Affective issues impacting children with dyslexia in a special school in Ireland

Abstract

In this paper, the views of young children towards school in Ireland are presented. The six children at the centre of the study each had a diagnosis of dyslexia and attended a reading school. The project aimed to build on previous research pertaining to the experiences of children with dyslexia in special settings. As the topic of student voice has become central in educational discourse, it was considered important to investigate children's views. The objective was to share these views with practitioners and researchers as a means of improving practice. Focus groups were conducted on two occasions to elicit the expert views of the participants and the data were interpreted using Braun and Clarke's Model of analysis (2006). The key findings pointed to increased confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy in the special setting. The importance of relationships and the physical environment which impacted the students were also highlighted. The topic of bullying in the context of mainstream schools was also raised by the children. The study signifies the importance of listening to children's views on topics which affect them and raises the issue of whether children should be included more fully in educational matters, both in policy-making and in practice.

The views of Irish primary teachers towards the in‐class versus the withdrawal models of support when working with children with dyslexia

“…Reading schools were regarded positively and this is in line with research stating that children with dyslexia described being 'more satisfied with their experiences in special schools' (Brien, 2019, p. 322). Brien (2019) found that students who had attended Reading schools held their teachers in very high regard and they believed that these teachers had to go to 'a different type of place to get a different type of education' (p. 319). While this is not the case, it suggests that there may be a high level of understanding in reading schools of the challenges experienced by children with dyslexia.…”

“…Benjamin (2002) highlights how withdrawal can lead to negative effects, such as being labelled as 'needy' or 'failing' by both peers and staff members. These research findings undeniably negatively impact on a student's confidence and self-esteem (Leitão et al, 2017;Brien, 2019). A lack of challenge and appropriate pace of learning during withdrawal sessions has also been recognised as a major issue for students with dyslexia (Anderson, 2009;Turner & Paris, 1995).…”

“…Therefore, withdrawal should not be considered the only form of special education provision, as it could possibly have a negative impact on student progress and confidence (Benjamin, 2002). When efficiently organised, the use of the in‐class model of support can effectively meet the needs of all learners in the mainstream classroom, with specialist support and withdrawal tuition provided when necessary (Brien, 2019).…”

“…That said, dyslexia is a specific learning difference, with challenges such as processing speed, working memory and automatic skill development (Reid, 2009). Therefore, it may sometimes be necessary for students to engage with short, individual or small group targeted sessions in a separate setting (Brien, 2019; Reid, 2009). Many evidence based programmes that are available to support students with dyslexia, such as Toe‐by‐Toe and Alpha to Omega, require separate settings as they must be taught explicitly on an individual bases.…”

“…Many evidence based programmes that are available to support students with dyslexia, such as Toe‐by‐Toe and Alpha to Omega, require separate settings as they must be taught explicitly on an individual bases. Therefore, although children should be included in‐class as much as possible, this does not completely negate the need for short withdrawal sessions and specialist support for children with dyslexia to acquire specific literacy skills (Brien, 2019).…”