76% of parents say earlier identification could have helped their dyslexic children
Dyslexia Association Ireland (DAI) launched the first study done on dyslexia in Ireland to coincide with Dyslexia Awareness Week, ‘Small Change – Big Impact’, which aims to raise awareness of the small changes in policy that can help those with dyslexia.
The survey, which had 787 participants, showed that early identification was key to helping with the management of reading and spelling difficulties in children with dyslexia, and revealed that large percentages of teachers, parents and those living with dyslexia felt that current approaches to training and learning to deal with dyslexia are inadequate.
- 97 percent of teachers said that they would benefit from training on dyslexia
93 percent of teachers said that earlier identification aids them to support learning needs. - 92 percent of teachers revealed that the pre-service training they received on dyslexia was not adequate or fully prepared them for dealing with it in the classroom.
- 76 percent of parents to a child with dyslexia said that earlier identification would have helped their child’s dyslexia and would help them to better support their child’s learning needs.
- 60 percent of students under the age of 18 with dyslexia are not confidentin their teachers understanding of dyslexia or knowing how to help them.
- And a mere 30 percent of teachers revealed that they had received any pre-service training on dyslexia or special learning difficulties.
CEO of DAI, Rosie Bissett, said of the findings: “Families in Ireland are forced to seek private assessment and supports as the education system is simply not meeting their needs. And what about the countless families who can’t afford private services? Resource allocation is linked strongly with diagnostic assessment of need – without equitable access to assessment children are not able to access supports which they need and are entitled to. Our survey also shows that even after dyslexia is identified, 55 percent of parents report ongoing difficulty in gaining help for their child.”
The survey can be found on dyslexia.ie with details of the fundraising activities happening over the week.
maternity & infant
Originally posted 2015-10-07 11:01:08.
