1. Dr Lindsay Peer CBE
Educational Psychologist, Speaker & Author

2. Current political arena
 Many LA dyslexia trained teachers losing jobs
 Many schools no access to dyslexia trained teachers
 Lack of training opportunities – finance
 Lack of resources – finance
 Limited ITE opportunities
 Limited Dyslexia INSET – wide range of special needs
 Long waiting times - CAMHS
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE 2

3. Want to do well ...soon fail
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE

4. Reality in many schools ...
 TAs / LSAs delivering support – often minimal / no
training (MacBeath 2005)
 Unless most severe, no additional teaching / support
 Class teachers guide support staff – themselves not
dyslexia trained
 Lack of understanding – link between testing and
teaching
 Schools in great need of dyslexia trained teachers
 Future ... Back to the past!
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE 4

5. Dyslexia trained staff ...
Professional attributes, skills and knowledge:
 Link between research and practice
 Understand dyslexic learners
 Link between emotional & learning needs
 Understand Emotional Intelligence
 Understand pre-requisites to learning
 Learning / teaching styles
 Knowledge - suitable programmes
 Up to date CPD
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE 5

6. Areas of responsibility
 Ideally on SMT! SEN policy and practice e.g.
inclusion, setting, support, marking policies
 Internal staff training:
- General
- Subject specific & library
 Administration / paperwork – ongoing
 Monitoring / assessment - staff
 Models of good practice
 Guiding parents / carers
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE 6

7. Comorbidity & consequent impact
Links and influences of other challenges e.g.
- Asperger’s Syndrome
- DCD (dyspraxia)
- Speech, language and communication
- AD(H)D
- Hyper-reactivity (Peer, 2000)
- Auditory Processing Disorder
- Glue Ear impact e.g. phonics, memory, spelling,
languages etc (Peer, 2005)
- Mental health issues ...
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE 7

8. Stress and anxiety
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE

9. Working with professionals
 SpLD centres – where remaining
 Speech and Language Therapists – if lucky!
 Occupational Therapists – if lucky!
 Educational Psychologists – if lucky!
 Head Teachers
 SENCos
 Mainstream teachers
 Support assistants
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE 9

10. Proactive staff
 Demand highest achievement
 Zero tolerance of failure; immediate action when
targets not met
 Promote whole staff awareness
 Teachers counsel at times
 Adopt flexible approaches: “If a child does not
learn the way we teach…then teach him the way he
learns” (Dr Harry Chasty DI)
 If angry / demotivated ...ask why and take action?!
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE 10

11. Do staff really understand dyslexia?
 If you BELIEVE you are
no good, you WILL BE
no good. This negative
cycle can and must be
broken
 Failure can lead to
anger, frustration and
anxiety
 Failure becomes a
self-fulfilling prophecy
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE

12. Within inclusive classrooms
 Dyslexia teaching = good teaching for all
 Empowerment of staff and learners
 Classroom management by subject need
 Set by ability not literacy level
 Short bursts of teaching; movement breaks
 Structured, sequential m-s teaching / overlearning
 Structured differentiation
 Marking policy
 Self-esteem
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE 12

13. Everyday working e.g.
 Structure paperwork
 Structure work on board
 What is important? What is not?
 Organisation
 Managing ICT
 Planners - day, week, month, year
 Colour and over learning
 Study skills across the curriculum
 Memory techniques
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE 13

14. Thoughts of Dyslexic Children
 ‘I must be stupid’
 ‘Too much paper’
 ‘Too much to learn’
 ‘I lost my worksheets’
 ‘No-one understands’
 ‘My ‘friends’ laugh at me’
 ‘I do silly things to make
people laugh’
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE

15. Preparing staff for examinations
For the day:
 TA – not the usual people!
 Familiarise learner - exam conditions
 Practice Reading
 Practice Scribing
 Practice using computers for this purpose
 Practice Additional Time
 Practice use of Rest Breaks
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE 15

16. Encourage learners ...& you too!
 Needed...your skills &
passion!!
 Challenge convention
 Let no-one stop you
 Live your dream
 Develop your ‘A’ team!
 Be focussed and
determined
 Reach for the stars!
Dr Lindsay Peer CBE