dyslexic individuals results in good practice for everyone. In the case of educational institutions, the BDA recognises that the majority of moderately dyslexic students will be taught in mainstream classrooms and by non-specialist tutors. Therefore it is important that, as well as employing appropriate teaching methods, all environments are dyslexia friendly. This is what the Quality Mark strives to ensure. Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects 10% of the population, a combination of strengths and weaknesses, which affects the learning process in reading, spelling, writing and sometimes numeracy. Dyslexic individuals may also have accompanying weaknesses in short term memory, sequencing and the speed at which they process information. These are skills that everyone needs if they are to learn effectively and they are also key skills for life. Problems arise if dyslexia is not recognised and the environment and/or teaching are inappropriate. Viewing dyslexia as a learning difficulty implies that something is “wrong” with the learner. This leads to a focus on identifying weaknesses rather than celebrating strengths. This in turn can focus in an emphasis on by specialists rather than “remediation” resolution by knowledgeable mainstream professionals. The BDA Quality Mark focuses on supporting individuals within the mainstream setting. The Quality Mark also, recognises that there are individuals whose needs are more profound and complex and will therefore require specialist support; indeed a requirement of the Quality Mark is that such support is also available. Even where this is the case, the success of such support is likely to be greater if this is provided within a setting that accommodates such individual learning needs. One of the basic principles of becoming dyslexia friendly is the expectation that those providing the education/service take immediate action when faced with individual needs, rather than refer for assessment and wait for a In a dyslexia friendly environment “label”. those providing the education/service are empowered through training, policy and ethos to identify issues and take front line action. The BDA Quality Mark for Children and Young People’s Services The aim of the BDA’s Quality Mark for Children and Young People’s Services is to identify and celebrate excellent practice that is carried out throughout this wide reaching sector.
dyslexic individuals results in good practice for everyone. In the case of educational institutions, the BDA recognises that the majority of moderately dyslexic students will be taught in mainstream classrooms and by non-specialist tutors. Therefore it is important that, as well as employing appropriate teaching methods, all environments are dyslexia friendly. This is what the Quality Mark strives to ensure. Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects 10% of the population, a combination of strengths and weaknesses, which affects the learning process in reading, spelling, writing and sometimes numeracy. Dyslexic individuals may also have accompanying weaknesses in short term memory, sequencing and the speed at which they process information. These are skills that everyone needs if they are to learn effectively and they are also key skills for life. Problems arise if dyslexia is not recognised and the environment and/or teaching are inappropriate. Viewing dyslexia as a learning difficulty implies that something is “wrong” with the learner. This leads to a focus on identifying weaknesses rather than celebrating strengths. This in turn can focus in an emphasis on “remediation” by specialists rather than resolution by knowledgeable mainstream professionals. The BDA Quality Mark focuses on supporting individuals within the mainstream setting. The Quality Mark also, recognises that there are individuals whose needs are more profound and complex and will therefore require specialist support; indeed a requirement of the Quality Mark is that such support is also available. Even where this is the case, the success of such support is likely to be greater if this is provided within a setting that accommodates such individual learning needs. One of the basic principles of becoming dyslexia friendly is the expectation that those providing the education/service take immediate action when faced with individual needs, rather than refer for assessment and wait for a “label”. In a dyslexia friendly environment those providing the education/service are empowered through training, policy and ethos to identify issues and take front line action. The BDA Quality Mark for Children and Young People’s Services The aim of the BDA’s Quality Mark for Children and Young People’s Services is to identify and celebrate excellent practice that is carried out throughout this wide reaching sector.
BDA_Quality_Mark_for_Children_and_Young_Peoples_Services_-_Introduction.docx