Access to Basic Skills for People with Dyslexia 52. Dyslexia affects 10% of the general adult population, and 4% severely. This figure is far higher amongst those lacking in basic skills, including prison offenders. Learners with dyslexia, however, are found across the whole ability range. They generally have an uneven or 'spiky profile' of abilities. Dyslexia impedes the usual acquisition of reading, spelling and often handwriting skills. It also affects organisational and planning skills. Dyslexic learners continue to experience difficulties with written language whatever level of competence they achieve. Their difficulties with information processing also means that they need to be taught differently. If achievement is to be raised, basic skills need to be contextualised, as dyslexic people, more than others, generally learn more effectively in areas in which they have a high level of interest. 53. The main additional barrier for learners with dyslexia acquiring basic skills stems from their previous learning experiences. Many adults with dyslexia feel that they have had humiliating and damaging experiences of school education and many report unsuccessful attempts to acquire basic skills through adult basic education classes. They are reluctant to risk 'more of the same'. Many were not identified as dyslexic at school and were labelled 'thick, stupid or lazy'. Lack of understanding, lack of specialist expertise and suitable classes, complex enrolment procedures, the limited availability of diagnostic assessment, and the lack of funding for specialist teaching, are all barriers to access. 54. The quality of current provision is perceived as uneven and inadequate. Access to diagnostic assessment is usually available only to students enrolled on full-time, mainstream FEFC-funded courses. Very few basic skills courses are appropriate for dyslexic learners. Basic skills tutors and managers lack knowledge about dyslexia. In particular, there is lack of awareness of the role language processing plays in literacy acquisition. There is little workplace awareness of dyslexia or provision for dyslexic employees to improve basic skills. In prisons, screening is now common but assessment and specific tuition less so. Dyslexia affects auditory processing and short-term memory so that dyslexics may be disadvantaged in large groups and by inappropriate teaching methods. Current forms of accreditation in basic skills are generally inappropriate for dyslexic learners and sometimes act as an additional barrier. Recently produced, high-quality learning materials which include voice activated software, reading machines and CD ROM, are not readily available. 55. The views of learners and teachers. Learners consider they have often been stigmatised because their specific learning difficulty was not recognised. They believe they would have benefited from more specialist diagnosis and teaching and believe that only classes exclusively for dyslexic adults are worth while. Many dyslexic learners wanted access to other courses or qualifications but saw their basic skills as lacking. Dyslexic learners do not want to follow courses at levels below their intellectual and practical abilities, simply to gain access to the courses they want or need to undertake. Tutors and trainers, including those working in prisons, believe that attempts to develop the skills of individual dyslexic learners are hindered by large classes, lack of time and inadequate facilities. 56. What should the ideal basic skills arrangement look like? Ideally dyslexic learners should be taught by tutors with specialist training in diagnosing and teaching adult dyslexic learners. Teaching should be dyslexia-specific and flexible. There should be access to specialist diagnosis, individual and small group tuition as well as opportunities for learning without attending classes, such as through the Internet. There needs to be an explicit policy on admissions, enrolment, assessment and marking for dyslexic students in order to ensure that they have the opportunity to achieve at a level commensurate with their knowledge and abilities. Wilson is a 25 year old persistent offender who left school with no qualifications and very limited literacy skills. He was referred to the Dyspel project which provides diagnosis and individual tuition to adult dyslexic offenders. He received a full assessment and the results were explained to him in detail enabling him to understand the reasons for his past difficulties and the ways in which he could learn. Motivated by this, he was keen to improve his basic skills and progressed to the point where he was able to put together a flyer advertising his skills as a jobbing gardener. Consequently, he was offered work in a home for the elderly, working as a care assistant. He was able to use his newly acquired strategies to learn the words he needed for patient record keeping, including the names of drugs and dietary requirements. He believes that the opportunity to learn these skills has changed his life. Recommendations specific to this group. There should be improved initial screening to identify learners who could be dyslexic. As many dyslexic learners were not identified at school, they need access to fully-funded, specialist diagnostic assessment The opportunity for specialist support should be available to all adult dyslexic learners; 'awareness' and 'identification' should be part of the training curriculum for all basic skills tutors. Provision should be flexible reflecting individual skills and learning profiles and learners should have individual tuition and work in small groups where necessary. Learners should have access to multi-sensory resources and technology, and photocopying/enlarging facilities. There should be quiet and private areas for diagnosis and study. There should be a curriculum devised using the basic skills standards and tests which allows learners to achieve in a variety of ways. An explicit dyslexia policy is needed as part of all basic skills strategies. Research should be conducted into the numbers of those with basic skills needs who have dyslexia (or other specific learning difficulties), given the strong anecdotal evidence that there are large numbers of undiagnosed dyslexic adults.

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