Colman Noctor: We need to level the educational playing field for dyslexic children

A child with dyslexia can be asked to do ‘extra homework’ even when tired from keeping up at school. Picture: iStock 

Many young people who come to see me for psychotherapy have a dyslexia diagnosis. 

While psychotherapy is not a treatment, they often talk of the emotional and psychological fallout of navigating the world with this condition.

Last autumn, I spoke with a young man debating whether to pursue a third-level education. 

He is dyslexic and was anxious about facing into a four-year degree programme where his learning difference would continue to dominate much of his life. 

Seeing such an articulate and bright student consider stopping his education was concerning.

Following our conversation, I began to reflect on my practice as a university lecturer. 

I realised that most of the assessments I set for my students fall under what might be considered ‘traditional’ methods: exams, assignments and presentations. 

So, I decided to set a group of my students the task of making a podcast instead of the customary exam or written assignment.

There was some initial nervousness, but most of the class engaged enthusiastically in the process. 

The spread of marks was considerably different to previous assessments I had set for this group. 

While some traditional, well-polished essay writers still achieved close to their customary high percentages, other students who previously struggled were pleasantly surprised to reach a higher mark than usual. 

The talk-based assessment levelled the playing field. (Incidentally, some podcasts were researched to a high standard, with impressive editing and production, perhaps a by-product of the TikTok generation.)

Dyslexia is a learning disorder primarily affecting a person’s reading fluency and written word comprehension. 

According to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland, it affects approximately one in 10. 

Yet, navigating the educational landscape can feel like a lonely place for a child with the condition. 

Considerable improvements in our ability to detect dyslexia in young children have been made. 

However, getting an assessment can be challenging for parents, especially those without the means of going the private route.

It’s worth pointing out that dyslexia affects children from all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups equally.

There is no ‘cure’ for dyslexia. It is a lifelong condition that persists into adulthood. However, appropriate support and interventions can help children compensate for their reading and writing difficulties and achieve academic and professional success.

Evidence-based interventions helping dyslexic children improve their reading skills include literacy programmes, multisensory instruction and phonological awareness training. 

It is also hoped that recent advances in artificial intelligence may lead to more beneficial assistive technologies to support young dyslexic learners.

Traditional education

Many with dyslexia possess strengths in areas such as problem-solving and creativity. 

However, the traditional education system is still primarily weighted in favour of those with reading, writing and memory skills.

We need to adopt a new education philosophy that encompasses diverse learning styles across all levels of education to capture the skills of atypical learners.

Too many children and young people with difficulties like dyslexia feel disenfranchised by our current system, which contributes to considerable anxiety and mental health difficulties.

Encouraging changes are taking place. Our increased understanding of dyslexia has improved educational policies and provided appropriate accommodations for students. 

However, further efforts to promote greater inclusion of individuals with dyslexia in schools are still needed, especially when it comes to our curriculum and assessment methods.

One of the limitations of the current supportive strategies for dyslexic children is they require the child to do ‘extra’ work to narrow the gap between them and their peers so they can fit into the existing curriculum, but perhaps this is an unfair ask. 

Expecting a child to ‘catch up’ with the others by doing more work at home is especially challenging when the child is exhausted from trying to keep up in school all day. 

The additional homework can cause considerable distress and lead to the child opting out.

Despite young people with dyslexia possessing strengths and talents in non-academic areas, these are often seen to have less value than the traditional skills of reading, writing and memory. 

In my experience, they often dismiss talk of their potential for success as disingenuous, as they are acutely aware that the number of CAO points a student gets is still the current measure of academic success.

Fear of failure

Fear of failure or embarrassment may exacerbate anxiety symptoms in some young people, and persistent academic difficulties and negative experiences related to dyslexia can contribute to feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and fatalism about their future.

I’ve had many conversations with young people who feel disenfranchised by their dyslexia. 

Repeatedly falling short of their peers academically, can negatively impact their self-worth, leaving them feeling inferior. 

When difficulties with reading, writing, and spelling continue, despite a young person putting in a huge effort, it can lead to frustration and bouts of anger.

This is not surprising as these children sometimes need to put in twice the effort of their peers only to achieve half their assessment scores. 

It stands to reason that they can become irritable or defensive when confronted with tasks that highlight their dyslexic difficulties. 

In some cases, this can lead to relationship difficulties with teachers or peers, ending with the young person getting a reputation for being troublesome.

I recognise the significant strides we have made in recent years in terms of early identification and improving access to interventions and accommodations to support children with dyslexia at school. 

But in addition to interventions and accommodations, we also need to adjust the system to recognise their other qualities. 

Rather than tasking dyslexic children to work twice as hard, perhaps we need to broaden our recognition of what constitutes ‘ability’ and design a curriculum that plays to their strengths too.

The British Dyslexia Association has developed a dyslexia-friendly school policy, which creates more opportunities for dyslexic students to succeed. 

This includes a more flexible approach to subject choice, using visual aids in all lessons, and providing alternative recording methods other than writing. 

It is designed to not draw attention to dyslexic students’ difficulties by avoiding copying from the board, reciting times tables, reading aloud and undifferentiated spelling tests. Benefits for dyslexic students could result in benefits for all students.

The emotional toll of dyslexia can be considerable. The solution may not simply be setting more work for the student to improve their reading skills but adjusting the system to encompass students’ varied learning skill sets.

My recent departure from traditional assessment methods has inspired me to consider the different learning styles in my classroom. 

I hope my experience will encourage other educators to diversify assessment strategies, allowing all their students to flourish rather than continuing to invest in assessments that greatly benefit some and significantly disadvantage others.

• Dr Colman Noctor is a child psychotherapist