This diploma paper touches different types of identification, screening and assessment of dyslexia in adults. Dyslexia is a well-known specific learning difficulty, manifesting itself in language-specific errors, associated with many different skills and deficits. Identification of dyslexia is mainly happening during primary education.
Since dyslexia is a lifelong learning difficulty or diversity, identification of dyslexia in adults, who has not been previously diagnosed, is a challenging task. During adolescence, individuals often develop many compensatory skills, which help them to more or less successfully overcome the deficits.
A few years ago, experts from Faculty of Education Ljubljana joined the international research TEMPUS - iSHEDS 2009-2010 Identification and Support in Higher Education for Dyslexic Students. The project was designed to promote the development of assessment and support for university students with dyslexia. Basically the project has been focused on creating support networks and the development of self-help and self-support for students with dyslexia. Within the project they developed a diagnostic tool to assess the weaknesses and strengths of dyslexic adults named Profiler - test or tool for self-evaluation, which sets out the profile of risky areas for dyslexia. Screening consists of two parts (Checklist for the identification of dyslexia in adults and six subsequent tests) and has been translated and adapted into Slovenian language.
The purpose of our research was to use the Slovene version of Profiler on a sample of university students. The sample consisted of 186 students of different faculties of the Slovenian universities.
Total sample of students was included in testing with the first part of Profiler - Checklist for the identification of dyslexia in adults. Furthermore, first and second group of students from the total sample was formed. The first group included students who showed the highest risk for developing dyslexia when answering the questions at Checklist for the identification of dyslexia in adults. The second group included students who did not show any risk. Both groups were further tested with the second part of Profiler – six subsequent tests. There were 17 students in each group equalized also to the course of study. We used an unstructured interview to determine students’ familiarity with options to identify and assess dyslexia and how they can be recognized as students with special needs.
The results showed low percentage of students who have signs of risk for dyslexia. Those who report having problems during their upbringing and education, however, due to the effective compensatory skills did not make use of the assistance and support, or did not even know that it is available.
The results of the research also show that in fact there is no difference in the presence of signs of risk for dyslexia among students of social and natural sciences courses of study.
Accessibility of information materials and self-assessment tools, such as the Profiler, is a step towards helping students with dyslexia. However, poorer sensitivity of the test and the fact that the test was originally developed in English are suggesting to carry out further research and make improvements in the process of identification and development of adequate diagnostic tools for the Slovenian-speaking area.
|
