Learner Support Tutor - Northern School of Contemporary Dance
Between 2000-2005 I worked for the Dyslexia Institute (now Dyslexia Action)
in Leeds. As the Adult Dyslexia Coordinator I worked with dyslexic adults
in a variety of settings including the workplace and education. Part of
my role was to help others to work effectively with dyslexic learners and
I was involved in advising and training in a wide range of settings including
local colleges, training agencies, the city council, the police force, the
fire and rescue service, the probation service, YOI and prisons.
In 2005 I became the part-time Learner Support Tutor at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. This is a small specialist HEI that forms part of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama (CDD). I have responsibility for all the disabled students in the college (20% of whom are dyslexic) and as our numbers are small I am involved in the whole student experience from audition through screening, assessment, applications for DSA, support on placements, 1:1 and group support and eventually support for transition into the workplace.
As an independent consultant I deliver training to staff in other educational establishments, carry out assessments to support DSA applications and continue to support students on Open University courses.
I am involved in the Northern regional group of ADSHE which now meets twice
a year and has active members in Sheffield, York, Leeds, Newcastle, Teesside
and Edinburgh.
Email: ros.lehany@nscd.ac.uk
Dyslexia Support Specialist. Nottingham Trent University (NTU).
I have been working at NTU since January 2001 I spent the previous
12 years in the FE sector where I had reached the giddy heights of Additional
Support Manager.
At NTU I am fortunate to work in a team of dyslexia specialists which makes for very stimulating team meetings! The team offers screening assessments, top up reports, specialist support to students across our three campuses and regular staff development. NTU is also a registered Access Centre for DSAs. I regularly attend meetings of the Midlands Regional ADSHE Group which has membership from universities in Nottingham, Leicester, Loughborough, Coventry, Birmingham and the Open University.
Email: sally.freeman@ntu.ac.uk
Dyslexia Co-ordinator, Cardiff University and Royal Welsh College of Music
and Drama I have been Dyslexia Co-ordinator since 1996, during which time
the service has expanded greatly – both in numbers and resources. With the
establishment of Cardiff Assessment Centre I have been able to cast aside
my needs assessor hat with immense relief and can once again concentrate
on the needs of students with SpLD. However, the managerial and networking
experience I have gained within the wider umbrella of disability has given
me a better understanding of the context within which dyslexia specialists
operate in HE. For the past year I have been attending ADSHE meetings in
London , acting as an informal link between ADSHE and the Welsh regional
group.
Email: dresser@cf.ac.uk
I have worked across all sectors of education and for the past 10 years
have worked in further and higher education, as a lecturer, a manager in
additional services provision and as a dyslexia specialist assessor and
tutor.
I have long-standing interests in access and inclusion and recognise the
need to equip staff with specialist knowledge and skills to enable them
keep abreast of the demands placed on them by political and legislative
developments while addressing the very particular and individual needs of
all learners.
I am committed to working collaboratively within the HE sector to promote
best practice within an inclusive learning environment.
Email: j.kender@soton.ac.uk
Atif Choudhury is an assistive technology trainer and a study skills tutor. Having completed a BA (Hons) in Sociology and an MSC in Social Development, he went on to complete a advanced national diploma in teaching dyslexic adults in 2002.
Atif has provided learning support for dyslexic students for over five years. With a wide ranging portfolio of providing Study Skills support and AT training at CLASS. Middlesex University, London Met & Central School of Speech and Drama. He has developed a number of empowering teaching techniques to ensure that his students can integrate study skills tuition with enabling technology.
Whilst working as a Dyslexia support tutor, Atif has worked to campaign on number of social justice issues, which in 2005, led Atif to help set up Zaytoun, a co-op designed to market fair trade produce from communities affected by the conflict in the Middle East. Atif is also a founder member of EDEN Skills a social enterprise company designed to support and provide study skills and IT Training support to all learners with Dyslexia.
Email: atif@edenskills.co.uk
I have a great interest is learning development in students and academics and passionately believe in providing the support necessary to enable students to develop as independent learners and to achieve their personal potential in higher education. At present I work as a chartered psychologist assessing individuals for specific learning difficulties at the University of Reading. I also provide training in specific learning difficulties for academics and am involved in policy development for disability within the university. I started the Thames Valley local ADSHE group and nurtured it for two years. I particularly value the way in which ADSHE facilitates a discourse and better understanding between dyslexia tutors and psychologists.
In my earlier life I was a research fellow in experimental psychology at York, Durham and Reading mainly researching memory, aphasia and infant vision. I believe I could make a valuable contribution to the continued development of ADSHE as a significant national organisation.
Email: j.e.turner@reading.ac.uk
Since 1998 I have worked as a dyslexia support tutor at Leeds Metropolitan University where my main role has been to deliver individual support, group study skills support, work with members of the disability team to promote dyslexia provision and run drop in sessions for non DSA students.
I have been a member of ADSHE since membership was open to tutors outside the London area, regularly attending conferences and taking a keen interest in the work of ADSHE in the professional development of its members. I was a founder member of ADSHEN and have played an active role in hosting meetings and helping with organisation where possible. Recently I have been involved in looking into salary rates for dyslexia tutors by chairing a working party.
Since joining ADSHE I believe that the organisation plays a very important role indeed, currently and in the future, in maintaining high standards of professionalism in this specialised area of education.
Email: s.falshaw@leedsmet.ac.uk
If you are interested in this post please contact Mary Kountouris at adshedyslexia@yahoo.co.uk