persistent literacy difficulties: guidance on ... · pdf file2 the highland council...

PERSISTENT LITERACY DIFFICULTIES: GUIDANCE ON

IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND

INTERVENTION

The Highland Council Psychological Service January 2016

2 The Highland Council Psychological Service Persistent Literacy Difficulties Guidance on Identification,

Assessment and Intervention.| January 2016

The Highland Council Psychological Service

PRACTICE PAPER Persistent Literacy Difficulties – Guidance on Identification, Assessment and

Intervention INTRODUCTION The purpose of this practice paper is to outline The Highland Council Psychological Service approach to meeting the needs of children and young people with persistent literacy difficulties. It provides a definition of dyslexia, describes responsibilities of The Psychological Service and offers guidance on the roles and responsibilities of schools. As a commonly occurring type of additional support need (affecting 4-15% of the population including children of all abilities, from all social classes, and from all linguistic backgrounds) persistent literacy difficulties / dyslexia is recognised as a fundamental barrier to achievement for some children in our schools. DEFINITION The Scottish Government give the following definition.

Dyslexia can be described as a continuum of difficulties in learning to read, write and/or spell, which persist despite the provision of appropriate learning opportunities. These difficulties often do not reflect an individual’s cognitive abilities and may not be typical of performance in other areas.

The impact of dyslexia as a barrier to learning varies in degree according to the learning and teaching environment, as there are often associated difficulties such as:

auditory and/or visual processing of language-based information

phonological awareness

oral language skills and reading fluency

short-term and working memory

sequencing and directionality

number skills

organisational ability

motor skills and co-ordination may also be affected. (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/welfare/ASL/dyslexia

While the Psychological Service acknowledges the fact that children with dyslexia may or may not experience some of the associated difficulties noted above, preference is given to the British Psychological Society’s (BPS) definition which emphasises a staged process of assessment through teaching. This definition was arrived at as a result of a working party whose remit was to review relevant research and to survey practice so as to clarify the concept of dyslexia, its links with literacy learning/difficulties and implications for educational psychology assessments. Since its publication 1999, national developments have been congruent with the main thrust of the report. Dyslexia is now regarded as a learning difference

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/welfare/ASL/dyslexia



rather than a disability and this formulation has enabled educational psychologists to assist schools in developing effective school-based adaptations and interventions and provides the basis for identifying those children at the extreme end of the continuum whose difficulties are severe and persistent despite appropriate learning opportunities. The British Psychological Society’s definition is as follows: Dyslexia is evident when accurate and fluent word reading and/or

spelling develops very incompletely or with great difficulty. This focuses on literacy learning at the ‘word level’ and implies that the problem is severe and persistent despite appropriate learning opportunities. It provides the basis for a staged process of assessment through teaching.

(British Psychological Society, 1999) This definition provides clarity for parents/carers, professionals and all others with an interest in the achievement and wellbeing of children. This definition is used for the following reasons:

It focuses on observed and observable difficulties, rather than possible underlying causes, which reflects the ongoing debate concerning literacy development and dyslexia, and the absence of an agreed single causal explanation.

Current research evidence does not suggest that a particular profile of cognitive or thinking skills needs to be identified in order to classify a child/young person as having dyslexia.

Current research evidence suggests that dyslexia can occur in children/young people of all abilities. The definition does not rely on identifying a supposed discrepancy between a child’s abilities in one area and his/her abilities in other areas. Most investigators agree that severe reading problems arise due to the failure to read words out of context. Research clearly indicates that discrepancy defined “dyslexics” and non-discrepancy defined (i.e. low IQ readers) do not differ in the cognitive sub skills that underlie the development of word recognition ability. Moreover there is no evidence suggesting that discrepancy defined and non-discrepancy defined poor readers respond differently to educational interventions. (Stanovich and Siegel, 1994). Educational Psychologists in Highland no longer use IQ tests to assess for dyslexia. Educational Psychologists’ practice should be evidence based.

With regard to teaching and learning within the curriculum, dyslexia is defined as severe and persistent difficulties with “word level” work – i.e. reading and spelling of individual words, rather than comprehension of text.

Research evidence states that dyslexic difficulties can occur in children of all abilities. In following this evidence, we recognise that whilst dyslexia can occur as a specific learning difficulty, it is not, however, necessarily a specific learning difficulty; because a child/young person may have a range of learning difficulties and also have dyslexia. However, it should be recognised that children/young people with dyslexia can demonstrate marked differences between their abilities in different areas – particularly oral versus text based skills – and that



recognising and building on their strengths can increase their success and engagement with learning. The definition used does not rely on identifying a particular profile of cognitive skills. However, positive indicators would include:

difficulty in processing the sounds in speech

difficulty linking speech sounds to written letters

short term or working memory difficulties.

‘Phonological processing’ difficulties are core to most scientific hypotheses about the causes of dyslexia. All learning difficulties, including dyslexia, are complex and interactive in their nature and so can only be fully understood with reference to a range of contexts in which they occur. In adopting this definition we also recognise the particular links there can be between dyslexia, low self esteem and the development of emotional and behavioural difficulties in some children/young people. Every child/young person has an entitlement to early and effective support in overcoming the barriers to achievement presented by dyslexia and it is recognised that this is essential in securing children’s social and emotional adjustment, as well as supporting their measured attainment. AIMS and PRINCIPLES All schools operate within the current legislative framework of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (Amended in 2009) which requires schools to meet the needs of all children. The Act requires that:

Schools should be in a position to help parents/carers and pupils with dyslexia understand their strengths and difficulties and support their learning.

Interventions should be evidence based, that is, have a proven track record of success and

allow ongoing evaluation. These interventions should use structured systematic and multi-sensory methods for teaching word level work and be delivered with regularity and consistency.

Teachers should be able to use various strategies to help children/young people with

dyslexic difficulties access the curriculum, making sure that their difficulties in reading and/or spelling do not hold them back in other subject areas.

Teachers should continue to monitor and support pupils (particularly at secondary school

level) who have made progress with ‘word level’ attainment, but still have persistent difficulties with fluency, speed of accessing information, organisational skills and generalisation of skills to the classroom.

The Highland Council policy ‘The Education of Pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties / Dyslexia provides details of how these legislative requirements are met in Highland. This policy can be retrieved online from:



http://www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/file/147/education_of_pupils_with_specific_learning_difficulties_dyslexia_policy Further useful information is available in Highland Council’s ASN toolkit which can be retrieved online from: http://www.supportmanual.co.uk/wp-content/assets/manuals/ASN-Highland/index.html An illustration of Highland practice for literacy development (provided by the Highland Literacy Group) is included in Appendix 1. PERSPECTIVES ON READING AND SPELLING Reading and spelling are complex skills that do not necessarily develop naturally. They need to be taught and children need to learn and practise the skills involved. Parents/carers, as well as teachers and other school staff, play a vital role in helping their child to master the skills involved in reading and spelling. If a child does not make progress with the development of reading and spelling skills in school this implies that, as a first step, the teaching and support the child experiences should be reviewed and possibly modified. IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION. Highland Council Psychological Service assessment and intervention is informed by the Professional Development Programme for Educational Psychologists in Scotland (SDEP, ASPEP 2005) guidance document, ‘Educational Psychology Assessment in Scotland’. The Service also operates within the current legislative framework of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. All children have an equal entitlement to access a broad and balanced curriculum. This involves effective teaching to enable them to develop literacy skills, with support tailored to their needs, based on a cycle of assessment, intervention and review. All schools should be able to identify early those children who for whatever reason are experiencing difficulties in phonological processing and early word reading and/or spelling. The online Assessing Dyslexia: Toolkit for Teachers provides comprehensive guidance, assessments and strategies for subject/class teachers, support teachers and specialists. ( http://www.frameworkforinclusion.org/AssessingDyslexia ) For children whose difficulties persist after reasonable adjustments have been made by the class teacher and/or parents/carers, the school should be able to take and document school action, in partnership with parent/carers within the authority’s staged intervention process. ( http://forhighlandschildren.org/5-practiceguidance/ )

http://www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/file/147/education_of_pupils_with_specific_learning_difficulties_dyslexia_policy

http://www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/file/147/education_of_pupils_with_specific_learning_difficulties_dyslexia_policy

http://www.supportmanual.co.uk/wp-content/assets/manuals/ASN-Highland/index.html

http://www.frameworkforinclusion.org/AssessingDyslexia

http://forhighlandschildren.org/5-practiceguidance/



The staged intervention approach to identification, assessment and intervention is rooted in sound educational practice – teachers plan teaching approaches based on assessment, implement those approaches and review the outcomes in terms of progress made by the child/young person. The needs of the great majority of children can be met by teachers, using, where necessary, differentiated approaches to curriculum delivery. If a child/young person fails to make progress despite the school setting appropriate targets and implementing a focused programme of support over time, schools may request the assistance of professionals from outside the school in the cycle of assessment, planning, intervention and review. In the case of complex literacy difficulties, such professionals are likely to include an educational psychologist. Appendix 2 (Pathway of Concern) provides an illustration of the steps taken in assessment. What schools should be able to provide In promoting the development of reading and spelling schools should be:

Involving parents and children at an early stage in identification, planning and intervention so that they are fully engaged with the process.

Utilising structured reading and spelling programmes and multi-sensory teaching

strategies.

Capitalising on the potential of innovative teaching appropriate to the pupils’ different learning styles, as these are often of particular benefit to children with dyslexia – for example, strategies for visual learners such as mind-mapping.

Exploring the possible benefits of appropriate information technology and, where

practicable, securing access for the child, for example, word processing facilities and spellcheckers, providing training in the use of that technology for the child, his or her parents/carers and staff.

Providing help in sequencing, organisational and study skills.

Planning strategies to make sure the child’s difficulties do not hold them back in other

areas – for example alternatives to pencil and paper tasks and providing other methods of presenting information.

Ensuring that the child and all who work with them are aware of the child’s strengths as

well as their difficulties.

Providing access to pastoral, personal and social support so as to provide opportunities to discuss anxieties and frustrations and improve self-esteem.

Where schools have undertaken assessments of individual children, schools should

provide written feedback on these assessments and information to parents/carers.

Involving the pupils themselves in appropriate discussion about their difficulties and how these are to be addressed.



Provision should, in all areas across the curriculum, recognise the strengths and talents of the child. In overcoming areas of weakness, the child should have access to multi-sensory and flexible approaches to classroom learning. Schools should be able to record and document progress over time whilst taking the planned school action. What the Psychological Service should provide. The Psychological Service can:

Continue to support the skills development of those undertaking front line assessment and intervention.

Have a role in making specialist advice available to schools. This may include:

o Contribution to holistic assessment o Provide advice on evidence based approaches, o Advice on resources and technology, and o Advice in relation to emotional and behavioural difficulties which may arise as a

consequence of persistent literacy difficulties. Assessment, identification and the role of the educational psychologist. The skills necessary to identify children with dyslexia should be available within the school from those who know the child well, rather than rely on identification by a small number of specialists such as educational psychologists. Teachers can identify children with dyslexia: this does not have to be done by other ‘experts’. The Educational Psychology Service has developed a pro forma for schools to use when reporting on literacy assessment (Appendix 3). Educational Psychologists can become involved in a consultation with school staff when children are not making adequate progress as a result of school based action. They will work with the school staff (not necessarily directly with the child) to achieve a better understanding of the factors that may be helping or hindering progress and to identify ways forward. In a very few cases an educational psychologist may contribute more directly to assessment in order to achieve this understanding. In understanding such assessments, Highland Council educational psychologists will be examining the interaction between the cognitive processes in the child and the learning opportunities and teaching methods which have been available. Psychologists undertaking any detailed assessment will make use of the most recent professional guidelines to them on appropriate assessment tools – currently the 1999 report of the British Psychological Society working party ‘Dyslexia, Literacy and Psychological Assessment’ and the ASPEP and Scottish Division of Educational Psychology guidance document, ‘Educational Psychology Assessment in Scotland’ (2005). Psychological assessment will:

Ideally be conducted over time and in relation to different contexts.



Be formative in nature

Involve parents/carers as essential contributors to the process.

Consider the young person’s strengths and difficulties and generate a number of hypotheses that consider the range of issues.

Incorporate the child’s understanding of his/her world.

Consider the role that social and emotional responses, including the child’s self perception and self-esteem, may be playing in contributing to the literacy difficulties.

Draw, where appropriate, on views of other professionals.

Be reported back formally in writing to the pupil, parents, school staff, and other relevant professionals where appropriate.

The primary purpose of a psychological assessment will be to make a positive difference to the child’s experience in school across the curriculum. This practice paper should be read in conjunction with the Highland Council policy for Education of Pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties Dyslexia. Education Scotland also provide guidance in the Route Map through Career Long Professional Learning (CLPL) for Dyslexia and Inclusive Practice ( http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/RMCLPLDyslexiaFinal_tcm4-872316.pdf ) References: Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP), British Psychological Society, Scottish Division of Educational Psychologists (BPS:SDEP) 2005, Professional Development Programme for Educational Psychologists in Scotland: Educational Psychology Assessment in Scotland, Glasgow British Psychological Society (1999: reprint 2005) Dyslexia, Literacy and Psychological Assessment: Report by the Working Party of the Division of Educational and Child Psychology of the British psychological Society, BPS, Leicester Scottish Executive (2004) Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 Scottish Executive, Edinburgh Stanovich, K. E. and Siegel, L. S (1994) Phenotypic Performance Profile of Children with Reading Disabilities: A Regression-Based Test of the Phonological-Core Variable-Difference Model. Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. 86, No. 1, 24-53

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/RMCLPLDyslexiaFinal_tcm4-872316.pdf



Policy review date June 2018



Appendix 1: Illustration of Highland practice for literacy development (provided by the Highland Literacy Group)

Universal high quality teaching and learning Nursery & P1

Assessment/screening through teaching & learning

P2 into P3? Universal high quality teaching and learning

Plus: Within class, additional group/individual intervention


INCAS??

P3 into P4? Universal high quality teaching and learning

Plus: Within class, additional

group/individual intervention

Second line individual

intervention


Dyslexia ID?

Universal high quality teaching and learning

Plus: Within class, additional

group/individual intervention

Second line individual

intervention


Dyslexia ID?

P5 into P7?

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Appendix 2 - Identifying and Supporting Children with Literacy Difficulties Pathway of Concern

THE HIGHLAND MODEL OF ENGAGEMENT

This pathway sits within the Highland Model of Engagement which illustrates the relationship between the principles and practice described in the Learning, Teaching & Assessment Policy, how these impact on learners, supporting them to take greater responsibility for their own learning. Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning and should help teachers to identify strategies to promote effective learning – it is an ongoing process of information gathering (in collaboration with pupils and parents) over time rather than a single test.

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Literacy difficulties may arise from a variety of factors which should be taken into consideration in the above process e.g.

o Visual impairments

o Hearing impairments

o Interrupted learning opportunities

o Social / cultural factors e.g. lack of exposure to print

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Appendix 3: Pro forma for literacy assessment report SCHOOL:……………………………………………. Support for Learning Assessment Report Date

Name: Date of birth: Age (yrs/mths): Class:

Strengths & Skills (Refer to forms if information already provided) Reason for Concern Continued concerns despite interventions and strategies adopted as detailed in Form 1 & Child’s Plan / IEP as attached. Due to concerns about the challenges which ??? continues to experience (as detailed in the information attached) further information gathering has taken place. In addition to general observations of ??? progress within the curriculum, general confidence and learning style, several standardised tests were completed.

Progress in the Curriculum (Refer to forms if information already provided.) Contextual Information (Refer to forms if information already provided - including contextual writing) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Assessments Carried Out Several standardised tests were completed. These included: British Picture Vocabulary Scale 3rd Ed. (BPVS - 3rd Ed) Phonological Assessment Battery (PhAB) York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension (YARC) Vernon Graded Word Spelling Test 3rd Ed. Standardised Assessment Results BPVS Date of assessment: Age

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BPVS

Standard Score Confidence Band

Percentile Rank Confidence Band

Equiv. Age Confidence Band

This is a standardised test of listening vocabulary, which can give a general indication of a young person’s language skills and there is some evidence that it is correlated with scholastic ability. The results of this test indicate that A standard score of 100 is average, with standard scores between 85 and115 considered to be within the average range. Percentiles indicate the percentage of people of the same age who would be expected to score at the same level or lower than ???. The 50

th percentile is considered average, and scores between the 16

th and

84th centile within the average range.

PHaB Date of Assessment : Age Subtest Standardized Score Alliteration Test Rhyme Test Spoonerisms Test Non-Word Reading Test Naming Speed Test (Pictures) Naming Speed Test (Digits) Fluency Test (Alliteration) Fluency Test (Rhyme) Non-Phonological Test (Semantic) Number of standard scores below 85 = This is a test of the underlying skills required for sounding out words. The results of this test indicate that

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YARC Date of assessment: Age –

YARC

Standard Score Confidence Band


Equiv. Age Confidence Band

The York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension (YARC) Passage Reading is a

standardised test which assesses accuracy, rate (reading speed) and comprehension of oral

reading skills in primary aged children. In addition to the assessment of Early Reading skills, the

YARC provides a test of prose reading and comprehension for young readers who have started

to develop decoding skills.

The tests are designed to be used with pupils aged 5-11 years.

The results of this test indicate that Vernon Spelling Date of assessment: Age –

Vernon

Standard Score


Equiv. Age

This standardised test entails the written spelling of individual words. The results of this test indicate that

Identification of Dyslexia Where it has been suggested previously, or as a result of these assessments, that the young person may be dyslexic, the following definitions should be taken into account.

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‘Dyslexia is evident when accurate and fluent word reading and/or spelling develops very incompletely or with great difficulty. This focuses on literacy learning at the ‘word level’ and implies that the problem is severe and persistent despite appropriate learning opportunities. It provides the basis for a staged process of assessment through teaching.’ (British Psychological Society, 1999) ‘Dyslexia can be described as a continuum of difficulties in learning to read, write and/or spell, which persist despite the provision of appropriate learning opportunities. These difficulties often do not reflect an individual’s cognitive abilities and may not be typical of performance in other areas.’ (Scottish Gov’t, Dyslexia Scotland and the Cross Party Group on Dyslexia in the

Scottish Parliament)

Summary (Brief feedback summarising contextual and standardised information) Consideration of the information within this report informs interventions as listed within the Child’s Plan. Signed : Date:

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