Learning Difficulties: What can you do ?

How teachers can help

The Teaching Today Pack: Dyslexia in the Primary School (Video & Booklet) may be obtained from:
BBC (1997)BBC Educational Publishing, PO Box 234, Wetherby, W Yorks, LS23 7EU, U.K.
This video and detailed booklet, produced by the BBC for the British Dyslexia Association, will help the primary school teacher to identify, understand and give practical support to the child with specific learning difficulties. The video sets out practical methods for identifying and teaching the dyslexic child in the mainstream primary classroom, and the booklet documents the range of techniques and resources that can be used. See also the website http://www.dfee.gov.uk/sen/hints.htm

Also available from the BDA is the Dyslexia Friendly Schools Pack 2000 Eight fact-sheets in a folder. Good practice in school policy, tips for classroom teachers, liaison with parents, signs of dyslexia, comments by dyslexics about their school experiences and sources of further information.

The website of the European Council of International Schools, http://www.ecis.org/ , provides much helpful information. For example their Special Needs / Learning Support Committee produces twice-yearly newsletters that can be downloaded from the site, there is a page of Upcoming Conferences, and there is information on distance learning courses for teachers on the webpage: http://www.ecis.org/profdev/distance/distance.htm

• Summer (June, July and August) professional development opportunities for the current year
  
• Short courses and degree programmes offered by colleges and universities world-wide
  
• Continuing professional development courses specifically for teachers
  
• Summer programmes for students
  
• Other distance learning links, including distance learning portals and ICT-related courses
  

Software: textHELP Systems Ltd. For further information and sample disks, please e-mail Charlene@texthelp.com

Other resources for teachers

Some other BDA resources for teachers are:

• T01. Suggestions for Primary School Teachers. Jul 00
• T02. Suggestions for Secondary School teachers. 1990/1996.
• T03. SpLD Courses for teachers. Dec 00.
• T04. Criteria for recognition of specialist dyslexia teachers. Aug 98.
• T05. Learning Support Assistants: BDA Recommendations for Training. Jul 00.
• T06. Modern Foreign Languages. Sep 00.
• T07a. FE/HE. ATS & AMBDA criteria. Jul 00.
• T07b. Further and Higher Education: Criteria for Training. AMBDA. Jul 00.
• T07c. Further and higher Education : Criteria for Training ATS. Jul 00
• T08. Assessment tests. KS1-4. Feb 01.
• T09. Assessment of dyslexic adults. Aug 00.
• T10. Pointers for private dyslexia tutors. Apr 00.

Information on Dyslexia for Primary Schools. BDA 1995.
Concise outline of the nature of dyslexia and the obligations of schools towards children with special educational needs for teachers, governors and all school staff.

Dyslexia in Primary Schools
Assessment into Action. BDA 2000. For primary teachers who want help with dyslexic children in mainstream schools. Dyslexia specialists offer practical advice from their experience. This revised edition has two new chapters.

Winning with Dyslexia. A Guide for Secondary Schools. Peer, L. BDA 2000
Every dyslexic student has different difficulties and needs. This practical guide to secondary school life addresses the full range of issues, from building literacy to study skills and the use of computers.

Multilingualism, Literacy and Dyslexia: A Challenge for the Educators.Peer, L. and Reid, G. David Fulton Publishers with BDA. 2000.
An invaluable reference on assessment and support for bilingual learners and those needing to acquire a modern foreign language. An essential text for staff development. Reference is made to innovative approaches in technology and other teaching programmes beneficial to multilingual learners and those learning additional languages.

Day to Day Dyslexia in the Classroom. Pollock, J. and Waller, E. Routledge 1997
Invaluable advice, written in jargon-free language, on how teachers can recognise specific learning difficulties and give practical help to develop the language, literacy and numeracy skills of affected children in their classes.

Dyspraxia: A Guide for Teachers and Parents
by Kate Ripley and Jenny Barrett

Maths for the Dyslexic: A Practical Guide
by Ann Henderson

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Practical Guide for Teachers
by Paul Cooper and Katherine Ideus

Asperger Syndrome: A Practical Guide for Teachers. (Resource materials for Teachers Series)
by Val Cumine, Julia Leach, Burnley Stevenson and Gill Stevenson

Developmental Dyspraxia: Identification and Intervention A Manual for Parents and Professionals
by Madeleine Portwood

Understanding Developmental Dyspraxia: A Textbook for Students and Professionals
by Madeleine Portwood

Incorporating Social Goals in the Classrooms: A Guide for Teachers and Parents with High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome
by Rebecca A. Moyes

Autism in the Early Years: A Practical Guide (Resource materials for Teachers Series)
by Val Cumine, et al .

There are several screening tests for dyslexia that can be carried out by class teachers, such as the:

• Aston Index.
  
• Cognitive Profiling Systems. (CoPS).
  
• Dyslexia Early Screening Test (DEST).
  
• Dyslexia Screening Test (DST). (6:6-16:5yrs.)
  

All include tests of verbal ability, literacy attainment, visual, auditory motor skills.

Further information can be found on the BDA’s website, http://www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk

See also the ECIC information pack, “Language Shock - Dyslexia Across Cultures”.

On the Dyslexia Institute website, see the page Helpful Hints, http://www.dyslexia-inst.org.uk/helpful.htm which includes a section “For teachers in primary schools” and a section “For teachers in secondary schools.”

The website of the Times Educational Supplement (TES) contains many useful articles on special educational needs, website http://www.tes.co.uk/

A great many helpful resources are suggests on the website of Professional Association of Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties: http://www.patoss-dyslexia.org and on the website of the National Association for Special Educational Needs, NASEN, http://www.nasen.org.uk

Maths help for dyslexic students:
http://www.janpoustie.co.uk
http://www.numeracy.wales.com

Disability links:
Here teachers in all of Europe can find educational links about various disabilities/categories. You will find information in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish and other European languages.

http://www.de.eun.org/vs/specneeds/disability.html

Français site internet:
http://web.wanadoo.be/scarlett/enseignants.html

Other useful links:
http://www.ld.org/info/tips/teacher_index.cfm

Nederlandstalig:
See the information pack "Eerst Hulp bij Leerstoornissen" produced by Die-'s-Lekti-Kus vzw. This contains much valuable information for teachers, parents and children. For further information, please contact vzw Die-'s-Lekti-Kus, Diestsesteenweg 722, 3010 Kessel-Lo e-mail info@dieslektikus.be website: http://www.dieslektikus.be