Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a neurological difference and can have a significant impact during education, in the workplace and in everyday life. As each person is unique, so is everyone's experience of dyslexia. It can range from mild to severe, and it can co-occur with other specific learning difficulties. It usually runs in families and is a life-long condition. 

It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently. Many dyslexic people show strengths in areas such as reasoning and in visual and creative fields. 

Everyone's experience of dyslexia will be individual to them but there are common indicators. A cluster of these indicators alongside abilities in other areas could suggest dyslexia and should be investigated further. 

Do you: 

• Confuse visually similar words such as cat and cot 
• Spell erratically 
• Find it hard to scan or skim text 
• Read/write slowly 

• Need to re-read paragraphs to understand them 
• Find it hard to listen and maintain focus 
• Find it hard to concentrate if there are distractions 
• Feel sensations of mental overload/switching off 
• Have difficulty telling left from right 
• Get confused when given several instructions at once 
• Have difficulty organising thoughts on paper 
• Often forget conversations or important dates 
• Have difficulty with personal organisation, time management and prioritising tasks 
• Avoid certain types of work or study 
• Find some tasks really easy but unexpectedly challenged by others 
• Have poor self-esteem, especially if dyslexic difficulties have not been identified in earlier life 

If you feel this reflects you, you can get an indication if you may be dyslexic from our adult dyslexia checklist and/or a dyslexia screener. These are not a diagnostic tool but can also be used to indicate whether further investigations should take place. 

Suggestions for the workplace 

Reading 

• Give verbal as well as written instructions 
• Highlight important points in documents 
• Use voicemail rather than written memos 
• Supply screen-reading software.  
• Print resources on coloured paper, and change background colour of computer screens and presentations 

Reading and writing 

• Allow plenty of time to read and complete a task 
• Discuss the material with the employee, giving summaries and/or key points 
• Present information in other formats e.g. audio or video, drawings, diagrams and flowcharts 
• Offer/use mind-mapping software 
• Offer/use digital recorders 
• Offer/use speech to text software 
• Ask someone else to take the Minutes of meetings 

Spelling and grammar 

• Spell checker on all computers 
• Offer assistive text software on all applications, where possible 

Computer work 

• Change background colour of screen to suit individual preference 
• Supply anti-glare screen filter 
• Allow frequent breaks, at least every hour 
• Alternate computer work with other tasks where possible 
• Avoid continuous all day computer work 

Verbal communication 

• Give instructions one at a time, slowly and clearly without distractions 
• Write down important information or encourage the employee to take notes 

• Write a memo outlining a plan of action 
• Provide a digital recorder to record presentations/training 
• Check understanding 

Concentration 

• Make sure there is a quiet space available away from distractions such as doors, busy phones, loud machinery 
• Allocate a private workspace if possible 
• Allow an employee to work from home occasionally, if possible 
• Use a “do not disturb” sign when tasks require intense concentration 
• If interrupting, allow the person to pause and write down what they are doing to refer to when resuming work 

Appointments and deadlines 

• Remind the person of important deadlines and review priorities regularly 
• Encourage the employee to use the daily calendar and alarm features on his/her computer or work phone. 
• Tips for organisation of property 
• Ensure that work areas are organised, neat and tidy 
• Keep items where they can be clearly seen for example shelves and bulletin boards 
• Ensure the team returns important items to the same place each time 
• Colour code items, if appropriate 
• Ensure work areas are well lit 

Organising workflow 

• Prioritise important tasks 

• Create a daily, dated “To Do” list 
• Use and share diaries 
• Write a layout for regular tasks with appropriate prompts for example for meetings or taking notes 
• Build planning time into each day 
• Supporting directional difficulties 
• Always try to use the same route 
• Show the route and visible landmarks 
• Give time to practise going from one place to another 
• Supply detailed maps 
• Supply GPS car navigation system 

Useful Links 

Dyscalculia - British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk) 

Dyslexic Test | Am I Dyslexic Quiz Online (exceptionalindividuals.com) 

Online Dyslexia Test - Mind Help (Self-Assessment) 

Do I Have Dyslexia? - International Dyslexia Association (dyslexiaida.org) 

Dyslexia screening - British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk) 

British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk) 

Centre of Excellence for Dyslexia - The Dyslexia Association - The Dyslexia Association 

Diagnosis - British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk) 

The Dyslexia Shop