1. Screening for dyslexia, dyspraxia and visual stress in HE S.A. Nichols, J.S. McLeod, J.M. Brown, L.J. Smith, F. Summerfield, R.L. Holder * Centre for Inclusive Learning Support, University of Worcester * University of Birmingham

2. Original Aims To analyse the effectiveness of current screening practice at UW and compare it with a computerised method, LADS (Lucid Adult Screening Test): Tutor method consists of selected subtests from: Bangor Dyslexia Test (BDTA) (Miles 1983); and Dyslexia Adult Screening Test (DASTA) (Fawcett and Nicolson 1998)

3. Definitions Dyslexia “is evident when accurate or fluent word reading and/or spelling develops very incompletely or with great difficulty’ (Singleton, 1999, p.18) Dyspraxia is regarded as an impairment or immaturity of the organisation of movement. Associated with this may be problems of language, perception and thought (Dyspraxia Foundation, 2007)

4. Definitions Visual stress is not currently defined as a specific learning difficulty. In identifying stress we follow the definition by Kriss and Evans (2005, p.1) of a syndrome characterised by ‘symptoms of visual stress and visual perception disorders that are alleviated by using individually prescribed colour filters.’

5. The screening and assessment process

6. Model As screeners we are looking for signs of the same difficulties used by assessors to identify SpLD. We do not spend much time exploring the student’s history of difficulty, nor do we look at differentials between underlying ability and achievement. So we are looking for problems in the following:

7. Difficulties investigated Working memory Phonological processing Visual processing Sequencing and orientation Hand-eye coordination Spelling Reading Writing Plus possible genetic factors

8. Recruitment Process

9. Screening results

10. Project process

11. 21 1 4 5 8 5 1 Assessed negative = 15 Co-morbidity of dyslexia, dyspraxia and visual stress from the 60 assessments used.

12. Additional Aims How well does our tutor screening tool identify SpLD? Can the tool, or the process with which it is used, be improved?

13. Analysis To assess the accuracy of our battery for identifying SpLDs, we: calculated sensitivity and specificity for various combinations of subtests calculated the statistical significance of correlations between each subtest and each condition used logistic stepwise regression analysis to determine the most effective combination of tests

14. Dyslexia

15. Dyspraxia

16. Visual Stress

17. Any SpLD

18. BDTA left-right polysyllables subtraction tables months fwd months rvsd b/d confusion familialincidence Dyslexia Dyspraxia Visual Stress Any SpLD p <0.01 p <0.05

19. DASTA one minutereading phonemic seg. two minutespelling nonsense one min writing digit span rapid naming Dyslexia Dyspraxia Visual Stress Any SpLD p <0.01 p <0.05

20. Sum of stepwise regression analyses Left/right confusions Polysyllables Subtraction b/d confusions One minute reading Phonemic segmentation Digit span Nonsense reading One minute writing

21. What next? A shortened battery of screening tests plus test for visual stress A computerised pre-screening test An analysis of barriers to referral Further promotion of the Disability and Dyslexia Service.

22. One minute reading for a student aged 22 -24 years 97 – 126 words = no risk 86 – 96 words = low risk 71 – 85 words = moderate risk 70 or less words = high risk

23. One minute writing for a student aged 22 – 24 years 32 -39 words = no risk 30 -31 = low risk 21 -29 = moderate risk 20 or less = high risk

25. Questions?