SLD/Dyslexia

mummytofour

Hi,
I am a mature student at a 6 form college (only way I could get my childcare paid!) and I have a specific learning difficulty. I have be allowed extra time for my exams, and additional support but other than that not a great deal. I have a real problem reading as it makes me very tired, I also have problems with vision, this is a processing problem not my eyes! I am applying to uni for for 2008 and hope ( fingers crossed to get in) Is there any help avalible for now, for extra aids? (computer, soft wear and so on) Also would it be worth having an assessment done of my needs ( dyslexia testing?) or do I have to wait until I go to Uni.

I am also a carer for my son who has special needs, not sure if that makes any difference?

roxalana

You would want to apply for disbled students allowance when you apply for your LEA funding. You will need to have an educational psychologists report from when you were 16 or older that uses the tests the are deemed acceptable by the DFES (or whatever the new name is!). Your LEA can give you details (assuming the government isn't going to bring in new rules for next year!). Unfortunately, you have to pay for the ed psych report unless the colege/uni pays for it out of the access to learning fund - I'd recommend asking your college - but make sure the ed psych uses the right tests!

You need to give a copy of that to your LEA with a DSA1 form when you apply for support.
I would advise applying early (which I would advise anyway) - forms should be available from about April, as once the LEA have seen your evidence you will need to go for a needs assessment and the assessment centres get busy early. Therefore, the earlier you apply the faster your appointment will be and the more likely any equipment they recommend will be ready soon after you start your course.

The support (equipment/helpers etc) depends on what the access centre rcommends.

Are you talking about Irlens syndrome with your eyes? If so, you need the evidence of that to be handed in with your ed psych report so the access centre can recommend overlays or lens tints.

You say you are a carer - is your son under 18? If so, you may be able to get Parents Learning Allowance and Childcare Grant (but it depends on your circumstances).

Hope this helps.

welf_man

When you say you have vision / reading problems, do you mean the words move about and/or fade in and out? If so, it is likely to be Irlens Syndrome, which can be helped enormously by using coloured overlays. You need a special eye test to diagnose this and find what works for you.

It sounds as though you've had some sort of assessment to already have extra help, but if it's older than 3 years, you should get a new one. Once you have that, you should contact the University to see what can be put in place ready for your start.

I'm afraid I don't know much about FE funding , but there should be someone at the College who can advise you, or at least tell you who to contact. Failing all else, get in touch with the Disability Service at the University and ask them.

Good luck!

Mel.

mummytofour

Its really hard as I am not sure whats wrong with me. I always struggled at school but nobody paid much notice. Im almost 30 and want to get an education so am working really hard. I know that I find things hard but Im not thick, if that makes sense? My son has ADHD and looking back I think as a child i may well of had this, which has now turned to ADD ( no hyper part now, just the attention defficaite disorder/learning weakness. So I went to additional support at college and they gave me some basic
testing which suggests I have a specific learning difficulty ( Dyslexia maybe, but until I have extra tests they cant say for sure). I ahve been told that I can have extra time on my exams, yayya, shame I didnt get that at school hey?
I find reading makes me very tired and I cant do it for long, add to this to the fact that when I read black on white, the white is very offensive to my eyes and I find coloured paper so much easier to read. I know there are filters avalible, but I guess without that piece of paper which states my needs I cant really get anywhere right? Oh forgot to say I have a RUBBISH memory also.

blackeberg

As of September the report could also be undertaken by a specialist teacher if they hold a PATOSS Practising Certificate. If paying privately this could well be cheaper than a report by a psychologist. It's also possible someone at the college will hold this qualification (or will by later next year - I'm in the process of applying for it and it's going to take months).

Useful Link

Follow the link above for:

Bridging the Gap - a guide to the Disabled Students' Allowance

DSA Application Form (might only apply to the current academic year)

celyn90

You can get filters for use when reading (I use them - mine came from my college) and they can help a great deal; I found it's worth just trying a few and seeing if it makes it easier. I found when I was at uni my college was happy to copy the exam scripts onto different coloured paper for me without me providing any evidence of a problem (as it was a simple request), but if you require extra time or other concessions such as rest breaks, they will often ask for some sort of evidence for this.

Student services or the curriculum access support teams at your college will often go out of their way to help you, make an appointment and go and chat to them - they will do everything they can to help I'm sure. Hope you get it sorted and good luck.

mummytofour

I am now the owner of a purple filter! Thank you for the advice.

Savvy_Sue

Can I hijack this slightly? DS1 has mild Asperger Syndrome, got through to GCSEs without needing help or intervention but then had extra time in exams. He then went off to Uni, in his 3rd year now, and this year he's been struggling a bit. So it's been suggested he needs a mentor, for which he needs a Disabled Student Grant to pay for it.

Now, his Uni are asking for evidence, and I don't think we have any post-16 evidence ourselves. He's seen a school doctor at 12 (before we moved here) and she wrote a very clear letter about his problems and needs. Once we'd moved we saw the school doctor here, when he was 13. Then to get the extra time I was told to take him to our GP who referred us, and we saw the school doctor again, and that was that: I don't recall getting a letter ourselves. I think whatever the doctor said was then passed on to the sixth form so he had extra time for his A levels as well. When he started at Uni we talked to student support, and didn't feel he needed any help immediately.

He's phoned the school, who say he's been 'archived' so it will take a while to find his file, and we don't know what's on it.

As he's now registered with a GP at Uni rather than here, I guess he could also ask them if there's anything on his notes from the school doctor, and see if that's any use?

But if whatever evidence there is doesn't seem enough, am I right in thinking that the Student Support people at his Uni will be able to arrange an assessment now? Or will we be stuffed?

We never had a full formal assessment because his differences didn't seem different enough to justify it. And I know he should sort this out himself, but when it's your organisational skills which are weak that can be hard: if I know what needs to be done I can at least stay on his case! :rotfl: And tell him what he needs to say at the start of phone calls: once he's got going he's usually OK, but I know he puts things off because he doesn't know how to start.

studentphil

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Can I hijack this slightly? DS1 has mild Asperger Syndrome, got through to GCSEs without needing help or intervention but then had extra time in exams. He then went off to Uni, in his 3rd year now, and this year he's been struggling a bit. So it's been suggested he needs a mentor, for which he needs a Disabled Student Grant to pay for it.

Now, his Uni are asking for evidence, and I don't think we have any post-16 evidence ourselves. He's seen a school doctor at 12 (before we moved here) and she wrote a very clear letter about his problems and needs. Once we'd moved we saw the school doctor here, when he was 13. Then to get the extra time I was told to take him to our GP who referred us, and we saw the school doctor again, and that was that: I don't recall getting a letter ourselves. I think whatever the doctor said was then passed on to the sixth form so he had extra time for his A levels as well. When he started at Uni we talked to student support, and didn't feel he needed any help immediately.

He's phoned the school, who say he's been 'archived' so it will take a while to find his file, and we don't know what's on it.

As he's now registered with a GP at Uni rather than here, I guess he could also ask them if there's anything on his notes from the school doctor, and see if that's any use?

But if whatever evidence there is doesn't seem enough, am I right in thinking that the Student Support people at his Uni will be able to arrange an assessment now? Or will we be stuffed?

We never had a full formal assessment because his differences didn't seem different enough to justify it. And I know he should sort this out himself, but when it's your organisational skills which are weak that can be hard: if I know what needs to be done I can at least stay on his case! :rotfl: And tell him what he needs to say at the start of phone calls: once he's got going he's usually OK, but I know he puts things off because he doesn't know how to start.

Take it from me that universities won't offer disability support without you having to fight for it. I think most support services will help you get an assessment and your university's access to learning fund can be used to cover the cost in many cases.

If the disability support services are any good then they should advocate for him to be fair. But from my very bitter and unhappy experience of them they will pass you on and on and never really help. Even if you come close to failing they don't really take on there is a problem.

Savvy_Sue

That is your experience, SP, which we've all heard about before.

We may indeed have to fight to get the DS grant, because of the lack of evidence, although DS1 or I will pay for a current assessment if that's needed and the University doesn't cough up or if that's going to take too long. If it comes to it, we'll pay privately for a mentor, although I don't know if the Uni will help us arrange it and I don't really know what DS1 needs.

I mean, I could phone him every day and hassle him for no extra charge! :rotfl: Somehow that doesn't seem to help ...

But it seems the support is available. All DS1 did was say to his tutor that he would struggle with writing up his project: his tutor said talk to the Disabled Students Service, and they said "mentor". I discussed his special needs with the University before he started, but we agreed then that we might as well see how he got on before panicking, and as he definitely didn't need any special equipment like a laptop or a note-taker there didn't seem a lot of point jumping through hoops for a DSG.

So, different university, different subject, different student, different needs.

Now, can anyone answer what I realise now was my main question:

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

But if whatever evidence there is doesn't seem enough, am I right in thinking that the Student Support people at his Uni will be able to arrange an assessment now? Or will we be stuffed?

studentphil

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

That is your experience, SP, which we've all heard about before.

We may indeed have to fight to get the DS grant, because of the lack of evidence, although DS1 or I will pay for a current assessment if that's needed and the University doesn't cough up or if that's going to take too long. If it comes to it, we'll pay privately for a mentor, although I don't know if the Uni will help us arrange it and I don't really know what DS1 needs.

I mean, I could phone him every day and hassle him for no extra charge! :rotfl: Somehow that doesn't seem to help ...

But it seems the support is available. All DS1 did was say to his tutor that he would struggle with writing up his project: his tutor said talk to the Disabled Students Service, and they said "mentor". I discussed his special needs with the University before he started, but we agreed then that we might as well see how he got on before panicking, and as he definitely didn't need any special equipment like a laptop or a note-taker there didn't seem a lot of point jumping through hoops for a DSG.

So, different university, different subject, different student, different needs.

Now, can anyone answer what I realise now was my main question:

Lol, in that very post I can see exactly the same as what happened to me, tutors don't want to know and think the disability support has all the duty to fix it.

I think the support service should be able to sort out an assessment or point you in the right direction. DSA can't be used to pay for an assessment, so I can't see why you need to jump through hoops for that at this stage, however, his assessment might highlight he needs it to pay for a tutor or mentor.