dysTalk The Emotional Side Of Dyslexia - Talks - dysTalk

About the speaker: Chartered Psychologist and Educational Psychologist Lindsay Peer is widely recognised as an expert in dyslexia, special educational needs and mainstream education. Dr Lindsay Peer is listed to offer services by the British Psychological Society; also listed as Expert Witness. She has advised government, lectured extensively and published a considerable body of material. Lindsay held the posts of Education Director and Deputy CEO of the British Dyslexia Association until August 2003, following 20 years practice in schools.

Further information about this Talk

For more information about Peer Gordan Associates please click here.

To view Dr Peer's published works please click here.

Key Points Covered in This Talk:

• The emotional side of dyslexia: In dyslexia one of the most commonly missed areas is the emotional side. Teachers and parents are very good at noticing problems with reading, writing, spelling and even maths. They can miss the growing element of lack of motivation, low self-esteem and upset which develops as the child goes through school and the pressures grow greater and greater.
• How the problems manifest themselves: Either children become very quiet and very internal, they sit at the back of the class, avoid eye contact and are evasive of work. Or you get children who mess around and become the class clown. These are the children who will do anything to get out of learning or struggling with learning difficulties. They want to be accepted by their friends and peer group and therefore by being funny or obvious they maintain street cred without looking as though they fail. From there onwards, as children get older, the anxiety and frustration levels often grow and sometimes high levels of anger can appear as well.
• The impact: The problem is that children tend not to grow out of it - if you are dyslexic or dyspraxic you will be so for life. It is therefore important to learn the strategies and to have ways round the difficulties, but it is very frustrating for a young person to see everyone else appearing to do much better than they are. If nobody tells a child that there is a reason for their difficulty the child will label themselves - they might call themselves dumb, thick and stupid. The difficulties can become harder to manage in secondary school where teachers are making greater demands and there is less parental support. When children begin to fail they can become very vulnerable and on edge. Life therefore becomes very tough and children get tired with little chance of changing school or class. These feelings can stay throughout life.
• What needs to be done?: Young people need to be identified as early as possible. Even pre-school children should be identified for any early difficulties they may have whether it's in language, memory or hand skills. A child should receive a lot of extra help before they start school and the reading and writing that school entails, so that children develop the "pre-requisites for learning". Once children are in school there is every advantage in giving a child label so that they know there is a reason for why they struggle and it's not because they are ill or stupid. They need to learn the way they learn best which may not necessarily be the way the teacher teaches. It is therefore about adapting the teaching to what suits the child. Parents need to be very supportive. When you have a school and parent who are talking to each other and sharing their thoughts and bring the child into discussions very often the child will do much better. It does mean a lot of understanding, talking and openness. All teachers need to be very sympathetic and empathetic, not saying "you can't do this but it's ok" but looking for ways to teach the child so that they can make progress.
• Should medication be used?: Dr Peer is not a great believer in medication unless there is no other option. Medication tends to be given for children who are hyperactive. Hyperactive children who respond well to medication will do much better in school but the medication should only be given after there has been educational input and the things mentioned above. For a child who is hyper-reactive, the child needs to be put in the right environment (this may or may not be a specialist dyslexia school) where they are understood, supported and given every possible help so that they can make progress.
• Schools and dyslexia: Primary schools generally and many universities tend to be teaching in a way that is far more suitable for dyslexic children. The main area where there is still a major problem is in secondary schools. Many teachers have not been trained, the resources have not been put in place and the children are facing demands from morning til night from a range of teachers. There is a need for a major training process to take place throughout secondary schools so children with dyslexia can fulfill their potential.