If they needed extra time, or someone making notes for them, in order to pass then they would not, in theory and probably in practice, be as capable an employee as someone without dyslexia but with an equivalent degree.
Dyslexia
- Thread starter NitrogenY3K
- Start date
If they needed extra time, or someone making notes for them, in order to pass then they would not, in theory and probably in practice, be as capable an employee as someone without dyslexia but with an equivalent degree.
just been looking through this dyslexia checklist and it appears i have a lot of the traits, i want a 1500 quid laptop too
http://training.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/whatisdyslexia/dyslexiachecklists
me too - I think I missed a trick here
I was always great at maths and useless at reading spelling (top set maths at school - A-level a year early etc... - bottom set english)
screw it I might as well have a rant here....
I just always found it odd that psychologists classified it as a condition and decided that many people have it. Excuse the crude generalisation but being naff at everything isn't a condition, nor is excelling in everything but having a high ability in one area and struggling with spelling/reading will get you diagnosed with a condition that gets you a free laptop.
They've had to set boundaries somewhere so you will get plenty of people who are apparently mildly dyslexic getting extra time & a free laptop etc... whereas people who are very similar to them but just below the boundaries don't get any extra assistance. Ditto to the people who are just thick. You'll also perhaps get people who not diagnosed with the condition who might have had a +ve diagnosis if they'd gone somewhere else to be tested.
Its all a bit blury and frankly I'm a bit skeptical that it should even be a 'condition' or whatever, I'd wager that a large portion of people who are supposedly 'dyselxic' are not much different to any other kids - though now the pushy parents who got them tested have an excuse for little johnny being naff at spelling - he's 'dyslexic'. The extra time in exams is a bit balls too - even if we assume it is a real condition and some people do have it its still an unfair test - if we have to give some people extra time then perhaps their certificates should be marked as such - its not like you'll get 'extra time' in the real world.
Rather than putting people in special categories I think schools would be better off devoting resources to helping say everyone who struggles at reading etc...
Before my most recent exams, I was told by the head of the School of Law that "in an exam, you have so little time to write that there is not much space for thinking. Therefore you have to be able to think how to approach the spin on the question quickly to ensure you get the highest marks".
As a result, I'm sure you can appreciate that in an exam situation whereby every second counts, any extra time is an extreme, extreme advantage. If you can complete an exam easily within the time limit if you have prepared well, then obviously my disgruntlement wouldn't be justfied.
I'm sure that many dyslexics would, and I do sympathise. However, for people who can seemingly work faster than me to the point they are significantly ahead of me in terms of revision, to then turn around to claim to have dyslexia, is always going to make me dubious.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 5 Oct 2008
- Posts
- 9,009
- Location
- Kent
Yeh I understand where you are coming from, but I know quite a few people who aren't dyslexic so they assume that all dyslexic people are "faking it." So it winds me up when I read posts like your earlier one, more than it perhaps should.
Being able to retain what you have read is a skill, one that needs learning, but if your working memory is as rubbish as mine is, getting it into your long-term memory is even harder (and takes me ages damit!) Once it's there I'm fine.
I understand of course that some "dyslexics" just can't read/can't spell. Unfortunately society allows them to lable themselves as "dyslexic" so that they can think that they have no failing in that area. It's kind of like ADHD, which for some of course is a real problem, for others however it's an excuse.
I wish I'd gotten £2000 or so for a new laptop now like some poster above, but I managed to get a 2-2 degree out of education with no help at all until partway through the final year, so I'm pleased with myself.
Yeh I understand where you are coming from, but I know quite a few people who aren't dyslexic so they assume that all dyslexic people are "faking it." So it winds me up when I read posts like your earlier one, more than it perhaps should.
Make no mistake, I certainly do not think that everybody fakes dyslexia - I have a friend at secondary school that was seriously held back because of it. So I apologise if I have come accross as being harsh or insensitive, it was not my intention to do so at all
Dyslexia varies, you would find it hard to just "know" someone has it. Most people can do any job, think of Dyslexia as an alternative way of thinking. As some have stated, most people are very intelligent, however they tend to lack some basic skills one way or another. Spelling is helped with spell checkers and what not, common programs we all use. They can still spell/read well enough, they might take a bit more time checking it over though.
One teacher where I worked said to an Ed Psych "why is this student in my class" "doesn't dyslexia mean there thick?" - It just goes to show how much, even people with an educational background dont understand what Dyslexia is.
Tom Cruise is Dyslexic, I doubt many people know that. ( OK SOME things he does may be odd but thats something else
)
The point is not how your reading skill compares to the rest of the public its how it compare to your inteligence.
A normal person who has low intelegence will obviously have a low reading skill. and a person with high intelegence will have a high reading skill. If you tight about students who are cleaver they tend to get good results in all subjects and once that are not as cleaver get worce results but all at the same level.
The point about dyslexia is that your reading skill and short term memory is disproportinate compared to your intelgence. This is also not due to a lack of practice. So typically a dyslecic student will get A's in subjects which dont require as much english skills and fail subjects that require more english skills.
I compleatly understand i used to be very jelous of some freinds at school who got this treatment, and i do agree that the help given does need to be looked at. I would prefer less stuff and more tuition tbh, but this would cost the government even more, so as far as the government are conserned its a low cost solution.
Reading retention is one of the most fustrating problems for dyslexics and all diagnoed dyslexics have this. And as i said before the problem occurs because such a large proportion of the brain goes into the effort of reading that the information fails to sink in. If a dyslexic student has the information read to them they will rember as much of the information as a normal person with the same IQ.
For me when i read something once over i retain less than 5% of the information, but this greatly improves over a second and 3 read as i have to concentrate less on the reading.
If i have something read to me i can remember about 80% of the information first time over. (this is for a few paragahs that make up 200 words)
this is one of the reasons why you get given a laptop with reading softwear. (read and write 9)
I'm always very suspicious of people who claim to have dyslexia. To me it just seems like a very easy way out of not being very good at memory, spelling and reading because they didn't pay enough attention at school or cba to check something properly before writing/posting.
Obviously everyone's brain is wired up slightly differently and some people will be good at one thing and not another because they find one subject more interesting than another and therefore easier to remember.
I do find it appalling that certain individuals are given thousands of pounds of free computer equipment and extra exam time for this. Why can't people with dyslexia buy their own bloody laptop like everyone else?
I suffer badly with hayfever and it used to affect me quite badly during exams as I found it hard to concentrate and write when your head is fuzzy and your nose is running permanently but I didn't get any extra time to do the exam!!!!
I personally blame the use of texting and spell checkers for a lot of youngsters inability to spell and construct sentences. I believe that the situation would be much improved if kids read more books and got used to the way that sentences are structured and the way that words should look when spelled correctly.
Obviously everyone's brain is wired up slightly differently and some people will be good at one thing and not another because they find one subject more interesting than another and therefore easier to remember.
I do find it appalling that certain individuals are given thousands of pounds of free computer equipment and extra exam time for this. Why can't people with dyslexia buy their own bloody laptop like everyone else?
I suffer badly with hayfever and it used to affect me quite badly during exams as I found it hard to concentrate and write when your head is fuzzy and your nose is running permanently but I didn't get any extra time to do the exam!!!!
I personally blame the use of texting and spell checkers for a lot of youngsters inability to spell and construct sentences. I believe that the situation would be much improved if kids read more books and got used to the way that sentences are structured and the way that words should look when spelled correctly.
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Apr 2004
- Posts
- 2,612
- Location
- London
The money is primarily on educational software and equiptment such as OCR software called TextHelp Read&Write, Mind mapping software inspiration, Voice Recognition software, Mac Speech Dictate and Dragon Dictate, Dictaphones, coloured filters, glasses bar magnifiers, one to one training and one to one tuition through out the course, a printer, internet and printing credit and so on.
The idea is it levels the playing field somewhat for students.
The idea is it levels the playing field somewhat for students.
Should we then also fill in parts of the answer for the less intelligent students?
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Apr 2004
- Posts
- 2,612
- Location
- London
No because there is a difference between not being intelligent and having learning difficulties, the people with dyslexia going to university are intelligent and want to be there they just have troubles with the 'normal' process which everyone else is taught.
If everyone was dyslexic then the process would be adapted to the majority and the current 'normal' people might find it harder.
I also find it really annoying all the jokes on this thread about dyslexia, its not like you would say to a legless person 'alright stumpy' or a mentally ill person 'need some help there retard?' so why take the **** out of someone who has a learning difficulty, its just the same kind of mentality.
If everyone was dyslexic then the process would be adapted to the majority and the current 'normal' people might find it harder.
I also find it really annoying all the jokes on this thread about dyslexia, its not like you would say to a legless person 'alright stumpy' or a mentally ill person 'need some help there retard?' so why take the **** out of someone who has a learning difficulty, its just the same kind of mentality.
Both my housemates took the test just to get a load of free stuff. They probably failed it on purpose. Both of them are very good at writing.
nothing wrong with them
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 5 Oct 2008
- Posts
- 9,009
- Location
- Kent
I reckon we should just make the page shake and jumble things up for the non-dyslexia sufferers
I could be nasty and say cause brain-damage as the things I just mentioned wouldn't cut it in my case, small working memory and being bad at arranging thoughts but there's a line...
Last edited:
I'm always very suspicious of people who claim to have dyslexia. To me it just seems like a very easy way out of not being very good at memory, spelling and reading because they didn't pay enough attention at school or cba to check something properly before writing/posting.
Obviously everyone's brain is wired up slightly differently and some people will be good at one thing and not another because they find one subject more interesting than another and therefore easier to remember.
I do find it appalling that certain individuals are given thousands of pounds of free computer equipment and extra exam time for this. Why can't people with dyslexia buy their own bloody laptop like everyone else?
I suffer badly with hayfever and it used to affect me quite badly during exams as I found it hard to concentrate and write when your head is fuzzy and your nose is running permanently but I didn't get any extra time to do the exam!!!!
I personally blame the use of texting and spell checkers for a lot of youngsters inability to spell and construct sentences. I believe that the situation would be much improved if kids read more books and got used to the way that sentences are structured and the way that words should look when spelled correctly.
I agree totally. Dyslexic = lazy
I miss words out/make spelling errors e.t.c. but i tend to go back and check my work, letter for letter.
These days, as soon as some people can't do things quite as well as others it must be a 'condition'.
But then you get individuals on here openly admitting to asking for a far better laptop than they actually need such as the music student demanding a mac (nothing to do with the cool factor obviously).
I'm just saying that some people may well have a genuine case (though seems not even the experts are convinced it's a real condition), but you have to admit that it is very open to mis-use as it's so easy to claim you have dyslexia rather than admit that you're just poor at English.
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Apr 2004
- Posts
- 2,612
- Location
- London
I asked for a Mac thank you because I am a Mac user not because it is 'cool' I prefer Mac computers and they are in my opinion and others far better computers. Either way this is not a PC/Mac argument, they spent £900 on my iMac and then bought the required equipment, I am entitled to this equipment and it greatly benefited me, I even saved up to upgrade it and eventually replace it, I have given some of the spare equipment away to a local school after completing my course and I continue to use the rest now.
I don't think its fair to take advantage but people do those two girls in america claiming the were robbed I believe. Its fraud, just the same as its fraudulent to deceive a person into giving you benefits you don't need.
What should they do, just say no help for anyone because some people in the world are lying?
It happens all the time, people get cars and houses paid for by our government because they let it and its no wonder when you have such a dumb prime minister who sold all our gold, and has financially ruined this country one way and another.
I don't think its fair to take advantage but people do those two girls in america claiming the were robbed I believe. Its fraud, just the same as its fraudulent to deceive a person into giving you benefits you don't need.
What should they do, just say no help for anyone because some people in the world are lying?
It happens all the time, people get cars and houses paid for by our government because they let it and its no wonder when you have such a dumb prime minister who sold all our gold, and has financially ruined this country one way and another.
but the fact remains that you probably didn't NEED a mac, you just preferred one and asked for one despite knowing that you could get a perfectly reasonable laptop for <£400.
Whether or not you should be entitled to it is another matter, like I say there probably are genuine cases of some kind of mental condition but it still seems to be extremely easy to benefit from an "entitlement" by pretending to have dyslexia as in the post several above where someone claims that their uni mates intentionally failed the tests to get given free equipment.
I still don't see why you are "entitled" to a free laptop more than any other student tbh.
Whether or not you should be entitled to it is another matter, like I say there probably are genuine cases of some kind of mental condition but it still seems to be extremely easy to benefit from an "entitlement" by pretending to have dyslexia as in the post several above where someone claims that their uni mates intentionally failed the tests to get given free equipment.
I still don't see why you are "entitled" to a free laptop more than any other student tbh.
That's nice for you, but you can get a perfectly good PC laptop with similar specs for half the cost of a Mac or less, so if you want a Mac you pay for it, as far as I'm concerned.
It's like getting a car from the government and saying oh I decided I'd have a BMW rather than a Ford because they're better, when the Ford would have done the job for less money.
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Apr 2004
- Posts
- 2,612
- Location
- London
I did need a Mac its almost industry standard for design work like mine to take place on a Mac and the <£400 for a PC craptop doesn't give me a £900 computer and your compairson is based on real world prices, the real rip-off is the companies who provide the equiptment charge a absolout fortune over the RRP of a product, in the DSAs mind there is not £400 laptop its more like £650.
My £900 iMac would have been far less if it were not for the rippoffs i am sure.
My £900 iMac would have been far less if it were not for the rippoffs i am sure.