Tutoring a dyslexic student - any advice please?

[Pariswhenitdrizzles]

Hi everyone.

I've been tutoring for a while now, and will soon start GCSE English tuition with a student who is dyslexic.

I'm currently preparing our first tuition session. I have the student's parents' contact details, so WIBU if I email them to ask how best I can support the student before our sessions together?

I've now tutored GCSE English to several students, and have also tutored a language A Level to a dyslexic student. I wasn't asked to adapt resources or to change my tuition style with the dyslexic student that I tutored previously.

I've heard that resources can be adapted in specific ways to support dyslexic students (for example, choosing certain background colours on paper and PowerPoint slides, or being mindful of the font size, style and colour on PowerPoint slides and paper resources).

AIBU to ask you for any tips you might have on how I can best support the student please?

Bumping :)

Maybe have some training and qualifications before you sell your services to parents and children?

I'm thinking the same as roaming If you are tutoring you should be qualified to assist children with different SEN needs. Do you have a current teaching qualification?

roaming I was put forward for this assignment by an agency.

I've been a tutor for seven years now, and have received comprehensive training in safeguarding, child protection and lesson planning.

Thanks so much Pengggwn :)

Overlays are for visual stress and will be no use to a pupil who has a phonological deficit (although they sometimes co occur). Dyslexia is quite a wide continuum - I have pupils who read well but struggle with spelling, sequencing and organisation. I have other pupils who also struggle to read at the level required for gcse.

If his assessment for Dyslexia is recent, I would ask to see a copy as this should include strategies and next steps. I would also ask if any access arrangements are in place for his GCSEs as this will give you an indication of where his difficulties lie.

Typically I find Dsylexic students struggle to follow long sentences, lots of instruction. Break things down into small chunks. If they have a statement from school then I would ask to see it. It usually breaks down their issues and suggestions for how to help.

It will depend on the individual. Have the parents hired you? If so, absolutely ask them if there are particular things you can do.

Dyslexia is different for everyone - some people will be avid readers but not be confident reading aloud. Some will have issues with organisation. Some will be verbally advanced but struggle with spelling, and be spelling words so far from the correct spelling that spell check and dictionaries don't help.

Some people find coloured paper easier to read and write with. There is a font you can download for free that others find helpful. It weights the letters in a way that makes them easier to distinguish. Some people may find colour coded notes or particular kinds of diagrams to plan essays more helpful than others.

I wouldn't worry at all, because you will get to know the person and can have a chat in their first session about what they do at school, and any preferences. They may wish not to have any adjustments made, but absolutely right to ask.

You're of course, correct, early about the visual stress, but I know a lot of people who have been assessed as having dyslexia, and not told about the visual stress being a co occurrence, and thinking of it as part of that. This is in F and HE, I don't know about schools. Has the newer information filtered into schools quicker? Just interested as the two systems seem so different.

I think it's common for most people to find blue on yellow paper a bit less draining. I certainly find it more appealing.

I have 3 dyslexic offspring.
Each seems to have a slightly different form.

DD2 could not read blue and yellow. It makes her nauseous.
Some overlays help to stop the words slipping around the page for her.

Some dyslexics can be helped by overlays, some like DS1 do not find it any use at all. Once he has learnt and memorised a word he can read it as easily upside down as upside down.

DD1 finds it easier to dictate an essay using software on her laptop. (She recently got a degree btw)

Id ask the parents if there is anything specific that helps.

Computer based learning works for me. I need lots of colour. Paper books need to be highlighted/have coloured overlays. Amazon has a special font for dyslexic people that works really well too.

Ask to see his report on diagnosis, it should tell you what areas there are a deficit in and help you formulate strategies to specifically help.

Has the newer information filtered into schools quicker? Just interested as the two systems seem so different

Basket Dyslexia support in state schools ranges from deplorable to mediocre IME. Teacher training does not equip teachers to deal with the impact of dyslexia in the classroom and many teachers (thankfully not all) assume that the child is either of low ability or lazy. It is very sad for the pupils and a waste of human potential.

That's so sad to hear, I was hoping it had got better since my time at school. I'm not dyslexic but my sister is. I've supported students with dyslexia l in FE and HE and a lot of them had been recently diagnosed after struggling in school but no assessment.

Generally teachers in FE and HE are not well informed about dyslexia (or what a reasonable adjustment is in general) in my experience, and the disability departments who put support in place are up against it.

Dyslexia varies so much that I think it's worth familiarising yourself with all the possible symptoms but ultimately find out what your student struggles with. It could be spelling, it could be attention difficulties, organisation issues, etc.

Agree with PPs, dyslexia varies so much between individuals, you can't say blue font on yellow paper will work, for example, because this is specific to the individual. Yes, yes to reading the diagnostic report.

You need to know what they are going to be permitted in the exams. So if they will be allowed a particular coloured paper in the exam, use this in the lessons. But if they won't be allowed that in the exam, they need to practise working without it. Will they be allowed to use a word processor in exams? With or without spellcheck?

If yes to word processor, use that in the lessons. If without spellcheck (this is usual, unless their spelling is extremely bad), teach them how to use the spellings already given on the exam paper and teach the spellings of words you know they will need e.g metaphor, alliteration etc.

Garbled and overlong sentences and paragraphs can be a problem for students with dyslexia. Use a formula like point, example, explanation to teach them how to write coherently.

Use the marking criteria and exemplar answers for the exam board they are sitting to show them what is required.

Google search free online courses in dyslexia for more insights. If this is an area you are interested in developing, the British Dyslexia Association has an excellent website.

Dyslexia is a very complex and difficult condition. If you're going to tutor a child with dyslexia (and please, not "dyslexic person": that suggests there's nothing more to them than their dyslexia) then you need specialist training. Coloured overlays don't do anything to help for most people with dyslexia; working in ways which actively challenge the issues caused by dyslexia will. For example, dealing with the memory issues and information processing issues which dyslexia causes.

It takes several years to train as a specialist dyslexia tutor. You can't replace this specialist training by asking for help on Mumsnet.

You need to read what specific recommendations have been made in the ed psych assessment

I would have thought that parents would assume that someone who is offering tuition to a student with dyslexia would have some knowledge about teaching, other than what they've 'heard' about coloured overlays or different fonts.

Having tried to find a specialist dyslexic tutor for DD and failed I would have been grateful for any tutor with interest and enthusiasm.