Sheila comments: "As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as levels
of dyslexia."
>


As I routinely include a statement of severity of dyslexia/dyspraxia on my
assessments I have to disagree with Shelia. I include an estimation of
severity for several keys reasons.


1] For the benefit of the student. Many ask spontaneously about severity
and it would be dishonest to pretend that there are just two boxes:
dyslexic/not dyslexic. There is a fundamental difference between a student
who has a reading ability at the 50th percentile and a relatively weak
working memory and a student of the same level of verbal reasoning ability
who is almost illerate and has a working memory score and a speed of visual
processing that places him or her below the 5th percentile for each. In the
latter case such a student may well find it almost impossible to find their
way around [cannot read street or tube station names, and cannot remember
verbal instructions for long enough to act on them]. Such students may
well be eligible for a Disabled Living Allowance because the severity of
their dyslexia is so disabling.



2] For guidance for support staff. I agree enteirly with the points that
have been made about the need to respect the individuality of the student
and to consider the context within which that student is studying and
learning. Nevertheless, as a needs assessor it is helpful to know that when
recommending, for example, software training, that one student may require
three times as long to learn how to use a given software package compared
with another student. It is also helpful for an exams unit and lecturers to
know that a request for an alternative form of assessment [e.g. verbal
presentation rather than timed exams] is based on some form of qualifiable
judgement of severity.


3] No one would pretend that a judgement of severity is easy. The
dyslexias and their asociated factors are multi-factorial and thus the
judgement is clinical rather than statistical. However, a key reason for
making use of a detailed profile of cognitive and performance scores is to
enable a student, and others, to see much more clearly what their strenghts
and weaknesses are, to enable potential to be more easily realised. [It is
important to appreciate that some students are very keen for others to know
this about them as they have been misunderstood for so long.]


Well targeted support can then enable barriers to success to be breached, as
Shelia's comment makes clear. These aids do not, however, change the
underlaying cognitive profile, which will still be evident in many aspects
of everyday life. A gap of 90 percentile points between verbal
comprehension and working memory will still exist outside of
college/university and after graduation.


4] I do get requests to write letters of mitigation for exam boards for
dsylexic/dyspraxic students. When it is appropriate I will make reference
to severeity of a learning dificulty to enable an exam board to reach a well
considered decision. There are times when it serves the interest of a
student best, particularly if a student is severely dyslexic, for staff to
know so that they can then plan accordingly. Please note the word PLAN.
Substantial changes in teaching and assessment techniques require thought
and discussion. However, the release of information should only be done
with the express permission of a student.

David