Dyslexia
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-4293, in the name of Margaret Mitchell, on dyslexia. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I would be grateful if members who wish to speak in the debate could press their request-to-speak buttons as soon as possible.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament welcomes the updated version of the online Dyslexia Toolkit created by Dyslexia Scotland that was launched on 19 September 2012 and aims to increase understanding of and to support the early identification of dyslexia, ensuring that those who need support are able to receive it; considers that the toolkit is a valuable resource that will help teachers and other professionals in Central Scotland and across the country identify, assess and meet the needs of the 1 in 10 children and young people in Scotland with dyslexia; considers that, since the toolkit was first launched in 2010, it has been a great success but understands that it will need to be updated regularly in order to take account of emerging best practice; believes that use of the toolkit and the definition of dyslexia that it contains will significantly improve the effective and consistent provision of support for dyslexic children and young people; agrees with findings in the report, Teaching Scotland’s Future: Report of a review of teacher education in Scotland, that all teachers, including those newly trained, should be confident in their ability to address the additional support needs of children and young people with dyslexia; acknowledges that it is not only in schools where support for those with dyslexia is required and hopes that there may be scope for the development of similar toolkits to assist employers and service providers so that they can appreciate the needs of those with dyslexia in the workplace and the community, and welcomes support for the hard work of Dyslexia Scotland, which it considers Scotland’s national dyslexia charity.
17:06
First of all, I welcome members of the cross-party group on dyslexia, who are in the gallery for the debate, and I thank MSP colleagues who have stayed behind for the debate and are wearing the dyslexia blue ribbon in support of dyslexia awareness week, which runs from 6-10 November. This year, Dyslexia Scotland’s theme is “Spotlight on Dyslexia”, and events in Edinburgh will concentrate on dyslexia in sport, literature and youth. As a result, it is a particular pleasure to welcome to the gallery Ellie Gordon-Woolgar, the 12-year-old pupil who not only came up with, but designed the dyslexia ribbon to promote dyslexia awareness week.
The motion highlights the launch of the updated dyslexia toolkit, which was made available online last month. The original toolkit, which was designed by Dyslexia Scotland with Scottish Government support, was launched in 2010 and has been a great success, and last year Dyslexia Scotland received further funding from the Government to update it. That was welcome acknowledgement that the toolkit must continue to be updated regularly to take account of new best practice and to ensure that the information and guidance that it provides remain current.
The toolkit’s objective is to provide guidance for all teachers and early years workers, regardless of their experience with dyslexia and/or their subject area, on how to identify and support individuals with dyslexia. I know that that is very important to Ellie; indeed, she made a point of telling the minister so when he met her earlier on.
The 2010 document “Teaching Scotland’s Future: Report of a review of teacher education in Scotland” emphasises that teachers should be confident in understanding and addressing the consequences of barriers to children’s learning and their needs for additional support. That requires teachers to understand how children, including those with additional support needs—dyslexia was mentioned specifically in the report—acquire and develop vital numeracy and literacy skills as they learn throughout their school life. The toolkit aims to ensure that teachers support dyslexic children to develop such skills.
However, although the emphasis is on teachers, the toolkit is most certainly not, in its use, limited to teachers. It is freely available online and is a valuable asset to parents and it provides information that is aimed directly at pupils and students. It is hoped that raising awareness of the toolkit will also lead employers to access it, which will be hugely important for those who are identified in later life as being dyslexic. After all, individuals do not outgrow dyslexia; it affects people of all ages and at all stages of their lives.
That is the background to the toolkit. If any member is in doubt about its importance for many people in Scotland, they should take a moment to consider that an estimated one in 10 people in Scotland has dyslexia, and that it is thought that one in four of those people is severely dyslexic. According to the 2011 Scottish Government pupil census, there are approximately 670,000 schoolchildren in Scotland, which means that a staggering 67,000 children have dyslexia and more than 16,000 children are severely dyslexic.
The 2011 census reported that more than 98,000 pupils in Scotland have additional support needs, but if there are 67,000 children with dyslexia, the official Government figure for pupils with dyslexia must be significantly underestimated. That is confirmed when the number of pupils who are reported to have dyslexia is broken down by primary and secondary school in each local authority area. The exercise reveals the considerable underreporting of cases, especially at primary school level.
A reason for the underreporting is the different definitions of dyslexia that local authorities use. One of the best aspects of the toolkit is the definition that it contains, which was developed by the cross-party group in conjunction with Dyslexia Scotland and the Scottish Government. Dyslexia exists on a spectrum from mild to severe, and encompasses a range of difficulties and strengths, so the lack of a universally-accepted definition leads to confusion and to disparity in the services that people with dyslexia can access. For example, South Lanarkshire Council, which works closely with Dyslexia Lanarkshire, uses the toolkit definition and provides free accommodation for meetings for teachers and parents, which are advertised. However, North Lanarkshire Council is not so proactive in working with Dyslexia Lanarkshire and does not always use the toolkit definition.
It is not difficult to see that the toolkit is crucial, in that it can provide teachers in Scotland with a uniform definition. If the debate does nothing else, I hope that it will identify the need for, and lead to the implementation of, a policy that provides that the toolkit and its definition of dyslexia must be used in all Scotland’s 32 local authorities, in order to ensure that there is consistent and efficient provision of services for dyslexic children. That is essential.
Dyslexia Scotland and its president, Sir Jackie Stewart, do sterling work to support people with dyslexia in Scotland and to raise awareness of the many and complex issues to do with the condition. The forthcoming book, “Dyslexia and Us”, contains moving and compelling contributions from a variety of people who are dyslexic, including household names such as Michelle Mone OBE, Sir Steve Redgrave and Kenny Logan, as well as other individuals from every walk of life. The stories in the book graphically demonstrate the huge impact that failure to identify and support dyslexia has in practical and emotional terms, and the pressure that can be put on public services as a result. Tackling dyslexia should be a priority and is a key example of the preventative spend that the Scottish Government wants to promote in order to alleviate pressure on our public services. In the age of austerity, the question is not whether we can afford adequately to resource and prioritise identification of and support for people with dyslexia, through the toolkit and other measures, but whether we can afford not to do so.
17:14
I congratulate Margaret Mitchell on securing the debate and I welcome members of the cross-party group to the public gallery. Dyslexia is an issue about which Margaret Mitchell cares deeply, and I have no hesitation in supporting the motion.
I joined the cross-party group on dyslexia as a result of meeting positively dyslexic, which is the Inverclyde dyslexia support group. The group targets all adult learners with dyslexia, those who are affected by it or who work in the field, and anyone in Inverclyde who can help to raise awareness of the issues that surround dyslexia.
The group’s members work towards raising awareness of dyslexia and the surrounding issues, and they support those who have it and inform local adult learning provision through the community learning and development partnership. The group’s initial aim was to create awareness of dyslexia and to destigmatise it. It was challenging but inspirational to speak to some of the group’s members and to hear their stories about how they have adapted to deal with the condition.
The online dyslexia toolkit was not available for those members as they were growing up, and it would have been advantageous for them. The key to any learning tool is its implementation and those who teach it.
Through the cross-party group, we have heard about instances of a lack of understanding of dyslexia in some educational establishments. However, whenever the issue has arisen in my discussions with constituents, the opposite has—thankfully—been the case. There has tended to be a great deal of understanding, and teaching staff have worked tremendously hard to help their students.
I hope that that good practice is being shared among our local authorities. I am sure that we would all agree that no person in Scotland should be left behind because of ignorance and lack of understanding of dyslexia.
I applaud Dyslexia Scotland’s extraordinary efforts in ensuring that teachers, parents and students throughout Scotland are better able to address the needs of individuals with learning disabilities. Since its creation, Dyslexia Scotland has been committed to encouraging, enabling and inspiring individuals with dyslexia—regardless of their age or level of education—to reach their fullest potential, and it gives me great pleasure to see the organisation succeed in that goal once again.
Margaret Mitchell spoke about the book “Dyslexia and Us”. I have read it myself, and some of the stories are heartwarming, life changing and inspirational.
Two years ago—as we have heard—Dyslexia Scotland unveiled the online dyslexia toolkit for educators throughout the country, and last month the organisation released an updated version of that vital resource. The toolkit’s primary purpose is to help teachers and those who work with young children to identify early signs of dyslexia, and in that regard it has been enormously successful over the past two years.
The value of the programme to our teachers and communities is certainly evident, and as a result the Scottish Government has this year funded an extension project, which I warmly welcome. I have no doubt that the extension programme will have the same positive impact that we have seen as a result of the original toolkit, and I hope that even more resources will be released in the future to assist people with dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a growing trend in Scottish society, and it is important now more than ever that we are informed and prepared to address it. Today—as we have already heard—one in 10 young people in Scotland is diagnosed with dyslexia, and it is likely that even more exhibit many of the symptoms but have yet to be identified.
I could go on, Presiding Officer, but I am conscious of time. I say in conclusion that Dyslexia Scotland is a leader in bringing awareness and understanding of dyslexia to our teachers, parents and students, and the recent release of the updated online toolkit is but a small example of the organisation’s many successes.
I congratulate Dyslexia Scotland on that and on its years of great service to our communities. I look forward to seeing the great strides forward that I am confident Dyslexia Scotland will continue to make in the coming years. Once again, I congratulate Margaret Mitchell on bringing the debate to the chamber.
17:18
Today is an opportunity for us to recognise the importance of understanding dyslexia and to pay tribute to the excellent work of Dyslexia Scotland. The organisation’s recent launch of its updated online dyslexia toolkit is a prime example of the excellent work that it continues to do.
That valuable resource assists in identifying and assessing the needs of the one in 10 children and young people in Scotland who are affected by dyslexia. I join Stuart McMillan in thanking Margaret Mitchell for bringing the debate to the chamber.
Dyslexia exists in all cultures and across the range of abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds. Dyslexia Scotland states:
“Unidentified, dyslexia is likely to result in low self esteem, high stress, atypical behaviour, and low achievement.”
However, it is widely recognised that dyslexia does not need to be a barrier to achievement. A number of successful individuals have spoken publicly about their dyslexia, including household names such as Sir Richard Branson, Jamie Oliver and, as we have heard, Sir Jackie Stewart.
There is often a focus on the weaknesses that are associated with dyslexia, whereas people’s strengths go unmentioned. As Stuart McMillan said, it is important that we use this opportunity to highlight the positive skills that many dyslexic people possess. People with dyslexia are often particularly creative and have strong visual thinking skills, verbal skills and problem-solving skills. Those are qualities that many dyslexic people often use to ensure that they achieve a level playing field so that they can excel in early years and later life.
Learners with dyslexia will benefit from early, appropriate intervention and targeted, effective teaching. The dyslexia toolkit is central to meeting those crucial aims. As has been said, the dyslexia toolkit was formally launched in June 2010. I welcome last month’s relaunch under the title “Addressing Dyslexia”. As Margaret Mitchell said, it is important that those resources do not stand still and instead continue to develop and incorporate best practice, in order to provide the best possible assistance.
The addressing dyslexia toolkit for teachers and early years workers will help those people to identify literacy difficulties and dyslexia early and to support pupils once they have been identified. I was pleased to see that it now has a section specifically for parents. Parents are often the first to recognise that a child is struggling, but many often have no previous experience of dyslexia. Gaining initial recognition of their child’s literacy difficulties and obtaining the support needed can seem a daunting prospect. The toolkit offers parents a wide range of advice on such things as understanding dyslexia, approaching a child’s school and finding support groups where parents can speak to others in the same situation.
It is clear that challenges remain. A lack of consistency of support across local authorities remains an issue. I hope that the Scottish Government will take action to improve that. From speaking to parents I have also heard reports of differences in the level of support that is available between schools in the same local authority area. We must ensure that schools have the required resources at a time when local authority budgets are being squeezed and the numbers of classroom assistants and teachers have been reduced.
Another crucial area is support in employment, for both the individual affected by dyslexia and the employer. It is essential, therefore, that Skills Development Scotland takes a leading role in providing support measures for particularly challenged young people.
I acknowledge the importance of the individuals and organisations involved in increasing the understanding of dyslexia and supporting the people who are affected by it. It is essential that we work together to continue to provide the best possible support for them.
17:23
I am pleased to speak in this debate at the start of Scotland’s dyslexia week.
I congratulate my colleague, Margaret Mitchell, on securing debating time for her motion on dyslexia and Scotland’s dyslexia toolkit, the updated version of which was launched just last month. I also commend her for her tireless work with the cross-party group on dyslexia, which I have found stimulating on the few occasions that I have been able to attend it. Through that group, much has been done to raise awareness of dyslexia, which as we know is a common condition that was little understood and rarely diagnosed just a few years ago.
Dyslexia Scotland has done an excellent job on launching the toolkit, which is a really good source of help and guidance on dyslexia for parents, carers and teachers. It increases their understanding of the disability and shows them how to help children in their care to overcome it.
Dyslexia is a condition that can be very upsetting for a child who is struggling with reading and writing when their peers are coping easily. Early recognition of and appropriate help with dyslexia can not only enable children to catch up but help to prevent the loss of self-esteem that they may experience as a result of their difficulties. Once they realise that every individual is different, that we all have our own problems, and that having dyslexia does not mean that they are less bright than their peers, they can begin to cope. In fact, the diagnosis can bring relief to the affected child and his or her parents or carers.
I well recall the frustrations of watching a young relative struggle with spelling, driving his mother to distraction as he spelled the same simple words in three or four different ways on the same page of homework. The lad himself became more and more frustrated and angry until, eventually, his mum went to his school and said that she was convinced that he was brighter than he appeared to be on paper. On investigation, at the age of nine he was found to have a reading age of 11 while his spelling was like that of an eight-year-old.
In those days, the lad was labelled not as having dyslexia but as having hand-eye co-ordination problems. With help from his teachers, the use of a computer—which was quite an innovation at the time—and a tutor for English, he got through his higher exams without a scribe, achieved a university degree and now runs his own small information technology business. As an adult, he diagnosed himself as being dyslexic and learned exercises to help with spelling. His co-ordination has also improved enormously. From being a young lad who could not kick a football, he has gone to being an accomplished skier, teaching his own and other children the skills of the sport.
Dyslexia is now recognised as being quite prevalent in the community, with one in 10 adults thought to have some form of it, and a number of celebrities are now coming forward and admitting that they suffer from it. Probably the most notable of those in Scotland is Sir Jackie Stewart, who has done a great deal to raise awareness and remove any stigma from it.
Today in the public gallery we have our own celebrity. We are all delighted to join in welcoming Ellie to the Parliament and to wear the blue ribbon that she has presented to the minister and MSPs, which will be distributed to schools and libraries all over Scotland. Ellie and young people like her are real ambassadors who are helping to pave the way for dyslexic people throughout the country. I say well done to Ellie for her efforts in raising awareness of dyslexia and the impact that it can have on people’s lives.
I welcome the success of the dyslexia toolkit in letting people know what dyslexia is and in giving advice to teachers and parents on how to help children who suffer from it. I congratulate Dyslexia Scotland and those who developed the toolkit, which has already helped many young people throughout Scotland and which will help many more in years to come as it evolves to take account of best practice. I hope that, as the motion suggests, similar toolkits will be developed in the future to assist employers and providers in giving appropriate support to people with dyslexia in the workplace and in the community. Finally, I thank Margaret Mitchell for leading an extremely interesting and important members’ business debate.
17:27
I congratulate Margaret Mitchell on securing the debate. I also welcome the members of the cross-party group on dyslexia who have attended the debate, and I pay tribute to young Ellie Gordon-Woolgar.
I was involved in the debate in the chamber this afternoon and saw many of my colleagues arriving wearing the ribbon. I thought that I had missed my opportunity and had to run out, get my ribbon and run back in. Luckily, I made it back in time for voting; otherwise, although I would have been wearing a very nice ribbon, the whips would not have been very happy with me.
Even since I was at school—which was more recently than some other members in the chamber—a great distance has been travelled. I remember the difficulties that some of my peers at school faced in relation to dyslexia, not just in getting it diagnosed but in the tolerance of some teachers towards dyslexic pupils. We have travelled some distance since then. I am not going to argue that there is not still more work to be done, but even in that short space of time there has been welcome progress.
It was interesting to hear Nanette Milne and Margaret Mitchell mention some dyslexia sufferers who are prominent in Scottish public life. Sir Jackie Stewart’s story has always fascinated me. I have been a formula 1 fan for many years and I remember watching a documentary about Sir Jackie’s struggle with dyslexia. His tale of his experience at school was quite harrowing, as he was made to feel almost inadequate as a student simply because of his challenges with dyslexia. In an article, he is quoted as saying:
“I can still remember every braking distance and gear change I needed to get around the Nürburgring circuit in Germany—and there were 187 corners when I raced there—but I can’t get through my alphabet.”
That remarkable quote sets in context the challenge that is often faced by individuals with dyslexia.
The other point is that Sir Jackie’s experience demonstrates that there is no limit to what can be achieved by someone with dyslexia. People such as Sir Jackie and the other prominent Scots that Margaret Mitchell mentioned stand testament to the fact that dyslexia ought not to be a barrier to going on to great success in childhood or adulthood.
Will the member take an intervention?
I will take a very brief intervention.
In the context of adults challenged by dyslexia, I want to highlight that the motion refers to an employer’s toolkit. I very much hope that Mark McDonald agrees with me that it would be helpful were the Scottish Government to look at that.
I also want briefly to praise the Scottish Parliament—for once—in that it leads by example and has processes in place to support employees with dyslexia, of which there are indeed some in the Parliament.
I will give Mark McDonald that time back.
Thank you, Presiding Office. I was about to ask for that.
I associate myself entirely with Claudia Beamish’s remarks. I represent North East Scotland and prior to entering Parliament I was a member of Aberdeen City Council. In Aberdeen, a specialist dyslexic unit at Kaimhill primary school has existed since 1991. Thanks to the fantastic three Rs school programme, that unit now sits in a fantastic building where an excellent educational experience is provided to children. That demonstrates that a lot of work has been done over time in relation to dyslexia.
The council noted that there were variations in assessment and intervention across the city. In September 2011, it therefore launched new dyslexia practice guidelines following collaborative work with Aberdeen College, Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen. That collaborative approach is welcome.
An interesting thing about the guidelines—this perhaps links to Claudia Beamish’s point—is that they also cover the transition to post-school education. We often focus on dyslexia at school education level, but there are often difficulties in the transition to further or higher education or to the workplace. I hope that the minister will set out in his summing up how the Government intends to help individuals with dyslexia to cope with those transitions and how it will help organisations to support that process.
17:32
As others have done, I thank Margaret Mitchell for lodging the motion that we are debating. As Nanette Milne rightly mentioned, Margaret Mitchell, as convener of the cross-party group on dyslexia, is a passionate advocate for raising public awareness and understanding about dyslexia and for ensuring that those affected receive the support that they need.
I share that passion. Every pupil in Scotland should experience the broad general education that they are entitled to under curriculum for excellence. However, without appropriate support, many of our children and young people face barriers to learning that could prevent them from realising their true potential.
As others have mentioned, unidentified, dyslexia can cause frustration among parents, teachers and, most important, pupils. I heard about that directly today from Ellie Gordon-Woolgar who, as others have mentioned, is a 12-year-old pupil at Edinburgh academy. She presented me with a blue dyslexia awareness ribbon that I intend to wear during dyslexia awareness week. For those who are looking for the ribbons, there are some at the door at the back of the gallery.
As Neil Bibby mentioned, dyslexia brings strengths to many people, such as creativity and abstract thinking, as ably demonstrated by Ellie and her campaign. However, dyslexia also brings real challenges. As members have recognised, the ability to read and to communicate ideas in writing is critical if everyone is to access the full range of available educational opportunities.
Without appropriate support, a pupil with dyslexia may fall behind their peers, lose confidence in their abilities, and potentially disengage from learning altogether. That individual tragedy can become a collective national loss. In response to Mark McDonald’s points, it is vital that we ensure that people with dyslexia who are moving on from school—to work or to further or higher education—receive the support that they need to avoid that loss of potential.
Scotland has real strength in the most vital factor for modern economies—the human capital that is afforded by our greatest asset, Scotland’s people. If we are to continue to grow and develop, we need to build on that strength and create a Scotland where everyone is given the opportunity to succeed. Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure that we have an education system that lives up to those aspirations and unlocks the true potential of our pupils.
As a Parliament, through the additional support for learning legislation, we set a clear expectation that every child and young person in Scotland should have any additional support needs identified and met. Mark McDonald rightly mentioned that we have come a long way. Although we have certainly made substantial progress in provision for pupils with dyslexia, we should all acknowledge that more needs to be done.
Across Scotland, 1.8 per cent of pupils receive additional support as a result of having dyslexia, but organisations such as Dyslexia Scotland estimate that the true figure could be as high as 10 per cent. As Margaret Mitchell said, we see substantial variations among local authorities in recorded support rates. For example, while 2.8 per cent of primary pupils in Inverclyde receive support for dyslexia, the equivalent figure for North Lanarkshire is 0.2 per cent. In the secondary schools of Aberdeenshire the figure is 6.1 per cent, while only 0.6 per cent of secondary pupils in North Lanarkshire receive similar support. I do not mean to single out North Lanarkshire Council; I merely point out that the picture across the country is extremely varied.
Early identification of dyslexia needs to be a priority for all our schools. Those figures suggest that the needs of too many pupils in our classrooms are going unrecognised and unmet. Our statistics also indicate that pupils with dyslexia are not yet achieving parity with their peers in academic attainment or access to higher education. If we compare the outcomes last year for pupils with dyslexia with those for pupils with no additional support needs, we find that 25 per cent of those with dyslexia achieved at least five qualifications at standard grade credit level or equivalent, 13 per cent achieved at least three highers at grades A to C and 13 per cent went on to higher education, whereas the equivalent figures for those with no additional support needs were 59, 40 and 38 per cent.
Being diagnosed with dyslexia does not diminish a pupil’s potential, and I will not accept any limits being placed on people’s ambitions. The example of Jackie Stewart that was mentioned earlier is instructive in that regard. I have asked Education Scotland to investigate why those disparities exist and to identify and share the good practice that I know exists across Scotland.
Does the minister accept that one of the reasons for the disparity is the lack of a uniform definition? There would not be such a disparity if everyone used the definition that is contained in the toolkit that was agreed on by the Scottish Government and Dyslexia Scotland.
I cannot compel local authorities to use the excellent material in the toolkit, but I would certainly encourage them to do so, because it plays a valuable role in identifying people with dyslexia at an early age.
I will visit Kyle academy in Ayr next month to see for myself how teachers and pupils there are destigmatising dyslexia through school assemblies. That is part of a wider dyslexia-friendly schools model that South Ayrshire Council has adopted to improve dyslexia provision across its schools. I will be accompanied by Education Scotland, which will begin reviewing provision in schools following the Easter break.
I was delighted to launch the new and enhanced addressing dyslexia toolkit at the Scottish learning festival last month. I believe that, if they are adopted, the approaches that are described in the new online toolkit will lead to significant improvements in identification rates and attainment.
I want to put an end to the days when pupils with dyslexia disengaged from learning as a result of a lack of support. There is no reason why every pupil in Scotland with dyslexia should not be identified early and receive the help and support that they need. That is their entitlement, and this Government will do everything in its power to make that a consistent reality across Scotland. In that spirit, I commend the motion to the chamber.
Meeting closed at 17:39.