إعداد دكتور محمود الخيال
Psychosocial
Aspects of Dyslexia
Adulthood
College or Vocational Training
College
Many
high school guidance counselors have little information about college programs
for students with dyslexia. Because of this, these students are oftentimes not
encouraged to consider higher education or sign up for college preparatory
classes. A poor or uneven academic record and/or standardized test scores may
also discourage students from exploring college as an option. However, young
people with learning disabilities, including dyslexia, are attending colleges
and universities in record numbers thanks to a Federal law that requires all
institutions of higher learning to make "reasonable accommodations"
for students with learning disabilities. (Smith et al., 1997) Although these
accomomdations are required, the range of services varies from school to
school, so it is important to investigate the exact services available before
applying to a college. A free booklet is available from the HEATH Resource Center (1-800-544-3284)
entitled How to Choose a College : Guide for the Student with a Disability,
published to help students assess their readiness for college and identify what
to look for in a college or university.
Smith
and Strick suggest the following guidelines to help parents and young adults
assess their potential for the success in college.
- Students who have mild to
moderate dyslexia and an average or above average intelligence should be
encouraged to consider college.
- Motivated students with
moderate to severe dyslexia can also succeed in college, but they will
require more assistance.
- College will probably not
meet the needs of youngsters who have significantly lower than average
intelligence, major interpersonal problems, and/or very severe language,
cognitive processing, or attention deficits.
Other
suggestions include having more than one college in mind during the application
process. Also, before making the final decision on which college to attend, by
all means, get a tour of the campus. It is essential for the dyslexic student
to visit prospective campuses during the academic year, in order to arrange to
sit in on an introductory level class and talk with some of the professors.
It's important to keep in mind that some professors are more accommodating to
the needs of the dyslexic student. Consider prep college work through smaller community
college classes. Take study skills classes first semester, and take 1-2
courses/semester for the first year to adjust to college life. Smith and Strick
list some critical questions that need to be asked during your tour of
prospective colleges.
Click here for advice on what kind of questions a dyslexic
student should ask about college...
Vocational Training
It
is not unusual for high school students to "not have a clue" of what
they might do for a living, so in this regard dyslexic students are not alone.
They are, however, more prone to not succeeding if they don't have a game plan
at some point before graduation. Here again, a proactive approach by the parents
and student is essential to the successful future of the dyslexic adolescent.
It may be necessary to have a formal vocational assessment and/or professional
career counseling in order to help the student focus their interests.
Internships help students with SLDs experience what careers they like, or not,
since many of these people learn best through actual experiences and
application of learned information. Also, it's important to know what adaptive
technologies may be useful to you and your learning style, such as Kurzweil or
Arkenstone readers, taped textbooks, or notetakers in math. According to Smith and Strick(1997), when pursing
vocational assessment, it is important to make sure your child receives a
multi-disciplinary evaluation coordinated by a psychologist or counselor who is
knowledgeable about learning disabilities. Such an assessment would involve
interviews, hands-on activities, and observation in simulated job settings, as
well as testing to measure student's aptitudes, interests, dexterity, and
academic achievement. The department of special education in your local school
district should have access or information regarding these assessment tests.
Susan's Story
It's
7 AM... your alarm has rudely awaken you from your slumber, and it's time to
face the challenges a new day brings. Facing ordinary day-to day problems is a
series of challenges for a person with dyslexia. Even the simplest of tasks,
those which many people take for granted, like making a bowl of instant
oatmeal, taking a new medication, or finding a phone number or address in the
phone book can be monumental for a dyslexic person. Susan Hampshire, a British
actress who is dyslexic, describes 'A Day In the Life of A Dyslexic' in her
autobiography, Susan's Story. This entry from Susan's diary illustrates
the magnitude of the irritations that are present every minute of every hour of
every day in the life of someone with dyslexia.