What a fantastic 3 days at the European Dyslexia Association conference in Athens! So many things to think about. Here’s part 1 of my musings:
The Delphi definition of dyslexia, gives us Table 4: “a risk and probabilities assessment practice framework” and this framework came up many times over the three days, in various different ways. Here is my summary of the common ideas from many different sources listed below- the challenge: how to balance them! I am looking forward to final information from SASC about our new definition of dyslexia and dyscalculia and report writing moving forward to help with this.
What really stood out for me was the research by Aro et al. (2024) which has examined the long-term mental health outcomes of individuals diagnosed with learning difficulties in childhood. It highlights that children diagnosed with these disabilities are at a greater risk for mental health issues, particularly when it comes to difficulties with mathematics (as compared to reading). These were new results to me , but (on reflection) not surprising, given what we know about maths anxiety for example.
So, to what purpose our assessments to support these risks and to increase the resilience factors – categorical, exploratory or action-oriented? Can we achieve all three? This understanding of the multifaceted and co-occurring nature of SPLDs, which a dimensional approach, as I have discussed previously, would give us, and the other users of our assessments, a broader understanding in order to accommodate each student’s unique learning profile. A holistic understanding leads to a deeper understanding of how cognitive factors, along with risk and resilience factors, interact. This will lead to better-targeted teaching methods, ultimately improving outcomes for people with dyslexia and dyscalculia. How to do this? An ongoing debate that I am trying to achieve: the starting point? Background information and listening!
As assessors, we need to be so mindful of how we contribute to this and how privileged we are in this process.
If you have any queries or questions about dyscalculia or dyslexia, please do get in touch- rebecca@educationaccess.co.uk
