How much support should DD expect with her dyslexia from her university?

[Ineedcoffeenow]

I’ll preface this by saying that I’m a lecturer so I know how much support my uni give to dyslexic students. (We give them special dyslexia supporters, access to relevant software, extra time in exams, extra time to proofread course work) but I’m not sure whether that’s the norm/what we can reasonably expect for a dyslexic student and what’s done at other universities.

She completed a form for disability services at her uni over the summer. She’s had an email about exam adjustments, but nothing else. Can she expect more? I think she needs to send an email to ask for an appointment to go over support needs, but she’s reluctant as she doesn’t want to “bother anyone.” I have heard on the grapevine that her uni is not good with student support. So far, it’s been terribly organised so that’s playing a part in my thinking. .

Doesn't she have to go through DSA to get additional support? They will confirm her needs, agree the funding and then it all falls into place.

I could be mistaken as DD had developed coping strategies by the time her ALN were diagnosed and she only needed extra time, the scope to extend deadlines and pep talks by her college welfare team.

Has she had a Needs Assessment and made an appointment with Student Support? What support does she need?

The software etc is usually provided by disabled student allowance (usually applied for through through student finance and involves a needs assessment). The exam arrangements etc are usually agreed direct with the uni

Some disability services are more forthcoming than others. With some, you have to be really clear. "Can you help me with arranging a needs assessment for dsa" etc.

Even then, some can make up guff about you not being eligible.

Uni does the extra time element.

The rest (even if some elements are provided by uni) is funded by DSA. Did she apply for DSA and have an assessment which they would have sent to the uni and from which the uni would have made arrangements for this? The software etc would be provided direct by an external provider of DSA.

It all depends on how she is affected.

As said she needs to apply for DSA, that's where the support such as spld mentor, laptop with software etc will come from.

She will then have a needs assessment with either capita or study tech depending where she is living when she applies.

The needs assessment can be sent directly to the uni and this can help them identify support she needs.

The uni support will greatly depend on the course, how it's assessed and what she needs.

DSA support is separate to the univeristy support, they always say just because you are receiving DSA it doesn't mean that the extra support in terms of the uni will happen automatically.

She needs to have a meeting with her university Disabiltiy service, they are often called disability advisors, they can make her an LSP/ISP and that will have details on exam arrangements, timetabling (if relevant), teaching arrangements etc.g lecture material 24h before etc, not asking questions on the spot, arrangements for things like coursework, presentations etc. They'll likely have extra library induction and study support workshops for disabled students as well. They'll have plenty of information on the website or the university specific portal - so have a good look at everything on there, get her to follow up on the form she did, they may have sent a generic email she has missed. If not they'll be information on the website/student portal with how to contact them to get support in place.

DSA stuff is seperate, so has she applied for that? If so has she had her needs assessment to get the software etc. She needs to apply through student finance website initially, it will be on her home page, that involves uploading evidence initially, then they asses it and send a DSA1 letter saying whether they've approved her application or not. After that they send her a link to book a needs assessment, that isn't a test or anything, as she's already gotten approved. That's where they'll decide software things, a specialist study tutor, equipment to record lectures, assistive technology software etc.

Then at the end they ask her if she wants this sent to the univeristy, make sure she consents or otherwise they won't send it. They then send the report to student finance, then she'll get a DSA2 letter from SFE saying what they've approved and then she just needs to liase with them as they send her the equipment. It's actually quite simple but the process has quite a few steps.

I'd be getting her to 'bother them' as I'm sure you know, universities have good support but they expect you to reach out to them somewhat. Chase them, you have to do the research on their website, the information will be available. She needs to reach out and have a meeting with a disability advisor from the disability service and craft the LSP so that all stage teaching her etc can see it. If she doesn't bother them, they won't reach out to her so she needs to make sure she does ask for the support she needs so that she can be on a level palying field, and be able to do as well as she can. What subject is she studying?

Ours have to have an educational psych test/diagnosis (not sure of the details there, it's not my role) then they discuss their needs with a student disabilities support person. It's pretty boilerplate:

• up to a fortnight extension on essays (they still have to apply for it)
• extra time in exams

Sometimes, they can get help with planning essays, but resources are stretched, so that is now done mostly by online self-taught training modules.

Sometimes, permission to record lectures & seminars - but the legalities of recording seminars is very tricky as it needs permission from all the other students in the seminar, so there are confidentiality issues as well.

Where are you located? Just as it seems quite different from anything I've heard in England, most people will already have the evidence so normally they just provide it and then meet with someone from the disability team. They wouldn't have to have an assessment again.

Also with recording lectures most universities already do so on some online system, so the legality isn't an issue. Where I've always seen it, it's a common reasonable adjustments for so many students, they can record themselves if they want, many get recorders from DSA, and are given permission if for some reason it doesn't work to use their phones etc. Other students aren't ever asked about it, it may be somewhere in fine print, but it's never dependant on them agreeing. That's for lectures though, different for seminars. So just wondered if you were somewhere with different regulations, the thing is with universities it can be so different from each one, as it's all down to them.

With respect she needs to navigate this

Dd got 25% extra time, she was also given a proof reader for her final assignment, not for content just spellings. She didn’t get anything else and didn’t qualify for dsa

Probably minimal support through the uni, support comes from DSA. I'd expect exam arrangements of 25% ET, use of a computer with spell check and assistive software if used, lecture recordings and/or permission to record, lecture materials in advance. She needs to book an appointment, this is the busiest time of year for disability/student support services and they will be reaching out to those with complex needs not those with a diagnosis of Dyslexia. That sounds harsh but you would probably be surprised by the number of students each year who arrive on campus not having told the university they are in a wheelchair or have medical issues that need an emergency plan in place.

@TheLivelyViper - I didn't say that students needed a new diagnosis - just that the diagnosis needed to be documented, and regarded as a disability in terms of existing legislation.

Also with recording lectures most universities already do so on some online system, so the legality isn't an issue. Where I've always seen it, it's a common reasonable adjustments for so many students, they can record themselves if they want, many get recorders from DSA, and are given permission if for some reason it doesn't work to use their phones etc.

I have just done some training by disabilities experts who emphasised that students do not have a right to record teaching under the DDA. They must be given permission by the university & the lecturer. And in seminars or small group teaching, where the learning is done through discussion, recording can only be done with the whole group's permission, as other students will be recorded. To do so without their permission (or knowledge) is a clear infringement!

I was asking if you are somewhere different because everywhere I've been or known about does it very differently. So I wasn't sure if it was location dependant etc. Yes I'm aware they have to provide evidence but I've always seen it or had it as showing the old SPLD report, they have no meetings with Ed psychs unless it's a newer diagnosis as they likely would have done that in the past when they had that diagnosis. So they provide the evidence to disability services and that's it. That's kept on record and is enough evidence, if it's a physical or mental condition it's the same but evidence from a doctor instead. That's it.

Yes it's not a legal right to record the lectures but it's a very common reasonable adjustment, in the universities I know or have personal experience of they don't ask, as in it's not like a student having that accommodation will be dependant on each lecturer or the class. Many students not just those with dyslexia or ADHD, many students with chronic illness, long-term conditions etc also get that adjustment, is what I meant that its one of the most common or 'popular' I suppose adjustment on LSPs or support plans, they don't ask each lecturer specific to a class etc, its just done.

Universities which have this as a reasonable adjustment will have already had that agreed likely in some fine print somehwere, they do it for everyone who they think it will be helpful for and its a very common reasonable adjustment many will have on their LSPs etc. Most universities as I said already have some recording system for all lectures, so students and lecturers have already agreed to that and thus other students are allowed to use and equipment they get under DSA to record lectures using their devices whereas other students aren't they have to rely on the universities system which does that already.

It's different as I said for a seminar, that's definitely not the same but for a lecture they don't need the whole groups or the lectures permission.

🙄🙄🙄

DD has been given approx 12 support sessions, which should be really useful given she's received very little help from school since her diagnosis except extra time.

What is this training? I work in university disability and have NOT heard of this.

I used to teach study skills in a uni where support for disabilities was a bit laissez faire. I made a point of directing students to the disability support officer and encouraging them to put aside any ideas of "making a fuss". The staff member ws there to help and it was their job.

I did all my first degree exams on a computer because I developed a RWI and hand writing was so painful. Another student made a snide remark about it but I ignored it. These facilities are not concessions. They are enshrined in law to help to level the playing field.

Many thanks for the advice. DD is the one communicating with services, but she doesn’t know what to expect/ask. Organisation at the university so far has been chaotic. Teaching started yesterday and she still doesn’t have an official timetable! She’s finding it all a bit overwhelming. Given that, I am helping her along. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with supporting her. It's the kind of thing where you need a bit of a push to be persistent.

OK @Ineedcoffeenow here's a list

• see her Personal Tutor in her main subject department: ask for assistance in navigating the system
• think through what she would like as accommodations. These need to be reasonable. For example, are there a lot of essays in her course? So she'll need support there: extensions, learning advisor support re structuring her writing for example.
• If there are exams, then extra time, and are there other conditions which would help eg separate room, a computer to use, an amanuensis etc etc
• Is there any assistive technology which would help: special reading lenses, software, dictation devices etc
• get in touch with Wellbeing/disability services, with formal paperwork of diagnosis in hand; ask for a student individual learning plan with suggestions for what would help in her adjustments/accommodations

It's about trying to level the playing field for her. She'll know what is most helpful.

@ParmaVioletTea that’s brilliant, thanks very much. I’ll share it with DD.

But I should add that support for dyslexia is pretty 'boilerplate' that is, standard. And apparently, the government has withdrawn funding to universities for note-takers or amanuenses for dyslexic students.

It's an unpopular opinion nowadays, but I think undergraduates with these kinds of learning difficulties might find it a good use of their time at university to learn & develop strategies for managing dyslexia and other difficulties with executive functioning, so they are prepared for the working world, where accommodations are far harder to demand. Dyslexic students aren't stupid; IME, they're usually pretty creative, so applying that creativity to managing and adapting their disability is a productive way to use university support, rather than sinking in to the diagnosis and letting it define them.

Watching with interest. My DS (who is not terribly proactive about self-abdicating) is also dyslexic and starting uni next week. I know he’s filled out an application for a grant as part of his student finance, but haven’t heard about how we goes through DSA. Does he need to be independently assessed through them? He’s been assessed at primary and secondary age for reasonable adjustments.

Does he have a post 16 assessment? It might be worth contacting the student support department in advance in case he is required to book a Needs Assessment or a meeting to access support from DSA funding.