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Original poster

Awwww! Jay Blades

26 replies

Sideswiped · 26/01/2022 21:22

On now on BBC1. It's about his journey, learning to read at the age of 51, having gone through school as an undiagnosed dyslexic.
From what I've seen so far, he also has what is now called visual stress (formerly called Meares Irlen syndrome), where a coloured overpay helps the letters to stop 'moving'. Of course, when he was at school, such difficulties were not known about.
I'm looking forward to the rest of it.

OP posts:
Original poster
Sideswiped · 26/01/2022 21:23

'overlay' 🙄

OP posts:
Realmayowitheggs · 26/01/2022 21:23

Thanks for the reminder. Will watch it at the weekend.

megletthesecond · 26/01/2022 21:24

It's very good.

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Original poster
Sideswiped · 26/01/2022 21:27

I have to say, as far as 'The Repair Shop' goes, I'm a Steve girl through and through, but this is touching my heart.

OP posts:
Youaremypenguin · 26/01/2022 21:29

Loving it but this isn't well known in schools still! My DC needs overlays to read in primary. They have a SENCO, they know all about it yet I have to provide the overlays. I tested and sourced them.

The primary have done nothing. I'm fighting hard but because my DC comes from a home where we can read, we are educated and we're lucky to be in good jobs we can help. If my DC was born into a different family it would be very different.

bruffin · 26/01/2022 21:30

Yes he's lovely
DH 60 is dyslexic but didnt learn to read until he was 10 when he went to a remedial classes that taught him phonics. Like Jay he wasnt diagnosed with dyslexia but was in remedial classes all the way through secondary

DS 26 was taught phonics from first thing and any difficulties were picked up and was given extra help because he was very intelligent. He has mainly short term memory problems

sashagabadon · 26/01/2022 21:32

My ds has overlays during primary. Pink ones! I just bought them myself and he carried them into school. You can buy in sheets and I cut them in half as he lost them regularly. They helped his confidence. He is now secondary and doesn’t need them anyone ( although still not a great reader imo)
They weren’t that expensive, maybe £20 for 5 sheets that I cut into 10

urghrtypical · 26/01/2022 21:33

Saw this advertised and will watch on iPlayer. I have Irlens and dyslexia so it's nice to see some awareness.

Original poster
Sideswiped · 26/01/2022 21:37

I know it's annoying of you have to buy the overlays, but they're way cheaper than the glasses at least. (Although the glasses mean you can read pretty much everything!)

OP posts:
SourMilkGhyll · 26/01/2022 21:40

Any recommendations for the cheapest pace to buy overlays from?

Original poster
Sideswiped · 26/01/2022 21:46

@SourMilkGhyll, if it's a common colour, you can buy the same colour plastic wallet and use that, but your SENCO should be able to advise you.

OP posts:
Youaremypenguin · 26/01/2022 21:47

@SourMilkGhyll

Any recommendations for the cheapest pace to buy overlays from?
You need to test for your colour first. Look on Amazon or dyslexia teaching age sites and get a pack of bookmark overlays of mixed colours. You will find some make no difference, others are like magic. Once you've found your colour they're easier to get. It doesn't work for everyone but go for it!
Youaremypenguin · 26/01/2022 21:48

I think there are 15 colours to try out!

bluesugar · 26/01/2022 21:53

So interesting

urghrtypical · 26/01/2022 21:54

I have the glasses - any parents reading this who can afford them I'd recommend. If your DC is going to university you used to be able to get them paid for - not sure if that's still the case.

enjoyingscience · 26/01/2022 21:58

This has had me absolutely weeping. The interview in the prison and him reading to his daughter just killed me.

Original poster
Sideswiped · 26/01/2022 22:19

I have to admit I'm now watching this on catch up (went outside for a smoke), but oh my, when he read to his daughter! She was so lovely and he was so earnest in wanting to complete that thing that he thought was missing from her childhood.
The statistics about the level of literacy in offenders was illuminating too.
I'm a teacher, and have regular training and information about dyslexia and visual stress.
I've flagged the programme up to my SENCO in case they want to use it for training.

OP posts:
Sockpile · 27/01/2022 13:34

This was really interesting.
Despite not being able to read Jay had achieved so much. It was then really great to see the progress he made once he started the reading intervention.
My DS is severely dyslexic and goes to a school like the one featured, hearing the year 11 boys speak about their experiences really brought a tear to eye.

SarahAndQuack · 27/01/2022 13:54

Ooh, I really want to see this! Glad it's good.

When did coloured overlays come in, does anyone know? I'm dyslexic and remember being tested to see if any of them helped me when I was in the last year of primary school, and I'm 37. I didn't think they were particularly new then.

Deathraystare · 27/01/2022 14:03

He has had quite a life, hasn't he??

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 27/01/2022 14:10

He's clearly extremely bright. He's a few years younger than me and I can well believe he was just written off at school. Never heard the word dyslexia until about 1990 and lots of people were very sceptical about it for years, so there was a stigma, and LEAs varied a lot in whether they recognised it, never mind supported children with clear signs of it.

Great programme.

CatrinVennastin · 27/01/2022 14:24

My daughter has Irlen syndrome, dyslexia and dyscalculia. Looking forward to watching this with her tonight.

She has the tinted glasses and they make a huge difference especially is brightly lit environments and with interactive whiteboards.

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 27/01/2022 14:35

I was teaching in the 90s and a bit before. I did post graduate qualifications in the teaching of specific learning difficulties and worked in a range of schools, supporting children individually and training staff. So it certainly was known about then, including the Irlen Institute and Owen Leigh, the optometrist. We used coloured overlays, and various methods of teaching reading, including Hickey. There were lots of different techniques used, some of which continue, some of which are no longer felt to be helpful.

Since everyone is different, it isn’t one size fits all and overlays may work for some and not others. We used plastic wallets for the more common colours too. We had some great success with some children and less with others. Then there was the emphasis on learning styles and the need to find out which suits individuals best.

I think it’s unlikely that there are the specialist teachers now. Funding is so tight that the support service I worked for probably is too expensive.

Rummikub · 27/01/2022 14:43

Learning to read as an adult is hard
And surprisingly difficult to find courses or help.
I think Read easy is a national charity that supports this.

Sockpile · 27/01/2022 14:45

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g unfortunately it can still be a battle to get support, many children are still failed.