This case study covers: Issues for trainees – Dyslexia
I have dyslexia, and I decided to take up an offer of support from Thames Reach because I felt under-confident and unsure of my writing abilities. My trainee supervisor felt the additional support would be beneficial and this was agreed to by the GROW manager and my current supervisor.
Initially, the tutor separated the facts from the myths regarding dyslexia. This was to enable me to understand my own needs and develop new ways of learning. We identified what I felt I needed help with and looked at the common mistakes I was making in my work, then structured the support to address these issues.
We went back to the beginning, covering spelling, phonics, punctuation, grammar and sentence structure. The sessions took place for an hour every Friday over a 6-month period.
I was happy with the support I received from the volunteer tutor. She was a good and patient teacher. My only issues were old ones regarding my feelings of shame and hiding what I was up to (my need for support). With the tutor’s help I soon overcame this and began to talk openly with my colleagues about my dyslexia.
The support I have received has enabled me to be more open about my needs. The big surprise was that I was given support and understanding from a number of colleagues. There were a few who talked about their own difficulties and different levels of dyslexia, and others who did not have dyslexia but spoke about their difficulties with spelling, etc.
Since then I have begun to gain confidence and develop my abilities from the insight and understanding I have been shown.
I have come to learn and accept that having dyslexia, I will always have to develop ways of working that suit my learning style and ability. But with this knowledge and understanding, I am now starting to feel more confident about my work and I know I can develop further.
