Dyslexia affects approximately 10% of the population, with 4% being severely affected. Many people can have subtle forms of dyslexia without ever realizing they suffer from it's effects. With modern teaching and a much higher level of understanding of Dyslexia, it is now, more than ever, never too late to take remedial action against the effects of Dyslexia or to overcome it's difficulties. UNISON is committed through Lifelong Learning to provide help and support to any member of staff who feel they may have such difficulties.

The word 'Dyslexia' comes from the Greek and means 'difficulty with words'.

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty which mainly affects the development of literacy and language related skills. It is likely to be present at birth and to be lifelong in its effects, and it tends to affect males more than females.. It is characterised by difficulties with phonological processing, rapid naming, working memory, processing speed, and the automatic development of skills that may not match up to an individual’s other cognitive abilities.

It tends to be resistant to conventional teaching methods, but its effects can be mitigated by appropriately specific intervention, including the application of information technology and supportive counseling.

People who suffer from dyslexia frequently have strengths in other areas.

Possible Difficulties, Symptoms, and strengths:

Possible Difficulties.
• Reading hesitantly.
• Misreading, making understanding difficult.
• Difficulty with sequences, e.g. getting dates in order.
• Poor organisation or time management.
• Difficulty organising thoughts clearly.
• Erratic spelling.

Other Possible Symptoms:
• Poorly formed handwriting.
• Difficulty telling left from right.
• Watery or itchy eyes when reading.
• Print appearing to move round the page when reading.

Possible Strengths:
• Innovative thinkers.
• Excellent trouble shooters.
• Intuitive problem solving.
• Creative in many different ways.
• Lateral thinkers.

Famous Dyslexics:

Dyslexia no longer has the stigma that used to be associated with the people who suffered from it's effects. Below are just a few examples of extremely famously successful people, from various walks of life who have all suffered from some form of Dyslexia:

World Leaders: Sir Winston Churchill, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy.

Art: Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso.

Science: Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, Michael Faraday, Thomas Edison.

Writers: Agatha Christie, Hans Christian Anderson, Lewis Carroll, Gustave Flaubert.

Business: Sir Richard Branson, Steve Jobs (Founder of Apple Computers), Nelson Rockefeller, Henry Ford, William Hewlett (Founder of Hewlett Packard), Theo Paphitis.

Entertainment: Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, Danny Glover, Noel Gallagher, Orlando Bloom, Eddie Izzard, George Burns, Keira Knightley, Jewel, John Lennon, Woody Harrelson, Cher, Salma Hayek, Whoopi Goldberg, Henry Winkler, Susan Hampshire, Walt Disney.

Sports: Mohammad Ali, Steve Redgrave, Duncan Goodhew, Jackie Stewart.

Please do not hesitate to contact any one of the team if you feel you may have any type of difficulty, and you would like to discuss those concerns with someone in complete confidence.

RESOURCES

'QUICK READS' are brilliant, short books by bestselling writers and celebrities.

These exciting, dramatic and funny stories are ideal for adults who've stopped reading or find reading tough, and for regular readers who want a short, fast read. Quick Reads have helped hundreds of thousands of people to pick up books and enjoy reading again. More information on these books can be found HERE or HERE.

The Branch have a range of around a dozen of these books available to UNISON Members on a Read & Return basis.

Current available titles are:

Peter James – 'The Perfect Murder' REVIEWS
Danny Buckland – 'We Won The Lottery' REVIEWS
Linwood Barclay – 'Clouded Vision' REVIEWS
Bernardine Evaristo – 'Hello Mum' REVIEWS
Cathy Kelly – 'The Perfect Holiday' REVIEWS
Lucy Cavendish – 'Jack and Jill' REVIEWS
Rolf Harris – 'Buster Fleabags' REVIEWS
Benjamin Zephaniah – 'Kung Fu Trip' REVIEWS
Alvin Hall – 'Money Magic' REVIEWS
Mike Gayle – 'Men At Work' REVIEWS
Alison Weir – 'Traitors of the Tower' REVIEWS
Val McDermid – 'Life's Too Short' REVIEWS


Email Jeff Cokkinos for more information.