Dyslexia Misunderstood!

I noticed on Twitter that there is a growing campaign to ensure that aspects of Dyslexia are accurately represented on television.  What has started the discussion was a recent episode of The Jeremy Kyle Show where a man was accused of not being a good father for being drunk all the time.  During the conversation Jeremy Kyle challenged the man to reveal the birth dates of his children and he said that he couldn't remember because he was dyslexic.  Jeremy Kyle then went onto berating the man and made some very general comments regarding dyslexia along the lines of it being a condition that just affects reading and writing.

The video can be viewed below.




So what do you think?

This episode has caused quite a stir in Dyslexia circles, I saw a recent blog by Dyslexia Action that is an interesting and justified piece.  Click here to read their blog.
For those that know more about Dyslexia, it is known that Dyslexia is more than just condition that affects reading and writing.  It also affects memory and has some behavioural aspects.  Often these are merged with other conditions which may result in the person living with the conditions putting strategies in place to deal with them either appropriately (through professional help) or inappropriately (many self destructive ways including binge drinking).

For us at Techcess, it is clear that the video is a good example of how much society as a whole does not understand enough about Dyslexia and the way that it affects those people who live with it.

We would like to do our bit to help make people more aware about Dyslexia.  What would you like to see on our blog that would do this?
Is there any information that you would like to give us?

We would love to hear from you and if you would like to place a comment below then that would be great or perhaps you would like to subscribe to our mailing list and we can send you information about products and services that we have that could help someone who is Dyslexic?

Thanks for reading this and if you would like to subscribe please do so below.

All the best,

The Team at Techcess

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Find out more about Dyslexia through this simple but effective video.

We at Techcess are always on the look out for useful information that you can use.  On Monday the 8th January 2013, the BBC showed a program on CBBC which specifically focused on dyslexia and those children who go to school living with that condition.
I use the term condition with hesitance as it really is just another way of processing sensory information and many many people find having dyslexia to be an enriching experience eventually leading to opportunities that perhaps they would not have encountered without having dyslexia.
It is well understood that dyslexia is not a sign of lack of intelligence and often people with dyslexia are extremely creative.
It was a joy to watch this film and we would like to share the link with you so that you may understand more about a condition that affects approximately 1 in 10 school children.

Enjoy! Click here to see the video.

Great News From Communication Matters

Great news for those that are looking to find information and resources regarding AAC

Techcess has for many years worked with individuals that live with complex communication difficulties that have occurred either at birth or through an acquired condition such as having a stroke or a progressive condition such as motor neurone disease.

For anyone that is new to the world of AAC, it can be a difficult time trying to find information that is relevant to the situation that they are in, and stressful when it comes to getting a correct communication strategy in place, along with the required funding to support it.

It therefore came as a real breath of fresh air to see the following announcement from the UK charity, Communication Matters.

We would like to share this with you now;

New website launches to empower AAC community

• First of its kind website will empower AAC (communication aid) users, parents, carers and professionals to use cutting edge evidence andinformation to improve support and services for people with speech difficulties.
• www.AACknowledge.org.uk brings together current knowledge, information, research and case studies on AAC in a variety of formats to make itclear and accessible to all.

Communication Matters, the lead UK organisation dedicated to supporting children and adults who need augmentative and alternative communication(AAC), has this month launched their AACknowledge website bringing AAC information and evidence together in one place for the first time. Commissioned as part of its threeyear AAC Evidence Base Research Project, the ground-breaking website has been funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund and been developed byManchester Metropolitan University in association with Communication Matters.

The AACknowledge website will increase awareness of relevant evidence through a bibliography of published research into AAC. Shaped by the AAC community, the websitepresents case studies, frequently asked questions, factsheets, glossaries, summaries of articles in plain English and links to other sources of information helping people whouse AAC and the people supporting them to make informed and independent choices about support needed.

David Morgan, Communication Matters' Research Lead, says: "Every person has the right to a voice, yet many people are not being empowered to access the equipment,information and support services they need to enable them to communicate. AAC makes a monumental difference to the lives of children, young people and adults giving thema means to communicate and the ability to make effective choices in their lives. For too long, people who use AAC, professionals and family members have not had easyaccess to AAC information and evidence and this had to change. The AACknowledge website will make a tangible difference to users of AAC and their families, professionalsincluding speech and language therapists and GPs, AAC suppliers, the research community and voluntary organisations. More content is being added to the website in theNew Year and we welcome feedback as the website will be regularly updated."

Dr. Janice Murray, Head of Speech Pathology and Therapy at Manchester Metropolitan University, says: "The AACknowledge website is a welcome addition. Thewebsite infrastructure and content was developed through consultation and collaboration with AAC stakeholder groups. This makes the content relevant and of immensebenefit, filling a void that has existed around access to AAC information and knowledge. Manchester Metropolitan University is delighted to have been the key collaborator withCommunication Matters in this development. This initial content will be regularly updated and continue to be responsive to the needs of the visitors to the site. The case storiesand academic research information has been very positively received thus far."

AAC is a specialist service, however traditionally there has been a lack of information, evidence and funding to support the complex needs of people who use AAC. In the UKtoday, it is estimated that 305,000 children and adults will need AAC at some point in their lives. 10% of them (30,500) have the most complex needs, which demand access tospecialised AAC services and equipment.