Finally been diagnosed with dyslexia - any advice?

trs200101

I'm a first-year university student studying Drama. I've battled for so many years to get diagnosed with dyslexia, and now there was someone who finally believed me. My university paid for my assessment, and I've been diagnosed.

I need help with processing information and staying organised. There are other things I need help with. One thing I need help with is writing down what I want to talk about. When I start thinking about what I want to write about it makes sense in my head, but when it comes to writing, it doesn't, and it can take me two hours to make whatever I'm writing about makes sense.

Does anyone have any advice for someone that's been diagnosed with dyslexia? Any products you think will help would be great.

(I got diagnosed on Friday, and I had an hour's worth of crying knowing I've been right all along).

Reply 1

CatLover1

I don’t have dyslexia, but as you are at university, maybe have a look at Disabled Students Allowance (DSA). It will pay for certain programmes that could help you such as a screen reader if you are eligible, you would have an assessment and they would decide. I think you go through student finance, so you only get it if you are a UK student.

Reply 2

jennywickett

Hey trs200101, Im so sorry to hear your journy to diagnosis has taken so long! It is so hard for an inviasble disability to be recognised and personaly (I too have Dyxlexia as well as ADHD) have found many people who igonre the reaility of the symptoms and put them down in theor own minds as "persoanl traits".

I have found a few things helpful in dealing with my dyslexia but the issue of covert prejudice only seems to be gettig worse if I'm honest. Anyways... Helpful tips:

Use google as a spell check - often word cant figure out the word im trying to spell but if I copy or type a sentance into google it finds the right sugession. eg. I have done this with this sentence here:

Dictation softwere - get some help from DSA (disabled student allowence) to buy some helpful software. Dragon is some software that will type as you talk. You mentioned that when you start thinking about what you want to write about it makes sense in your head, but when it comes to writing, it doesn't.. I know this one all too well. Sometmes just verbaly dumping your ideas out using dictaion then tweaking it from there can be helpful.

Use ChatGPT to help you restruture your sentances. Sometimes when I dictate my sentences/paragraphs they are long and wordy. I often use ChatGPT to make it more succinct by typing "rewrite: ...copy and paste your sentence/paragraph..."

Use your mobile phone to help you learn in better envrioments and in samller chunks. Sitting at a desk can be a very lenghty past time for a dyslexic. We spend way more time sat hunched over a loptop than most because of how long things take us and screen fatage as well a mussle/nerve issues (RSI, back ache ect) can be a real problem. Use your phone to make notes on while sat on the sofa or on the go. you can even dictate or use voice notes on your phone to do this so spelling isnt such a problem. Use your phone at the gym, on the train/bus, sitting in the garden to read listent to lectures rather than sitting at the laptop. Even better, if you have the tech, use your phone to read out loud recomednded reading, digital textbooks or papaers when not on the laptop as well as when on it. You can far better chunk your learing when you break it up like this. I would higly recomend asking for Speechify Text to Speech Audio during your DSA assessemnt so that you can use your phone to read you alsomat any document. not all text reader apps do!

Do some research and know what you want before having a DSA assessemnt. The DSA make suggetions for softwrear that I personaly have found to be hudreds of pouds worth of waist of time! One thing they didnt offer was the Speechify app I mentioned which allows you to have alomst any digital document read out to you both on your laptop or on your phone! You can even convert Kindle books into Audiobooks by importing them to Speechify. This would have been the single stand out best app they could have offered me but i didnt know about it when I had my assessment.

Dont rely on assisive soulution providers - You DO NOT have to use the providers suggeted by DSA for your hardware or even the softwrare I dont think. I would advise steering well clear of them! The DSA choose these providers by way of a cheepest winns the contract. The DSA do not hold any providers they have chosen accountable to any kind of consumer rights or customer care so if you have any issues with your items you will have no support from the DSA and the suppliers tend to not to offer you consumer rights in the same straigjt forward way as you would when buying from an internet or highstreet store. You can still claim back any DSA money you would have given to the supiler yourslef and keep your consumer rights! My advice AVOID the 3rd partys they suggest. Have everything in your own control, find out the returns policys, cooling off periods etc and make your own purchases. Be particularly wary of an organization called Assistive Solutions!

Use Outlook calander to shedule EVERYTHING. yep breaks too! Time blindness is common with Dyslexia as well as ADHD. Outlook cal will send you a notification 5/10 mins before the next thing you should be doing arrives. this has been so helpful espessly if you have live online leactures that you are responsable for remembering to attend, as well as deadlines and remebering to take screen breaks! x

Hope some of this helps xx

Reply 3

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by trs200101

Definitely get the DSA application pack from SFE and submit an application for DSA, if you haven't already. You'll need to submit evidence along with this - usually a letter confirming your diagnosis from a relevant health professional is sufficient.

Then get your needs assessment done at your uni - this isn't an assessment for if you have dyslexia (or any other condition that may affect your study) but to see what things the uni can provide to support you. You will be able to discuss with your assessor what things you might feel would help you vs what might not (e.g. if you feel extra time would be helpful, if you need/want dictation software as suggested above, or other things). They can also signpost you to more general support offered to all students which might be particularly helpful (e.g. academic writing support offerings which most unis offer to all students but that might be particularly helpful for you :smile:

).

Also you can get a laptop paid in part by DSA usually. Although these aren't normally "top of the line" laptops I think so if you already have a very good laptop might be a bit unnecessary!

Reply 4

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by jennywickett

Hope some of this helps xx

Just to note, the image doesn't seem to have formatted correctly - not sure why.

I do agree with most of your points but would strongly caution against relying on chatGPT in the manner described. This really would constitute academic misconduct at most unis, especially as unis are across the board now developing much more specific policies around the usage of "AI" software. If the OP (or you!) need support with writing in that manner I would recommend seeking out support from the uni, since as noted there usually are academic writing support processes in place for all students (there may also be some tailored to students with dyslexia or other SpLDs).

(edited 4 months ago)

Reply 5

WolvesRep2

Official Rep

Original post by trs200101

Hi @trs200101,

I have been diagnosed with dyslexia and just graduated university. I was a bit worried about going to university at the start as i got diagnosed when I was about 13 so had support at school and was unsure if this was able to carry on through my degree. But it did and my university was very good at helping and offering me support, so I hope yours is the same.

I agree I would definitely contact DSA if you haven't already. I found this very helpful because I got a read and writing app downloaded onto my laptop to help read articles and my work as this is something I struggled with. But there is so much you can get to help you, like specialist equipment.

Another thing which helped me was that because the university knew I was dyslexic was they had support within the university to help me. There were specialist people I could go and see by booking in appointments to help me with anything I wanted like reading through my work, help with time management or support with assignment planning. I would definitely check to see if your university offers the same as I found this very helpful. They also set in place arrangements for me like extra time in exams, sending me the powerpoint slides before the class so I could make notes and annotations on the slides instead of having to write down all the information from the lecture. This means I could concentrate on understanding what's being said rather than making sure what I'm writing made sense.

I hope this helps 🙂
Louise - Wolverhampton University Rep