Why I am so passionate about dyslexia: why social enterprise and social model of dyslexia
Hi readers hope you are all well
I was at some training yesterday and realised that I hadn't really communicated reasons why I set up my dyslexia focussed social enterprise, Dyslexia Pathways CIC and why I am so passionate about dyslexia.
Founded in 2008 Dyslexia Pathways CIC was the world first dyslexia focussed social enterprise. We also support and promote the social model of dyslexia. We believe our social model of dyslexia and social enterprise offers a more positive dyslexic solution to the issues we face on a daily basis.
We support and promote the social model of dyslexia. The social model of dyslexia says that it is society which disables us rather than dyslexia in itself. This disabling begins at school where we are not taught in ways that we can learn effectively. We do not see this as a fault within teacher. Rather it is the failure of initial teacher training to provide prospective teacher with the skills they need to effectively teach dyslexic children.
We challenge the medical discrepancy model of dyslexia because we see it as inherently disabling and has nothing positive to say about dyslexia or to dyslexics. I would say this model has only served to disable us further rather than liberate and enable us.
There are 6 million dyslexics in the UK alone over 55 million in the USA. It is believed that between 10 to 20% of the population of the world are dyslexic.
Research indicates that many dyslexics never receive an assessment for dyslexia. Indeed, our own research carried out in 2016 shows only 19% of those assessed as dyslexic were assessed at school.
Sylvia Moody, (2010) wrote that for an undiagnosed person there is a commonly experienced sense of, “not knowing who you are”. Pennie Aston MSc, MBACP said,” this lack of self-esteem and self-confidence often feel bewildering and shaming and even long-term depression”.
As the social model of dyslexia suggests many
dyslexics fail within education and training.
Not because they are not bright enough but because
our education and training system fails them.
As a result, dyslexics are six times more likely to be
long term unemployed than their dyslexic peers.
Negative experiences at school can leave many
dyslexics with low self-esteem, poor self-confidence
and even long term mental health issues.
Dr Ross Cooper 2006 wrote, “We challenge the deficit models of dyslexia in favour of a social model that maintains that we are not ‘disabled’ by our dyslexia, but by the expectations of the world we live in. There is nothing ‘wrong’ with being dyslexic per se.
We would argue that dyslexia is an experience that arises out of natural human diversity on the one hand and a world on the other where the early learning of literacy, and good personal organisation and working memory is mistakenly used as a marker of ‘intelligence’. The problem here is seeing difference incorrectly as ‘deficit’.
Put in practical terms, for example, it is disabling to expect that everyone:
- thinks in the same way as each other, when dyslexic people are more likely to think visually than verbally (or laterally than logically, or intuitively than deductively….)
- learns to read in the same way; reading is about accessing meaning, the rest is merely strategy and there is always more than one way to learn anything.
- makes sense of information in the same way (they don’t, which is why multi-sensory information is easier for everyone to understand).
- can take in multiple instructions.
- can learn to take notes while trying to listen.”
Dyslexia in Education
In relation to teaching dyslexic children: 74% of teachers did not feel satisfied that their initial teacher training provided them with the skills they need to identify and teach children with dyslexia. Dyslexia Action 2012
In an independent YouGov survey, commissioned by Dyslexia Action (2012) almost two-thirds of parents felt dyslexia was not recognized across the system.
Pupils with SEN, (Special Educational Needs) including dyslexia without statements are around ten times more likely to receive a permanent exclusion than pupils with no SEN; compared to pupils with a statement of SEN who are around six times more likely to receive a permanent exclusion.
One of the ways society disables dyslexics is education. From day one at school the vast majority of dyslexic kids are failed.
Consequences of unassessed dyslexia:
Further consequences of unassessed dyslexia. Research by Jack Rack from the Dyslexia institute showed that dyslexia is three to four times more prevalent in the prison population than amongst the general population. Up to 50% or people in our prisons are dyslexic costing society £35,000 a year. It is thought unassessed dyslexia costs the UK one billion pounds a year.
The Dyslexia Behind Bars project showed 53% of (2,029) prisoners at Chelmsford during the project were diagnosed as having dyslexia, compared to 10% of the UK population (data: British Dyslexia Association). Note I cant find the figure but each person in prison costs society around £35.000 a year to keep there.
Focus Prisoner Education said, “It costs £65,000 to imprison a person in this country once police, court costs and all the other steps are taken into account. After that it costs a further £40,000 for each year they spend incarcerated”.
WAC, for Dyslexia and Neurodivergence showed some of the barriers to employment dyslexics and people from other neurodivergent communities face.
“Many neurodivergent people, this includes dyslexics, are ready and willing to work but find themselves faced with insurmountable barriers, WAC 2017.
A few of the key findings from the report:
· There is a lack of awareness of what we can do
· Disclosure can often lead to bullying and discrimination in the work place
· Government measures including Access to Work are inadequate
· The Equalities Act is being implemented inadequately
Dyslexics can and do succeed is all areas of society. For example, 35% of entrepreneurs are dyslexic.
Over 90% of successful dyslexics say they were successful because they were dyslexic.
Dyslexics tend to be lateral thinkers, have strong emotional intelligence and empathy, are big picture thinkers, can see the big picture and can think three dimensionally.
We were the first dyslexia focussed social enterprise in the world. Dyslexia Pathways CIC also has a social model of dyslexia focus and believe that our social enterprise and social model of dyslexia vision offers dyslexics a more positive, empowering new way forward.
We must change how we think and talk about dyslexia or risk repeating the mistakes that are still happening.
ta for reading
please share share share
peace love and groovyness
Steve McCue founder of Dyslexia Pathways CIC and Unique Dyslexic
