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October is Dyslexia Awareness Month!

Dyslexia is a neurodiverse learning difference in which a person finds it challenging to identify sounds and how they correspond to letters and words. Dyslexic individuals will have some degree of difficulty with reading, writing and spelling, and may also find it difficult to sequence information or concentrate on a task.

Dyslexic people also have many strengths. People with Dyslexia store and retrieve information in the visual areas of their brain, rather than in the word-based areas, and as a result can be particularly creative, have strong critical thinking skills, and be great problem solvers!

Dyslexia affects one out of every ten New Zealanders, but it has only been officially recognized by our government as a significant learning difference since 2007.

How the University of Auckland supports students with dyslexia

In 2021, The Inclusive Learning Team at the University of Auckland supported 121 Dyslexic students in their tertiary learning journey.

Inclusive Learning Advisers provide 1-1 academic support which focusses on strategies for reading and writing, using Assistive Technologies, managing Dyslexia at University and in professional settings, and neurodiverse wellbeing. Inclusive Learning Advisers can also support students to communicate with their lecturers and other academic staff about their learning needs.

Resources

If you or someone you know has Dyslexia and you would like to know more, take a look at these useful resources:

Get in touch

If you have Dyslexia and would like to meet with a learning adviser, please contact the Inclusive Learning Team.

If you are teaching someone who has Dyslexia, find out more about supporting dyslexic students, here.