Call for government to stop sidelining the dyslexic and neurodiverse

Ironically, it was a dyslexic teacher who gave NZME Chief Political Reporter Jason Walls a hard time at school about his spelling errors.

“I was just like, 'what the heck, you know the signs why didn’t you do anything about it'?”

Fortunately, when he was around 15, another teacher recognised the content of his work was actually good, even though it was riddled with errors, leading to his diagnosis.

“I always felt I was trying really hard and not getting the results I wanted especially in English and that was always frustrating and confusing for me seeing my peers grow and me just staying behind.”

When he was tested for dyslexia, it was found that his spelling and grammar were at the level of a 12-year-old, but his articulation was at the level of someone who was around 28.

In spite of that diagnosis, Walls has become a successful journalist, but not all dyslexic and neurodiverse are diagnosed and able to adapt as Walls did.

Adult dyslexia practitioner, Mike Styles, said that fact was detrimental to New Zealand’s economy, leading him to start a petition calling for a commission of inquiry into dyslexia and neurodiversity in New Zealand.

Styles said many dyslexic and neurodiverse New Zealanders either do not know they are affected or do their utmost to hide it – a situation not helped by the fact most New Zealand teachers are poorly equipped to identify and deal with dyslexic children.

After he was diagnosed, Walls used a reader-writer throughout school and university, until he started his journalism studies when he knew he would need to learn to cope without one.

His journalism grades suffered as a result, but he learned to adapt as a journalist, using reader-writer software to read his written work back to him so he could identify errors.

According to Styles, dyslexic and neurodiverse people have a lot to offer employers, but they may need certain accommodations to do it, sometimes it could be as simple as two computer screens.

He described dyslexia as a condition where intelligent people have trouble with text.

“Sometimes they are very intelligent.”

But Styles said government policy was sidelining clever, but neurodiverse, people preventing them from entering the workforce.

His research found that 50 per cent of prison inmates were dyslexic.

“The explanation is pretty simple. Clever people who have been sidelined from the mainstream find alternative ways to earn a buck and sometimes that is illegal stuff.”

Styles added that those with dyslexia often have other talents such as heightened problem-solving and spatial awareness.

He first became consumed by dyslexia after working in primary industry training and finding that low literacy levels in those industries stemmed from undiagnosed and unsupported dyslexia.

The last government undertook a select committee inquiry into dyslexia in 2015 which, according to Styles, resulted in mere lip service on the issue.

“There was some money in a budget a couple years ago to establish some learning support coordinators in primary schools but there were only a few of those in a few schools so it wasn’t really addressing the problem.”

Styles launched his petition out of frustration with this lack of action in education as well as the need to view dyslexia and neurodiversity beyond the education system.

“It is a whole-economy problem. A child with dyslexia grows up to be an adult with dyslexia.”

According to Styles, dyslexia and other forms of neurodiversity affect around 15 per cent of the world’s population, but it is unclear how New Zealand’s population is affected, as data is not kept.

Styles would like to see the New Zealand Government follow the United Kingdom’s approach with state-funded dyslexia screening and, for children diagnosed, further funding which follows the child through their education to provide the support they need.

In addition, United Kingdom workplaces are required to accommodate neurodiverse employees.

“In the same way that, if I was in a wheelchair the boss would be required to provide me with a ramp to get into work.”

But it is a different story in New Zealand.

“Government agencies in New Zealand know little about [dyslexia] and do very little about it.”

Styles said many government departments could be more inclusive by making simple changes to their websites such as adding a ‘read aloud’ option or changing font to assist those with dyslexia to navigate their sites.

Styles would also like to see a public information programme.

“People need to know it is ok to have dyslexia.”