UK secondary schools are back in full swing as another batch of young people gear up to take their (often) life-changing GCSE exams in this academic year.
But there is a group of these young people who will face an extra major challenge to taking their GCSE exams: those who are coping with dyslexia.
Worrying evidence shows that young people with dyslexia (or another specific learning difficulty) are half as likely to gain good GCSE passes in English and Maths as those who are unaffected by the condition.
Poor diagnosis and support
Nearly nine out of ten young people with dyslexia will leave school without being diagnosed.
This means they receive no essential specialist support while learning or support for exams.
And for those who have been diagnosed, they can be denied the support they need, or the help they receive can often be inadequate, according to the British Dyslexia Association.
When you consider that over 80,000 of the young people who sat their GCSEs this year are dyslexic, it reveals a situation that needs remedying quickly.
Approximately 700 million people around the world are dyslexic (between 5 – 10% of the total world population), with around 10 – 15% of the UK population having the condition.
So it’s certainly not an unusual condition.
But the UK secondary education system clearly must get better at both diagnosing dyslexia and supporting young learners with the condition.
How technology can help
Recite me is cloud-based accessibility software that was specifically designed for education.
It is an innovative software solution that makes documents and applications accessible to pupils with disabilities like dyslexia with an easy to use toolbar.
Whether the children in your school have dyslexia or moderate learning difficulties, the Recite Me assistive toolbar allows learners to choose how information is displayed and use the features to make content more accessible.
It’s easy to use, easy to teach with and easy to maintain.
It can work on a large range of learning platforms that your school or university may uses and it also updates automatically, so you’ll always have the most current version.
Here’s an explanation of Recite Me’s features and how learners with disabilities like dyslexia can use them to access digital content like documents, apps and websites.
Ultimately, the right technology like Recite Me can help young people to shine during their GCSEs.
Do you want to make your school, college or university more inclusive? Book your appointment now for a demonstration of how Recite Me works can support you.
