Page 55 - SEN116 January-February 2022

Assistive technology & dyslexia
How we can create a greater learning
experience for dyslexic pupils
Michelle Catterson advocates for greater investment in the use of assistive technology in the teaching environment for pupils with dyslexia.
Education has been drastically altered over the past 18 months due to the pandemic, and this change is even more stark when it comes to young people with dyslexia.
Virtual classes were challenging for every student, but for dyslexic pupils the challenge was heightened as many lost access to the support they would usually receive to help them learn. Parents also had a greater opportunity to see first-hand how much their child might be struggling, and how far ahead their peers were compared to them.
With this being the case, parents with dyslexic children are looking, now more than ever, to find schools and assistive technologies that will provide their kids with a level playing field so that they can reach their full academic potential. I’ve noticed this at my school, Moon Hall, which is a specialist dyslexic school for pupils aged 7-16, where our waiting list for placements is growing at a rate I’ve not seen during my time as Headteacher.
I believe this highlights the increased need across the UK for more specialist dyslexia facilities, as mainstream schools are unable to meet students’ educational needs, as well as increased investment in assistive technologies to enhance independent learning experiences.
While traditional schools have processes in place to help students with learning disabilities, they usually come in the form of separate support functions where pupils leave the
“Many lost access to the support
they would usually receive to help
them learn”
classroom to receive intervention from support staff. This model is ineffective because pupils are marked out as different to their peers, which can cause additional anxiety for pupils. It’s also counterproductive as these students miss out on what’s happening in the classroom, meaning that they are often playing catch-up when they return and are not in control of their learning.
At Moon Hall we chose not to do this. Our class sizes are small so that teachers can spot when students might need extra support and can provide that in the classroom setting. We’ve also invested in assistive technology and the staff that can drive that.
Assistive technologies designed for dyslexic pupils have a big role to play in reducing the need for additional support - this is better for the school and better for the student as they can
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