Dyslexia: Barriers to Education, training and employment

 

Dyslexia: Barriers to Education, training and employment 

Dyslexia Action research carried out in 2012 found 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.

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 no SEN, (Special Educational Needs), statement including dyslexia, are around ten times more likely to receive a permanent exclusion than pupils with SEN (special educational needs). Even pupils with a statement of SEN are around six times more likely to receive a permanent exclusion than students with no special educational needs.

This is where the disabling of dyslexic kids begins, at school. From day one at school the vast majority of dyslexic kids are failed. Looking at the fact the only 19% of dyslexic adults were assessed while at school. Put simply, the failure of our schools to provide support has life long consequences.

Consequences of unassessed dyslexia:

Research by Jack Rack from the Dyslexia institute showed that dyslexia is three 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”.

Research by the Westminster Achievability Commission 2017

WAC, for Dyslexia and Neuro-divergence showed some of the barriers to employment dyslexics and people from other neuro divergent communities face.

“Many neuro divergent 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.

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Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue founder of Dyslexia Pathways CIC and Unique Dyslexic