AUTUMN LECTURE
Tuesday 30th November 2010
Science Lecture Theatre, Marlborough College
7.30pm
Supporting dyslexics with poor self-esteem
Plum Hutton is a Chartered Educational Psychologist working for Swindon Borough Council.
She is the Swindon Educational Psychology Service Lead for Specific Learning Difficulties and the Specialist Educational Psychologist for the Early Years.
The lecture will consist of a practical session including the following:
- Common causes of low self-esteem among dyslexics
- An understanding of the psychology of self-esteem
- A brief overview of the common deficits found in dyslexics and how these impact on self-esteem
- Practical strategies to support dyslexics who are struggling with poor self-esteem
The Lecture will be preceded by a short AGM
FLAG DAY 2010
Thank you to all our committee members, volunteers and their friends and families for their support and time in June.
Flag Day raised a wonderful £402.86
All of this will be used to update resources and help to meet the costs of lectures and bursaries for SpLD training.
MDDA Resources Centre & Monthly Surgery
A fantastic opportunity to try out and borrow from a large selection of resources – free of charge
A wide variety of games, assessments and literature are located at Marlborough Library in the High Street and are available during regular opening hours.
Our MDDA representative Gill, will be there from 10am to 12 noon every second Saturday of the month to give advice and information. The books and resources may be borrowed at no cost and the facility is open to members AND non-members.
Useful Websites
The National Literacy Trust has prepared a book list for reluctant readers, arranged by interest and reading level:
AUDIO BOOKS
Members of the Listening Books Library can now download over 1000 audio books. These can be transferred to iPods or burned to a CD to encourage a wider access to text. For further details:
Six updated factsheets on a range of learning difficulties including dyslexia and semantic pragmatic disorder are now available from OAASIS (Office for Advice, Assistance, Support on Special Needs). There is also a NEW service to provide presentations to parents and school staff in and around Hampshire which focuses on autism-related issues.
SPRING LECTURE REVIEW
Catherine Williams’ talk was an excellent explanation of ‘dyspraxic’ type conditions – an umbrella term for a variety of labels which are causing debate amongst the professionals at the moment. The overlap with dyslexia, ADHD and communication disorders was particularly thought-provoking. Another interesting point was the importance of self-esteem in enabling young people with co-ordination difficulties to become successful adults. Thus, teaching skills and coping strategies are proving more beneficial than trying to simply remedy the underlying difficulties which are not always fully understood. The parallel with dyslexia was very striking! Catherine kindly sent us the PowerPoint of her presentation which many members asked for – it is still available if you would like a copy just email us.
Obituary
Martin Turner (1948 – 2010)
Martin was Head of Psychology at the Dyslexia Institute for 12 years and pioneered many things that are now taken for granted, including quality assured assessments delivered to international standards. The Dyslexia Screener is a computerised test which seeks out indicators of dyslexia and this was followed by Dyslexia Guidance which provides advice and strategies for use with dyslexic pupils. His book, The Psychological Assessment of Dyslexia, is still required reading on training courses today
St John’s – Additional Needs Surgeries
These take place on the first Tuesday of the month from 3.30 – 5.00pm
The surgery is open to all parents / carers; you do not need to be a MDDA member
Telephone Helen Farrow on 01672 516514
A member of the Additional Education Needs Team will be there to discuss any aspects of your child’s additional support or concerns you might have.