Middlesbrough Council
Children, Families & Learning Service.
Middlesbrough’s Dyslexia Policy has been developed through a
working party of senior staff within the Educational Psychology and Learning
and Language Support Teams.
The process has included liaison with the Senior Adviser for SEN & Inclusion and in consultation with Head Teachers,
SENCO’s and the Parent Partnership Officer.
The Policy has also been discussed with other LEA Officers and
School Governor representatives.
The Education Department supports the view that SEN is a
mainstream issue. Good practice for
pupils with dyslexia will promote their full and independent inclusion in
mainstream classes. Effective provision
for pupils with dyslexia requires a whole school approach, reflected in
policies, classroom practice and support available to individual pupils.
There is a commitment within Middlesbrough to raising the
achievements of all children. Literacy
skills are central to a pupil’s ability to access the full curriculum and are
considered by pupils, parents and teachers to be a measure of academic
success. Some children of all abilities
find reading easy while others struggle in the initial or later stages and it
is recognised that a variety of approaches and resources are required to
support children with a range of aptitude and abilities. There is a responsibility to tailor provision
to optimise performance. The Education
Department considers that supporting all children in the development of
literacy skills is a school improvement issue and acknowledges that for some
children more support will be needed.
We recognise the particular links there can be between dyslexia,
low self-esteem and the development of emotional and behavioural difficulties
in some children. Consequently early
identification and effective support is vital in overcoming the barriers to
achievement presented by dyslexia.
Provision
for pupils with dyslexia
Historically, definitions of dyslexia have relied heavily on the
notion of a discrepancy between a child’s cognitive or ‘thinking’ abilities and
progress with literacy skills. However, research indicates that dyslexia
affects a large percentage of children, at all ability levels, and more than
can easily be accommodated within a ‘discrepancy’ model. Difficulties with
dyslexia occur on a continuum, from mild to severe, and estimates suggest that
between 4 and 15%of all children are affected.
In Middlesbrough we have adopted the following definition:
Dyslexia
is evident when accurate and fluent word reading and/or spelling develops very
incompletely or with great difficulty, despite appropriate learning
opportunities - that is, learning opportunities which are effective for the
majority of children. (British
Psychological Society,1999)
However,
children who have dyslexia do frequently display marked
differences between their abilities, and
may have overlapping needs in a
number of areas (communication and interaction,
cognition and learning,
behaviour, emotional and social development, sensory
and/or physical). For
these children, it will be important to identify
strengths as well as weaknesses,
in order to make the most effective provision. As an example,
competence in
oral ability can be utilised to great effect in
differentiating the curriculum, to
ensure that pupils who are unable to read and
spell with accuracy can
nevertheless demonstrate their knowledge.
Research into dyslexia has concluded that difficulties in
processing the sounds in speech and linking them to written letters, as well as
in short-term memory and processing skills – known as ‘phonological processing
difficulties’ – are fundamental in explaining failure to progress with
literacy. It is our belief that problems sometimes associated with dyslexia,
e.g. behavioural difficulties, low self-esteem, can be avoided through early
intervention. Initially, this intervention is likely to focus on methods to
promote literacy. However, there will also need to be parallel strategies to
enable children to access the curriculum, without heavy reliance on literacy
skills. Children who are unable to demonstrate their learning may show
frustration, and motivation as well as self-esteem can be affected.
Learning difficulties, including dyslexia, are usually complex
and sometimes both persistent and severe. A recent court ruling concluded that
dyslexia cannot be diagnosed in isolation from the context in which it is
displayed, emphasises the interactive nature of teaching and learning for
dyslexic pupils. It is our belief that dyslexia can only be fully understood
with reference to the range of contexts in which it occurs. Dyslexia cannot be diagnosed as a one-off event: rather,
it will follow on from a cumulative assessment over time, involving
communication with school staff, parents and children over the nature of
difficulties and interventions provided. Other professionals may need to be
consulted as part of this process.
Aims
and principles
Our broad aim for pupils with dyslexia is for them to:
make optimal progress with literacy, while
continuing to access learning, demonstrate new skills and knowledge and
participate fully through differentiated approaches which do not depend heavily
on reading and spelling.
As with other special educational needs, we adhere to the
principles encapsulated within the SEN Code of Practice (2001), as follows:
·
special educational needs should
normally be met in mainstream settings
·
there should be early intervention
·
the views and involvement of children and young people is
fundamental
·
there should be access to a broad and balanced curriculum
·
there should be close liaison with parents
In addition, we have adopted the following more specific aims
and principles, to develop expertise in all our schools and promote progress
for all pupils:
¨
That all teachers and classroom assistants should have access to
training, so that they are able to
identify those children who have problems at an early stage, and, with
assistance from the SENCO and
other
colleagues, develop and implement supportive practices.
·
That additional expertise, in relation to teaching methods,
should be developed, in the SENCO role or within other roles in school.
·
That all schools should access specialist advice from teachers
who have had accredited specialist training in dyslexia, leading to a
qualification recognised by the Dyslexia Association.
·
That pupils should
be able to access appropriate ‘catch-up’ provision as soon as their
difficulties are apparent. Such provision could include the National Literacy
Strategy’s ELS provision (Early Literacy Support).
That ‘Wave 3’ strategies (such
as the Direct Phonics programme, or the Fischer-Trust approach) should be
adopted, where evidence indicates that insufficient progress is being made.
·
That there should be a balance when planning interventions, to
ensure that pupils with dyslexia continue to have access to areas of the
curriculum where they can achieve success, and also that they are not unduly
fatigued by over-exposure to learning which is very difficult for them.
·
That
parents/carers should be provided with a clear understanding of their child’s
difficulties, and how they are being provided for.
·
That pupils are
fully involved in target-setting and the review process, so that they can see a
progression in their work, identify the next step and know how to access help.
·
That interventions are
evaluated, to establish how effective they are.
·
That interventions are
structured, cumulative, regular and consistent, and draw upon multi-sensory
teaching methods.
·
That focus will be on curriculum access, using alternative
means, so that reading and spelling difficulties do not affect progress in
other areas of the curriculum.
·
That there will be a progression in terms of support provided,
once the original difficulties with ‘word-level’ work have been addressed.
There will need to be a shift towards developing aspects such as fluency,
speed, comprehension and generalisation to different contexts.
·
That for the majority of pupils, support is accessed within the
local mainstream school, and without the need for a Statement of Special
Educational Needs.
Intervention
and Support
The SEN Code of Practice, DfES, 2001,
sets out guidelines for a graduated response to supporting children with
special educational needs.
“In order to help children who have special educational needs,
schools should adopt a graduated response that encompasses an array of
strategies.
This approach recognises that there is a continuum of special
educational needs and where necessary brings increasing specialist expertise to
bear on the difficulties that a child may be experiencing. However the school should, other than in exceptional
cases, make full use of all available classroom and school resources before
expecting to call upon outside resources”.
5:20
Effective literacy provision at primary level has been described
in terms of three ‘waves’ of intervention.
“Targeting support: choosing and implementing interventions for
children with significant literacy difficulties” DfES 2003.
·
Wave 1
The effective inclusion of all
children in a daily and high quality literacy hour.
·
Wave 2
Additional small-group
intervention for children who can be expected to catch up with their peers as a
result of the intervention.
·
Wave 3
Specific targeted approaches for children identified as
requiring SEN support (or School Action, School Action Plus or with a Statement
of special
educational needs).
“Including all children in the
literacy hour and daily mathematics lesson” DFES 2002.
1. Wave 1 Support
Wave 1 whole class support is
the entitlement of every pupil in our schools.
This includes the delivery of a ‘quality literacy hour’ with effective
planning and management. To maximise the
effectiveness, schools need to be ‘dyslexia friendly’ creating a positive
literacy environment.
At this level teachers carry
out regular assessments of progress in literacy through the curriculum,
including National Curriculum Assessments. Some schools use additional screening measures
to identify pupils with learning difficulties.
It is expected that there will
be ‘in class’ support from a teaching assistant for some literacy activities on
a regular basis and schools will also enlist the support of parents.
2. Wave 2 Support
For some children who are ‘at
risk’ of underachievement, the DfES has provided a
range of structured small group interventions, designed to boost achievement in
literacy. These include ELS in year 1,
ALS in year 3 and FLS in year 5. Booster
classes and summer schools (for pupils in Year 7) have also been provided to
maximise progress in key year groups.
Children identified for Wave 2
support do not generally have special educational needs although their
attainments in reading and writing are below average. It is expected that with support many of
these pupils will ‘catch up’ with their peers.
3. Wave 3 Support
The DfES
guidance on Wave 3 support includes a list of interventions which are backed by
research evidence.
Brooks G “ What Works for Children with
Literacy Difficulties? The Effectiveness
of Intervention Schemes”
DfES 2002.
Middlesbrough
Portal (www.mgrid.org.uk)
“Literacy Support and interventions at Waves 2 & 3” Julie Higgins SENCo, Park End Primary School, Middlesbrough, January
2005.
·
School
Action
Children with more significant
difficulties as assessed by the Foundation Profile in Year R PIVATS P levels
and National Curriculum levels may meet the criteria for support at School
Action. Teaching staff would carry out
more detailed diagnostic assessment and set up an IEP or GEP. Support at this level would include
additional differentiated learning experiences, including specific
interventions. ICT and other specialised
resources should be used to support children at School Action.
Teachers would enlist the
support of parents in reinforcing IEP activities. Support for literacy within the classroom and
some structured small group work would be provided on a regular basis.
·
School
Action Plus
Pupils who are at School Action
Plus would require more in depth assessment in the areas of reading and
spelling, including careful analysis of errors and learning styles. The advice from specialist teachers could be
sought in establishing a measure of progress and in assessing and monitoring
that progress through the child’s IEP.
Children at School Action Plus
would regularly receive support both in a small group and/or individually. Structured intervention programmes such as
“Direct Phonics”; the Fischer Family Trust programme or multi-sensory
programmes from Inclusion Support Teams could be selected. Support and training is available from the
Inclusion Services.
·
Pupils
with Statements of SEN
Children with statements of
special educational needs will already have had a detailed assessment of areas
of need and appropriate provision would be specified. A focus on the strategies and approaches
outlined in the SEN Code of Practice will support pupils in making further
progress.
In view of the number of pupils who are affected by dyslexia, we
believe that the skills necessary to identify pupils with dyslexia should be
available in schools.
‘Diagnosis’ by specialists who do not have access to information
about the learning context within school and progress over time can only give
partial information.
All schools should be able to identify pupils who are
experiencing difficulties in phonological processing, reading and /or spelling.
They should be able to provide regular group ‘catch – up programmes’ for pupils
so identified.
For pupils whose difficulties persist
additional support should involve:
·
utilising
structured reading and spelling programmes which incorporate multi-sensory
teaching strategies.
·
capitalising on the potential of innovative teaching methods
appropriate to pupil’s different learning styles, as these are often of
particular benefit to dyslexic pupils - for example, strategies for
visual learners such as mind mapping
·
securing access
for the pupil to appropriate information technology, for example word
processing facilities and spell checkers.
·
planned
strategies and appropriate differentiated tasks to ensure the pupil’s literacy
difficulties do not hinder their access to the curriculum. (See page 59 of The
National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy
- Including all children in the
literacy and daily mathematical lesson management guide 2002)
·
ensuring that
the pupil and all who work with them are aware of the pupil’s strengths, for
example oral ability, as well as their difficulties.
·
access to
pastoral, personal and social support so as to provide opportunities to discuss
anxieties and frustrations and to improve self esteem.
·
involving
parents so they are informed about what is being done to help their child at
school and how they can support them at home.
Provision should recognise the strengths and talents of the
pupil in all areas across the curriculum.
In overcoming areas of weakness the child should have access to
multi-sensory and flexible approaches to classroom learning complemented by
some 1-1 or small group
provision provided by teacher or trained teaching assistant.
Schools should be able to record and document progress over time.
1.
The LEA has a role in making training, information, advice and
support available to schools.
·
ensure school
staff can access accredited training on Supporting Dyslexic Learners in school.
·
provide
regular information to schools on new developments and approaches.
·
provide specialist support on a ‘buy back’ basis from the
Inclusion Support Team which could include :-
¨
advice on programme planning and modelling of appropriate
teaching approaches
¨
advice on
appropriate resources and technology.
¨
provide, on
request a leaflet that briefly explains the assessment tools used during an
assessment.
¨
Provide the parent/ carer with an information
to show how they can support the pupil at home.
¨
Provide if requested ‘parent workshops’ at the child’s school.
¨
Provide guidance on the procedures for assessments and possible
identification of a child’s dyslexia
¨
Have contact with parents / carers to discuss assessments,
reports and recommendations.
¨
advice in
relation to emotional or behavioural difficulties which may arise as a
consequence of dyslexia.
¨
direct teaching support from specialist teachers of Specific
Leaning Difficulties (Dyslexia)
¨
Primary Intensive Literacy groups based at present within one of
our Middlesbrough schools.
¨
provision of
information for parents/carers to help them support their child’s learning.
¨
specialist
assessment.
The
Role of Educational Psychologists.
The Psychological Team uses consultation
as its method of service delivery. Educational Psychologists work with schools
in connection with concerns relating to individual children, to groups of
children and to whole school issues. They work in partnership with teachers,
parents or carers, and others to achieve beneficial change for children.
Dyslexia affects a high percentage (between 4 and 15 %) of all
children. Middlesbrough LEA believes that the skills necessary to identify
dyslexic pupils should therefore be readily available within school, so that it
is not necessary to rely solely on ‘diagnosis’ by a small number of experts and
specialists. Educational Psychologists will not, therefore, necessarily work
with a child who has, or may have, dyslexia. If there is a need for the involvement
of an Educational Psychologist, the work will be undertaken through a
consultation meeting at the school.
The aim of the Consultation
Meeting is to develop a plan that builds on the successes already being
achieved. The meeting spends a little
time considering the concerns, but most of the time is spent developing
strategies and approaches.
Some time is reserved at the
end of the meeting to record the plan.
The plan will incorporate targets for the pupil, and will detail the
strategies which will help to ensure progress. It will also clarify how the
child’s involvement in developing and monitoring the plan can be secured.
All participants in a
Consultation Meeting receive a copy of the plan. This copy is not intended to replace schools’
own record of the meeting. If the
child’s parents or carers are not able to be present, schools are asked to
share the plan with them.
Direct
Work With Children And Young People
Educational
Psychologists work directly with individual children, when a Consultation
Meeting agrees that such work will be helpful to support the development of a
plan. The purpose and nature of the
individual work and the hoped for outcomes are all agreed in the Consultation
Meeting. Individual work may involve
observation, discussion with the child or young person, assessment, counselling
or a brief intervention.
Schools are asked to
arrange for the Educational Psychologist to have a suitable quiet place in
which to work with a child or young person. The conclusion of the Educational
Psychologist’s involvement is determined in a further Consultation Meeting,
which will review the effectiveness of the plan.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS ON DYSLEXIA
Is any child who
has literacy difficulties Dyslexic?
There are many reasons why some
children have difficulties with acquiring literacy skills.
For
example, they may have missed a lot of school, or attended several primary
schools, and therefore missed many reading and spelling lessons. Once these
children receive the teaching they need, they usually begin to make progress.
Their problems will not persist.
However,
children with Dyslexia also make progress, but it is slow, and takes a lot of
effort. Their difficulties can be described
as persistent.
What causes Dyslexia?
Dyslexia
is recognised as a developmental and often hereditary condition.
Literacy
problems do appear to run in some families although environment issues are also
recognised as affecting literacy progress.
How does Dyslexia show itself?
Dyslexic people have
phonological difficulties, that is, they find it difficult to sort out the
sounds within words. This leads to
problems with reading, writing and spelling.
Most
Dyslexic children have difficulty with language, memory and sequencing
processes e.g in maths when asked to learn tables.
Does a
child have to have at least average intelligence to have Dyslexia?
In the past the popular notion
of Dyslexia was of intelligent pupils with reading and spelling difficulties.
Today
however we acknowledge that Dyslexia can occur at all levels of intelligence,
and in all social classes and ethnic groups.
Are girls and boys affected equally?
Recent research indicates that
boys and girls are equally affected.
Can Dyslexia be
cured?
Dyslexic difficulties can range
from mild to severe.
Dyslexia
may be alleviated by:-
* Specialist teaching and guidance
* Specialist advice for classroom support
staff
* Multi sensory teaching.
I think my
child may be Dyslexic. What do I do?
The first place to start is in
school. Initially talk to your child’s
class teacher and the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. They will clarify how the school’s policy works
for the provision for children with literacy difficulties.
Do I need an assessment from an Educational
Psychologist to get my child’s Dyslexia recognised?
This is
no longer necessary. The Code of
Practice encourages a graduated response which is based on intervention and
pupil progress. This can be done by good
practice in schools, alongside a specialist teaching assessment and
advice/guidance from a specialist teacher in Dyslexia.
Do all schools have specialist teachers?
Some schools have their own
qualified Dyslexia teacher, others use some of their
delegated SEN budget to buy in specialists from the Middlesbrough Learning
& Language Team.
These teachers can provide:-
·
assessment and reports and recommendations
·
direct teaching support from teachers with specific training in
the most effective approaches
·
advice and guidance for classroom support
·
parental
consultation and parents workshops advising parents on how to help their child
at home.
Is my child
entitled to external examination provision, because he has been identified as
having some indications of Dyslexia?
There is no entitlement for
provision for all Dyslexics. The
specialist teacher will review your child and the SENCO and Exams Officer will
decide if his/her difficulties are severe enough to warrant exam provision.
All pupils with severe literacy
difficulties may be considered for provision, not only identified Dyslexics.
My child has been identified as having some indications of Dyslexia. Is he therefore entitled to additional
support?
The allocation of support to
any child is dependent on the severity of the child’s difficulties. The level
of support will be indicated on the Individual Education Plan.
Are Teaching Assistants properly qualified to support my Dyslexic
child?
Many schools have encouraged
their teaching assistants to obtain the TROCN qualification in Supporting
Dyslexic Pupils in School delivered by the Learning and Language Team (see
Training Section).
Some Teaching Assistants have
received training in the delivery of Wave 3 programmes e.g. Direct Phonics and
the Fischer Family Trust Support.
TRAINING
Middlesbrough
LEA strongly advise that the following be implemented
in all schools.
Level 1 Basic Awareness Level Training
This will be provided, free of charge, by the LEA Learning and
Language Team during twilight development sessions.
·
What is Dyslexia?
·
How to identify Dyslexia in primary and secondary schools
·
The impact of Dyslexia on children and families
·
How to create a Dyslexia friendly classroom
·
How to ensure that the self-esteem of Dyslexic children is
protected.
In addition we actively encourage schools to make Level 2
training available for
all staff.
Level 2 TROCN
Certificates
These
courses can be provided at various levels suitable for teachers & teaching
assistants.
Level 3 Higher
Qualifications
The LEA
recommends each school accesses a PGCE trained specialist teacher in dyslexia.
There
are a wide range of courses available nationally for teachers to gain a specialist
qualification e.g the P.G.C.E year long course run by
Durham LEA, accredited by Teesside University.