NEWS
Courses
SCILL event - 'Small steps to Success' in Banchory on Tuesday 6th March from 7.15pm - 8.45pm. Click here for more details.
“Addressing the effects of Sensory and Perceptual Dysfunction on a Child’s learning”
17th March, Penrith. Details here.
Current Branch News
BBC documentary seeks children with dyslexia - It will be part of a series of child led documentaries about children with varying disabilities and learning difficulties, including Dyslexia. The documentary will be a resource for primary schools, helping children to understand and respect children who may be different to themselves. Click here for more information.
From 31st of October you can buy a special book - full of personal accounts of a variety of people with dyslexia. Click here to find out more and order your own copy!
We've been in the news!! Check out the Press & Journal article here. Thanks to Audrey for her honest report about how dyslexia has affected her life.
Both branch meetings and youth club are now running on the same night at Mile End Primary School. Although this is a change, it seems to be working. We are still desperately in need for a Chairperson to coordinate the branch meetings, now that Susan is through with the youth group and can only act as Vice Chair.
The branch lending library is now almost fully catagorsied and is now housed within the Mile End School for easy access.
4 of the branch committee attended the Dyslexia Scotland Educational Conference on Sat 1st October 2011 & thoroughly enjoyed it. Watch this space for a write up.
Susan Strachan has been involved in developing a Family Leaflet for the NEW Aberdeen City Dyslexia Guidelines - both the leaflet & professional guidelines will be available from - www.AberdeenCity.gov.uk/Dyslexia
We now have about 15+ regulars attending the youth club and we have almost equal boy to girl ratio. Last meeting we had another 3 new girls join us & we now have 3 regular volunteers, with another 2 voicing an interest in becoming involved!
So far, the group has been involved in street dancing, sponsored pancake toss, bag packing, street marching, a trip to Laser Tag & Pizza Hut. They recently visited the Apple shop soon who produced a fantastic evening for the kids. They have alsobeen asked to give their dyslexic opinion of the new Young Scot websites.
Recently several of the youths were interviewed by Susan from Dyslexia Scotland and this video footage was subsequently played at their Educational Conference. The feedback from the showing was fantastic and provided a real insight into some of the realities of having dyslexia. It is hoped that this footage will be incorporated into a DVD about 'What its like to REALLY be dyslexic' that the group hope to make in the future.
The most recent Scottish Government report about literacy levels in adults across Scotland – here.
FREE Mock interviews are still on offer from Bank of New York Mellon in Edinburgh. One interviewee said: “the mock interview I had was very comprehensive. She analysed every single moment of the interview from the hand shaking to how to say hello. She gave me advice on what to dress for the various job interviews….i found the entire experience very useful and encouraging”. For more information, contact the main office in Stirling.
Are you interested in an Adult Focused Evening? Let us know what you would like & we’ll arrange it.
At the events, we will:
- inform and update members about Dyslexia Scotland
- listen to members about what Dyslexia Scotland should prioritise over the next 3 years (2012 - 2015)
NEW online game & story based software to develop fluency of reading in children with dyslexia and reading difficulties - sign up for free trial here.
British Dyselxia Association Technology site - http://bdatech.org/
Dyslexia Action have a selection of previous webinars (public online lectures) & have more planned, click here for details.
CallCentre Scotland (dyslexia related) Blog - http://www.callscotland.org.uk/Blog/Blog-Post/?reference=258
There are now 2 Scottish voices available that can be installed for text-to-speech (TTS) applications - Heather & Stuart! - http://www.thescottishvoice.org.uk/Home/
Dyslexia Friendly Spellchecker & text-to-speech Word Add-on - GHOTIT. Try it out here - www.ghotit.com & if you choose to subscribe, mention that this branch recommended it and you might get a discount.
Podcasting - is fast becoming an excellent way to reinforce revision of traditional school subjects, as they can help pupils to memorise, process and understand information much better.
Lochaber High School - along with Dyslexia Lochaber have worked together to create an audio revision service for pupils with dyslexia. More...
Latest Technology Blog - Dr Ian Smythe has created & designed a blog that discusses latest technology relating to dyslexia - More...
Making ICT Easy for All— if using a computer scares you—here’s the place to start.
“Addressing the effects of Sensory and Perceptual Dysfunction on a Child’s learning”
17th March, Penrith. Details here.
SCILL event - 'Small steps to Success' in Banchory on Tuesday 6th March from 7.15pm - 8.45pm. Click herefor more details.
Online parent course about dyslexia
This new online parent course has been developed and will offer support from world renown expert Dr Gavin Reid and other expert psychologists from ICEPE.co.uk. As well as containing information about current research, there is also support via an online discussion forum with other parents and professionals. Susan Strachan (Chair) has completed the course and has written a review about it for the Dyslexia Scotland magazine. There is also a very comprehensive Professional CPD Dyslexia course again, recently redesigned by Gavin Reid.
CPD Bytes adds to their list of professional courses to include a 15 hour online course for Parents & Carers of children with dyslexia. Moira Thomson now has added to her Supporting Dyslexic Pupils Secondary Resource, to now include a Primary focused pack, both can be found here.
'Assessing Dyslexia' toolkit- was launched last year in Edinburgh. This website is aimed at professionals involved in identifying and working pupils with dyslexia, but the website contains a lot of useful material for anyone interested in learning more about dysleixa and how current legislation is influencing the education system. Click on the title to take you there or this link -http://www.frameworkforinclusion.org/AssessingDyslexia/
Dyslexia Action have a selection of previous webinars (public online lectures) & have more planned, click here for details.
Professional Association of Teachers with Students with Specific learning difficulties (PATOSS)
Celebrate Aberdeen Parade on June 11th was a great success & our small group of participants had a fab time marching along with the other 3,000 voluntary members & groups! We held blown up photos of famous dyslexics and sung a song specially written for the day (to the tune of the army marching song). Click here to see a few photos of the day - video clips to follow (thanks to our youth group helper Peter 'MC Mad Mickey'!!)
February Branch meeting – was a unique opportunity to attend ‘An audience with Gavin Reid’ – how parents can help their children. (This evening was aimed at parents of dyslexic kids, but individual’s with dyslexia were also welcome). Click here for an outline of his talk - thanks to Leofric for his detialed note-taking!
RED NOSE DAY fundraiser by the Youth Club....sponsor money still coming in! Well done to those who helped toss over 500 pancakes in 5 minutes!! & then participated in a Street Dancing session.
Sainsbury's Bag Pack (bridge of Dee) Sunday 20th February - WE COLLECTED £685.20!!!!
Our Youth Club finally went ahead on Jan 13th. Many of the kids asked why it couldn't be weekly instead of monthly!! Click here for the write up about it.
Kara Tointon's 'DON'T CALL ME STUPID'. Find it here.
Our Dyslexia Awareness Day on 22nd May in Aberdeen was a great success. Click here to read about how the day went.
Click here to see what happened on the day and see what the Being Dyslexic stall was all about with; 13 year old Zoe’s drawings that she created to depict what having dyslexia can be like & a powerpoint created by the Youth Club.
