Neurodivergent students

People with dyslexia process information differently, which generally results in difficulties with reading and spelling. They may take longer to process information (both spoken and written). In addition, their difficulties with working memory make it harder for them to retain and manipulate information.

On the plus side, many people with dyslexia are creative, ‘big picture’ thinkers with strong visual skills. They can excel at 3D thinking and understanding complext spatial relationships. They also often have strong verbal communication and narrative skills, emotional intelligence and resilience.

Common challenges faced by students with dyslexia include:

• Keeping up in lectures and taking accurate, concise notes. 
• Maintaining concentration in lectures and when reading. 
• Extracting the main points from lectures and texts, especially if abstract or complex. 
• Working out what assignment briefs mean and how to tackle them. 
• Getting their ideas down on paper in a logical, well-structured way. 
• Phrasing their ideas clearly and concisely. 
• Proof reading their writing for mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar. 
• Completing reading and writing tasks as quickly as their peers.  
• Organising their time and meeting deadlines. 
• Remembering appointments and tasks. 
• Responding quickly to spoken questions in seminars and discussions. 
• Demonstrating their full potential in exams.  

• Dyslexia Strengths & Challenges, a post by psychologist Dr. Megan Neff.
• Made By Dyslexia, a website created by successful dyslexics which contains resources including a dyslexic thinking test.
• A Brief History of Dyslexia, from the University of Oxford, which traces the history and definitions of dyslexia.
• Dyslexia reddit forum, a community where dyslexics can ask questions and get support and advice from one another.
• The Creative Brilliance of Dyslexia, a TED talk by Kate Griggs.
• Useful resources from Dyslexia UK, a mixture of articles, websites, books, organisations and technology covering everything from 'Access Arrangements' to 'Writing'.