DYSLEXIA IN HIGHER-EDUCATION - AN ABUSE OF THE SYSTEM

Following on from a previous article which examined concerns regarding the growing demand for public examination concessions on the basis of specific learning difficulties, this article further argues against t he much used one-off psychometric assessment procedure. The appropriat eness is queried of a process which does not take into account such ot her factors as anxiety and emotional disturbance, inappropriate teachi ng, parental pressure, and socio-cultural opportunity, all of which ca n produce a very similar pattern of failure. The nature of specific le arning difficulties is also examined, plus a comment on differing asse ssment techniques. It was concluded that the 'specific' needs to be pu t back into an assessment of 'specific learning difficulty' So-called dyslexia should be identified as the student's major special education al need and not merely as part of a more general learning problem. To do otherwise leaves the system open to abuse, and the long-term intere sts of the students concerned will not be best served. The article doe s not necessarily reflect the views of Carolyn Blyth's employing autho rity.