Welcome to Wales Dyslexia



Our vision is to help the individual with dyslexia reach their potential



In order to achieve this vision, we aim to bring together the parents, carers, educators, employers, business and third sector agencies. Working throughout Wales, our aim is to create a happy and positive environment, where the individual with dyslexia can develop to their full potential. Dyslecsia Cymru/ Wales Dyslexia offers:



  • Inset training for educators
  • Seminars and workshops for the understanding of dyslexia
  • Surgeries for parents and individuals with questions about dyslexia
  • Consultancy work with outside agencies for the promotion of dyslexic–friendly strategies
  • Individual support programmes to provide life skills for learners with dyslexia


1 in 5



Students



One in five students, up to 20% of the population, has a language based learning disability.



7.3 million



Population



At least 10% of the population, 7.3 million people, of the UK are dyslexic.



80%



Children



An estimated 80% of school children with dyslexia remain undiagnosed



What is dyslexia



Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in processing information, which in turn affects accurate and fluent word reading, spelling and the ensuing educational implications. Bearing this in mind, it is easier to understand that the learner with dyslexia is estimated to work twice as hard as a non-dyslexic learner to attain average results. It therefore follows that the learner with dyslexia, frequently requires twice the time as the non-dyslexic learner, to complete the work.



  • The word dyslexia comes from the Greek language meaning ‘difficulty with words.’
  • Dyslexia is usually a genetic, inherited, life-long condition that effects at least 10% of the population. When overlapping with other areas within the Specific Learning difficulties range, is estimated to be nearer 20%
  • Dyslexia occurs in people of all races, backgrounds and abilities, varying from person to person with no two individuals having the exact same set of strengths and weaknesses
  • Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities
  • Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and processing speed. Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor coordination, concentration, focus, organisation and mathematical calculations. However, by themselves, none of these characteristics are markers of dyslexia.
  • Dyslexia is best considered as a continuum, not as a separate category as there are no ‘cut-off’ points


Work with us



Wales Dyslexia needs qualified Diagnostic Assessors to assists us support more of those in need. Contact us for more information.



Screening and testing



Dyslecsia Cymru/Wales Dyslexia works with fully qualified assessors across Wales, offering Dyslexia Screening Tests, Diagnostic Assessments (including Disabled Student Assessments) and Workplace Assessments. All assessors are linked to professional bodies that oversee their professional development. All tests are conducted in accordance with the SpLD (Specific Learning Difficulties) working group 2005/DfES Guidelines for Assessment of SpLD.



Screening



Dyslexia Screening tests are designed to highlight individuals at risk of dyslexia by providing a profile of strengths and weaknesses, which can be used to guide intervention strategies for the individual. These tests take approximately one hour to complete, but this can vary according to age and skill level of the individual being assessed.


Dyslecsia Cymru/Wales Dyslexia uses the following Dyslexia Screening tests (Authors: Fawcett and Nicholson): Dyslexia Early Years Screening Test, 4y6m to 6y5m, in English; Dyslexia Screening Test Junior, 6y6m to 11y5m, in English and Welsh (Translation by Dyslecsia Cymru/Wales Dyslexia); Dyslexia Screening Test Secondary, 11y6m – 16y5m, in English and Dyslexia Screening Test Adult,16y6m on, in English



Diagnostic Tests



Multiple tests are completed to provide an accurate account of the difficulties the individual engages. An approximate time for the test is 3 hours but this varies according to the individual’s age, skill levels and number of tests taken. The tests focus on three main areas: Underlying ability – the individual’s potential for learning and achieving Attainment - how well the individual is achieving within academic areas such as reading, spelling, writing, and comprehension. Cognitive processing – the skills required to remember and recall information. It is recommended that diagnostic assessments are not taken before 7 years of age but there is no upper age limit.



Workplace Assessments



These assessments take place within the employee’s place of work, as they are designed to consider the individual needs of the employee within the context of their working environment. Dependent on the analysis of the results, recommendations are made to the employer in order that reasonable adjustments can be made to accommodate the needs of the employee



Dissability Assessments



In order to access additional funding at Higher Education Institutions for provision of support or adjustments, a student will require a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA), which must be presented when attending registration for their specific university.



Present Programmes



At present Dyslecsia Cymru/Wales Dyslexia is engaged in



Understanding



Producing information to promote the understanding of dyslexia. To-date the charity has chapters published in ‘Quick Reads’/Stori Sydyn titles for 2018. Further information for future publications is being developed



Collaboration



In consultation with educators who, on a daily basis, work with issues of dyslexia, Dyslecsia Cymru/Wales Dyslexia aims to develop a better understanding of the difficulties learners with dyslexia engage and therefore the areas required for redress.



Information



To continue producing information for learners, parents and carers, adults, educators and employers in visual and auditory format - available as free downloads on this website.



Multilingual



In collaboration with outside agencies, to produce further screening and diagnostic assessment material, in the Welsh language. To date we have published, and have available for sale, the DSTJW.



Programmes of support



Frequently parents tell us of difficulties their children encountered from an early age. Most remember problems with early speech, which may link to difficulties in identifying the different parts or syllables within speech. If a child cannot hear a sound, then finding the letters that make/represent that sound, becomes a difficult task. It then follows that if a sound cannot be represented by letter identification, reading and writing are also difficult. If these sounds are not understood, they cannot be remembered and difficulties with phonological awareness may well result. By this time, the learner may be progressing through school at a disadvantage which can escalate as time progresses; all too frequently resulting in a lowering of confidence, self-esteem and academic achievement. Early identification of the difficulties is essential to help children reach their potential.



  • Inset training for educators
  • Seminars and workshops for the understanding of dyslexia
  • Surgeries for parents and individuals with questions about dyslexia
  • Consultancy work with outside agencies for the promotion of dyslexic–friendly strategies
  • Individual support programmes to provide life skills for learners with dyslexia


Learning Resources



For a Dyslexia Screening Test, Junior -Welsh – DST-JW please contact us



Understanding Letters and Sounds Part 1



Understanding Letters and Sounds Part 2



Understanding Letters and Sounds Part 3



Understanding Numbers



Multiplication



Advocate and Promote



A dyslexic friendly school policy throughout Wales




Dyslecsia Cymru/Wales Dyslexia works in one to one situations, with groups of people interested in understanding the difficulties dyslexia presents and voices its findings to the Welsh Assembly. We have listened to the voice of the public and found that there is much to be done. The charity is committed to upholding the Government’s requirements to assist schools to become "Dyslexic Friendly" and does so by funding a programme for appropriate teaching methodologies to support learners with dyslexia (these are programmes that can be used for whole class teaching and therefore ensure an inclusive teaching policy). We are therefore, in collaboration with outside agencies, developing methods for early identification of dyslexic traits and investigating statistics and links between dyslexia and vision stress.



What people say about Wales Dyslexia



"Informative, helpful, great strategies, that help provide me with a better understanding of what it is like to be a dyslexic and how it can make them feel"



Teacher, following a workshop for dyslexic-friendly teaching techniques:



"I don’t see dyslexia as a bad thing; I embrace it. I use it to fuel me, so that when I succeed, I’ve proved to myself I’m better than it"



Secondary school pupil



"It made me see and understand more clearly and now know better how to help those I work with"



Carer



Contact Us



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Registered Charity #11414