gives beginning readers
the skills to decode and encode written words.
3. Fluency – reading accurately, at an appropriate pace and with expression.
Develops into reading for purpose and understanding.
4. Vocabulary – understanding the meaning of spoken and written words.
Fundamental to comprehension.
5. Comprehension – responding to, interpreting, analysing and evaluation text.
Students need a repertoire of strategies – teachers should demonstrate and
model how and when to use these strategies.
Systematic and explicit instruction
Systematic – planned and logical sequence responsive to the needs of the learner -
monitor, assess and differentiate.
Explicit – structured learning experiences by demonstrating and guiding the learner -
review, explain, model, scaffold, practice and feedback.
Balanced and integrated program
Balanced – covers each aspect of literacy learning in a planned and developmental
manner.
Integrated – literacy aspects are connected within and across learning areas with
purposeful contexts.
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
School Resource 4 Evidence Based Reading [email protected]
Effective Reading Instruction is:
Explicit – concepts are clearly and directly explained by the teacher
Systematic – the entire system of speech sounds, spelling patterns, sentence
structure, text genres and language conventions is taught.
Cumulative – continual review as one skill builds on the previous skill
Structured – sequential and incremental instruction that proceeds in a sequence of
manageable steps.
Multisensory – actively engaged in learning by using VAK (visual, auditory and
kinaesthetic) sensory systems.
Important Points
Flexibility of use with a range of diverse learning needs.
Quality literacy material that is diverse in the level of difficulty, genre, topic and
cultural representation to meet the individual needs and interests of children.
Match the instruction, program or intervention to the child.
Match the instruction, program or intervention to the resources available.
School Resource 5 Developing an IEP [email protected]
Developing an IEP
An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is the school’s commitment to address the unique
learning needs of a student.
The aim of the ILP is to outline student involvement and progress in the general curriculum,
and address the delivery of special education support and services (if required).
Organise an IEP Meeting
The parent(s), classroom teacher(s), special education teacher, experts (invited by parents
and/or the school) and the student (where appropriate) will discuss the student’s profile
and collate information to develop the ILP.
Content of the IEP
Student Information
Outline the student’s assessment profile of their specific learning difficulty
Identify the student’s strengths and areas of weakness
Describe the student’s academic, developmental and functional needs.
Developmental and functional needs may include skill development, physical
requirements, behaviour issues and attention concerns.
Address parent concerns, ideas to enhance their child’s education and expectations
Include student participation in extracurricular activities
Present Level of Educational Performance
This information is used to determine any gaps in the student’s knowledge and skills
to be addressed in the objectives and goals. This information may include:
o Teacher observations
o Samples of work
o Class tests
o Curriculum-based skill development progress data
o Standardised tests relative to grade level
o External assessments
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
School Resource 5 Developing an IEP [email protected]
Curriculum Access & Modifications
Specially designed instruction – multisensory structured language
Classroom adjustments – dyslexia friendly classroom
Assistive technology provisions
Any curriculum and/or program modifications
Assessment Participation & Accommodations
Presentation – large format exams, large print, coloured paper, reader
Response – allow answers to be written on the exam paper or computer, scribe
Schedule – extra time, rest breaks
Setting – separate room, special lighting
List assessment participation and any exclusions
Special Education Support
Intervention recommendations – early intervention or response to intervention
Outline the instructional methods of intervention
Specify the frequency, location and duration of intervention sessions
Identify the person responsible for special education support
Indicate the amount of time spent in general education and special education
Include any external support services and private tutoring
Objectives and Goals
Identify areas of weakness in knowledge and write the goal addressing the content
specific grade level standard
Identify skill deficits and write the goal addressing the skills needed to be mastered
Determine measureable short term objectives and annual goals
Prioritise the goals based on the knowledge and skills most important to the
student’s long-term academic success
Outline the procedures to monitor and evaluate student objectives
Specify the method and frequency of progress reporting
The objectives must be written in a manner that is strategic, measurable, and attainable. The objectives contain five critical elements:
The student…(who) will do what…(behaviour) to what level or degree…(criterion) under what conditions…(conditions) and in what length of time…(timeframe)
Here is an example of a properly written objective: Jacob (who) will read 90 –110 words of connected text (condition) per minute (behaviour) with 100% accuracy (criterion) at the end of 36 weeks (timeframe)
Annual IEP Review
Report on the student’s progress in the curriculum and their objectives attained
Individual Education Plan – Student Name
School Name -Year Page 1
Student Information
Student Name
Grade
Specific Learning Difficulty
Description of SLD
Strengths
Areas of Weakness
Academic Needs
Development and Functional Needs
Parent Interview
Concerns
Ideas
Expectations
Extracurricular Activities and Interests
Present Level of Educational Performance
Teacher Observations
Class Tests
Curriculum Data
Diagnostic Tests
External Exams (NAPLAN)
Individual Education Plan – Student Name
School Name -Year Page 2
Curriculum Access & Modifications
Specially designed Instruction
Classroom Adjustments
Assistive Technology Provisions
Curriculum Modifications
Accommodations
Assessment -Reasonable Adjustments
Special Education Support
Type of Intervention
Description of Intervention
Frequency of Intervention
Location of Intervention
Duration of Intervention
Intervention Instructor
Time spent in General Education per week
Time spent in Support Education per week
External Support Service
Private Tutoring
Individual Education Plan – Student Name
School Name -Year Page 3
Objectives and Goals
Short Term Objectives
Knowledge
Skills
Annual Goals
Knowledge
Skills
Monitoring and Evaluation Methods
Reporting Method
Reporting Frequency
Signatures:
Parent
Date
Classroom Teacher
Date
Special Education Teacher
Date
School Executive
Date
Student (if appropriate)
Date
School Resource 6 Assistive Technology [email protected]
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology is defined as software, hardware and applications designed to assist
students with learning disabilities.
Assistive technology can assist students understand the material presented, store
information and composes responses.
Adaptive technology adjusts the content or user responses from one form to another.
AT helps students demonstrate their potential by enabling them to use their strengths and
work around their weaknesses.
The purpose of assistive technology is to supplement effective instruction.
The 5 modes of learning
1. Receive instruction – screen reader or speech synthesis software (convert text to
speech); content contains images and text; video
2. Comprehend – auto-summarise to highlight key points; on-line dictionary or
glossary.
3. Compose response – mindmap; picture dictionary
4. Transmit response – speech recognition software (convert speech to text); word
processor; word prediction software; spell checker; thesaurus
5. Store and retrieve – search functionality, screen readers
Types of Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology Description Benefits
Abbreviation expanders allow a user to create, store
and re-use abbreviations for
frequently used words or
phrases
students who struggle with
writing
Alternative keyboards programmable keyboards
that can customise the
appearance and function of a
standard keyboard
students who struggle with
writing
Audio books audio recorded books that
allow the user to listen to
students who struggle with
reading
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
School Resource 6 Assistive Technology [email protected]
text, variety of formats such
as audiocasettes, CDs and
MP3
Electronic worksheets software programs help
students organise and work
through worksheet on-
screen, they may also have a
speech synthesizer
students who struggle with
reading, maths and writing
Freeform database software allows the user to create
electronic notes that can be
retreived later
students who struggle with
organisation and memory
Graphic organisers allows student to ‘dump’
unstructured information
and helps them organise
information into catagories
and order
students who struggle with
writing and organisation
Information and data
managers
helps students plan,
organise, store and retreive
information such as a
calendar, task list or contacts
students who struggle with
organisation
Optical character recognition scans printed material and
converts to a file that is read
aloud by a speech
synthesizer or screen reader
students who struggle with
reading
Personal FM listening
systems
transmits a speakers voice
directly to the student’s ear
students who struggle with
listening and attention
Portable word processors allow a student to edit and
correct their work
students who struggle with
writing
Proof reading programs contain spell checkers and
grammar checkers
students who struggle with
spelling
Speech recognition programs the student dictates into a
microphone and spoken
words are converted to text
on a computer screen
students who struggle with
writing
Speech synthesizers and
Screen readers
display and read aloud text
on a computer screen
students who struggle with
reading and writing
Talking calculators reads aloud each number,
symbol or operation and
students who struggle with
School Resource 6 Assistive Technology [email protected]
vocalises the answer to a
problem
maths
Talking spell checkers and
electronic dictionaries
read aloud to help the
student select the
appropriate word and
correct spelling errors
students who struggle with
spelling
Variable speed tape
recorders
record spoken information
to play back later and able to
speed up or slow down the
speakers voice
students who struggle with
listening and reading
Word prediction programs helps the student predict a
word intended to type based
on spelling ,syntax,
frequency and recent use
students who struggle with
spelling and writing
Assistive technology can:
Increase independence and minimise students need to seek help
Improve speed and accuracy of work
Reinforce effective classroom instruction
Strengthen skill development
Help students cope with classroom learning and routines
Empower and motivate students
Reduce stress and frustration experienced by students
When deciding which assistive technology is best for your student, consider the following:
learning needs
strengths and weaknesses
skills, knowledge and interests
tasks and functions to be performed
setting of intended use
ease of operation, reliability, portability and cost
The National Centre for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) has great resources for assistive
technology.
Apps for students with dyslexia
http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/assistive-technology-education/apps-students-ld-dyslexia-
reading-difficulties
Apps for students with dysgraphia
http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/assistive-technology-education/apps-students-ld-
dysgraphia-writing-difficulties
Apps for students with poor organisation
www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/assistive-technology-education/apps-students-ld-organization-
study
School Resource 7 National Collection of Consistent Data [email protected]
National Collection of Consistent Data (NCCD)
Currently, each state and territory has counted its students with disability on a different
basis. The NCCD model is intended to count the number of students with disability in a
consistent manner across Australia.
Students with dyslexia and other related learning differences are protected under section (f)
of both the Disability Discrimination Act (1992) and Disability Standards for Education (2005)
as:
”a disorder or malfunction that results in the person learning differently from a person
without the disorder or malfunction.”
The NCCD acknowledges the work already undertaken by school to support students with
disability. It assists schools to identify and to support students with disability so they can
access and participate in education on the same basis as their peers.
The model for the national data collection on students with disability consists of four steps.
Step 1: determining which students are receiving reasonable adjustments to access education because of disability, consistent with definitions and obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and Disability Standards for Education 2005.
Step 2: determining what level of adjustment is being provided to each of these students
Step 3: determining the broad category of disability under which each student best fits
Step 4: recording and submitting the data
Step 1:
Students with disability as defined under the DDA and the Standards are in mainstream or
regular schools as well as special schools and specialist support classes. The definition
includes:
students who have formally diagnosed disability by a health or allied health
practitioner
students who may not have a formal disability diagnosis but have impairment that
requires an adjustment
students with intellectual, physical, sensory and social/emotional disability as well as
students with difficulties in learning or behaviour due to disability
Gold Coast Dyslexia
Support Group
School Resource 7 National Collection of Consistent Data [email protected]
students who are gifted and talented and who are impacted by disability.
Firstly, our children are included in the definition as “students with difficulties in learning”.
Step 2:
Schools are asked to consider the following four adjustment categories:
Support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice
Supplementary adjustment
Substantial adjustment
Extensive adjustment
Students with dyslexia and related learning differences are eligible for at least 2 of the 4
adjustment categories - differentiated teaching practice and supplementary adjustments.
Step 3:
As well as identifying the level of reasonable adjustment being provided for each student identified for inclusion in the national data collection, schools are asked to identify the broad category of disability for each student from one of four categories:
physical cognitive sensory social/emotional
Students with dyslexia and related learning differences are in the “cognitive” broad
category of disability.
Step 4:
The school principal is responsible for verifying that there is evidence to support the
inclusion of these students in the national data collection. It is important the school
maintains and stores accurate, up-to-date records.
The NCCD requires consultation regarding the provision of adjustments. A student is
counted in the data collection when there is ‘evidence’ of the school consulting with the
student and/or their parents to determine the reasonable adjustments to be provided.
It is important, as parents we remain proactive and ensure our schools are providing adjustments so our children will be eligible. Also meet with your school and confirm your child will be included in data.
For more information, please go to:
http://www.schooldisabilitydatapl.edu.au/#introduction_1
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