newsletterautumn/winter

2016

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AGM 2016 & Annual Report .............................................................................................. 3

New Development & Support Officer (Adult Services) ...................................................... 3

Organisation Restructuring ................................................................................................ 4

Tom McLaughlin, Dyslexic Author and Illustrator .............................................................. 5

GSK Ireland Impact Awards ............................................................................................... 6

New CDETB Adult Dyslexia Support Group/Class .............................................................. 6

Assurance Statement ......................................................................................................... 7

Reasonable Accommodations in State Exams 2017 .......................................................... 8

Report on Dyslexia Awareness Week 2016 ....................................................................... 10

Hidden Potential - new short film ..................................................................................... 10

Mindfulness ...................................................................................................................... 11

DAI Takes Part in Erasmus+ Youth Exchange .................................................................... 12

European Dyslexia Association Conference 2016 ............................................................. 12

Upcoming DAI Events ........................................................................................................ 13

The Building Blocks of Words ............................................................................................ 14

Dyslexiacourses.ie ............................................................................................................. 14

E-Fun Brain Training Study Seeks Participants .................................................................. 15

The Teaching Council’s New Complaints Investigation Function ...................................... 17

Recent Fundraising ............................................................................................................ 18

Christmas Cards SALE ......................................................................................................... 19

DAI activities are part-funded by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and LocalGovernment (Scheme to Support National Organisations 2016-2019 administered by Pobal), theSpecial Education Section of the Department of Education and Skills, SOLAS and KWETB.

Contents

Please Follow DAI on Twitter and Like Us on FacebookDAI is eager to keep in regular contact with our members, and weare now much more active on social media as it is a great way tokeep our followers informed. We would really encourage allmembers to follow DAI on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

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DAI’s 2016 Annual General Meeting was heldat our national offices on June 11th. The AGMis an important opportunity for members tohear about the activities of the Association. Italso provides a forum for members to askquestions, and put motions for discussionbefore the membership.

The reports presented give members anoverview of the scale of activities nationallywhich the Association is responsible for, andthe impact we achieved inthe past year. TheAssociation’s auditedDirector’s Report andFinancial Statements for2015 were also presentedto members. Details of allthese reports are includedin our Annual Report on2015 activities which was launched at theAGM. Copies are available on our website at:www.dyslexia.ie/about/download-section/

Election of DAI BoardDAI is governed by a Board of Directors knownas the National Executive Committee (NEC)whose members are elected each year at theAGM. The role of the Board is to ensure thatall legal and financial obligations are met andthat the DAI effectively serves our membersand the wider dyslexia community as per our

vision, mission and strategic plan. BoardDirectors take on a significant degree ofresponsibility for the Association’s activitiesnationally, and we are very grateful for theircommitment. The Board meets 8-10 timeseach year.

Following the election held at the DAI AGM onJune 11th, 2016 the following members(volunteers) were elected to the Board: NiallByrne, Olive Connolly, Mary Cosgrave,Natasha Kearns, Martina Larkin, MariaMcLoughlin, Sarah McNally, Barbara Moran,Fergal Ó Briain, Leo Oman, Gloria Rull andJoanne Smith. (Martina Larkin has sinceresigned from the Board for the period of hermaternity leave.)

A big thank you to all our volunteer Boardmembers and sub-committee members for allyour effort and contribution over the 2015-2016 year. Special thanks are due to Josephine(Jo) Gannon who retired from the Board inJune 2016. Jo has been a very active memberof the DAI Board for many years, includingserving as Board Chairperson/NationalPresident for two periods. She has made sucha positive impact to DAI over the years, andwe thank her most sincerely for all her efforts.Jo continues to be involved as an activemember of our Communications andFundraising Sub-Committee.

AGM 2016 and Annual Report

New Development and Support Officer (Adult Services)DAI is pleased to announce the appointment of Michelle Kinsella as our new Development andSupport Officer (Adult Services), thanks to funding from SOLAS. This new post will enable DAI toincrease our adult service delivery nationwide, including the provision of information seminars,training for adult education and further education staff, as well as advocacy and developmentwork to promote the needs of adults with dyslexia.

Michelle began work with us in summer 2016 and has already been very active nationwidebuilding relationships with further and adult education providers and delivering many trainingand information seminars nationwide. Michelle can be contacted at 01 8776001 or emailmkinsella@dyslexia.ie

In the light of significant changes in Irishlegislation, in particular the new CompaniesAct and the establishment of the CharitiesRegulatory Authority (CRA), DAI has beenengaged in a period of significant review of ourorganisational model over the past year.Following advice from our auditors in May2016, this restructuring process was expedited.

The result is that with effect from 1.1.2017 theDyslexia Association or Ireland is centralisingthe governance of our nationwide Branches.This is to enable full compliance with newCompanies and Charities legislation and toenhance consistency, quality assurance andgood governance standards throughout theDAI nationwide. We are delighted that themajority of our Branches have agreed to makethis transition and we are working incollaboration with them to make the necessarychanges over the coming months of transition.

Following recent governance failures in otherorganisations, the charity sector is under evermore scrutiny. The Board of DAI is keen toensure that DAI can continue to offer qualityservices with the most suitable infrastructureto promote transparency, quality assuranceand value for money for service users.

Much good work has been done throughoutour Branch network over the years. However,it was recognised that the current way ofworking was not sustainable going forward,and also not in the best interest of ourstakeholders. These changes in organisationstructure will help to ensure that the valuable

services provided by DAI nationwide cancontinue within the new legal and regulatoryenvironment for charities.

We are currently engaged in a transitionprocess with all the Branches who areamalgamating with the national association aspart of this centralisation/amalgamationprocess. We want to assure our members thatour local Branches will continue to offerweekly specialist tuition classes starting backin the New Year. We hope that these classeswill commence in mid-January; this isdependent on the current Branch committeesmeeting various deadlines in terms ofhandover of necessary information over thecoming weeks.

Four Branches have chosen to go independent,and so with effect from 1.1.2017 theworkshops in Kilkenny, Letterkenny, Offaly andSliabh Liag will no longer be affiliated to theDAI; they will be setting themselves up ascompletely independent entities. While we aresad to lose them, we wish them well into thefuture.

We are currently in active and regularcommunication with all our Branches and areworking hard to manage this transition processas efficiently as possible, and to continue ourefforts to support those dealing with dyslexianationwide.

Sincere thanks to all our current Branches fortheir valuable and on-going contributions inthis process.

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Organisation Restructuring

Career Paths Course for Adults with DyslexiaOur Career Paths Course is a unique full-time 9-month long course for unemployed adults withdyslexia. It is held in Leixlip in Co. Kildare. The programme offers a QQI Level 3 Major Award inEmployability Skills, as well as intensive daily specialist tuition in literacy tailored to the needsof adults with dyslexia. It is run in conjunction with LWETB and SOLAS.

If you or anyone you know might be interested in attending this course, please contact Emmaor Tracy now at 01 606 0009 or email careerpath@eircom.net as places are limited.

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Tom McLaughlin, Dyslexia Author and IllustratorArticle by Ross DuncanTom McLaughlin is better known as anacclaimed children’s author and illustrator butjust like all good stories there has to be abeginning. When Tom was at school he felt“okay” with certain subjects like maths,English and sports but, inevitably, despite hishard work, all he achieved was an occasionalpass. It was during the 80s when he waseventually diagnosed with dyslexia. He foundit frustrating because little was done aboutdyslexia at the time.

Away from academic subjects he took art.Because it was vocational based, it allowedhim to combine his art with his love of music.He designed an album cover as a schoolproject and was awarded an ‘A’ grade. Thiswas when he realised that he had foundsomething that he was not only interested in,but which he happened to be good at. At longlast he had his “thing”.

At the same time, he recognised that everychild should have something that they are notonly good at, but also interested in. Tom triedbeing funny at school and coupled with beingable to draw, developed strategies to cope.This wit and sense of humour helped himwhen he eventually began to write his novels.As a child he didn’t much bother with wordsand, as an accomplished writer now, hecontinues not to be bothered with them!

He is not entirely convinced that havingdyslexia is an advantage or a disadvantage.He only knows what it is like to live and copewith it and, for him, says it is something thatnever gets any better.

Time and time again he tells children thatcreativity isn’t just about art. He givesexamples of being a creative mathematician.That might look less obvious at first but beinga creative entrepreneur is much more familiarto most people. But he believes beingcreative shouldn’t necessarily be narroweddown to specific areas but being creative itselfcan make you look at things from a different

angle and in adifferent way,which isconsidered to bea trait of beingdyslexic. He doeshowever thinkthat he has acreative mind butdoesn’t know ifhis work has made him more creative. At thesame time he does feel that being dyslexic hasshaped the way he comes up with ideas.

The ideas for his picture books sometimestake him back to his childhood reflecting onthe mood he was at the time. By visuallythinking he says that it’s not about a story butmore illustrating or enhancing a feeling aboutsomething from memory and trying to makesomething out of it. In this situation beingdyslexic has helped.

He admits himself that he thinks and lives in achild’s world. He doesn’t feel compelled orthe need to write for adults as his work isusually only found in the children section of abookshop or library.

As an author he feels that it’s hugelyimportant for children to actually meet maleauthors particularly for boys at upper primaryschool. Seeing children excited andstimulated listening to a teacher read out hiswork only validates what he believes, thatbeing a good speller doesn’t makes you a goodwriter.

For more information on Tom’s work seewww.tommclaughlin.co.uk

This article was contributed by Ross Duncan.Ross is an adult with dyslexia who works as anadministrative assistant in Belfast. In his sparetime, he works to help raise greater awarenessof dyslexia and highlight the success whichpeople with dyslexia can achieve.

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DAI was delighted to have been chosen as awinner in the 2016 GSK Ireland ImpactAwards. These awards are designed torecognise and reward community-basedcharities that are doing excellent work toimprove people’s health and well-being inIreland. As one of the 5 overall winners DAIreceived €10,000 in unrestricted funding. Inaddition, GSK commissioned a professionalshort film on our work, and someprofessional photographs which we can nowuse ourselves to promote our work. Ourshort film can be seen at:http://bit.ly/2fl0w7u

The five winning charities for 2016 were:Sensational Kids, Nurture, TravellerCounselling Service, Anam Cara and theDyslexia Association of Ireland. The fiverunners up were: Amen Support Services,Move 4 Parkinsons, Cork Mental HealthFoundation, HIV Ireland and Smashing Times

Theatre Company. The awards werepresented at an Awardsnight in the Chester Beatty Library onOctober 13th.

Organisations applying for the awards aremeasured under various criteria to assesstheir efficacy including: innovation,management, partnership, achievement,community focus and targeting needs.

GSK Ireland Impact Awards

CDETB Adult Education Service Finglas: NEW free DyslexiaSupport Group on Friday morningsWhat will I learn?Study skills, assignment and essay writing, reading, writing, spelling and using technology.

Who can join the support group?1. You are getting a payment from social welfare.2. You are over 18.3. You did not complete secondary level education but you returned to education as anadult.4. You are completing or have completed a QQI Level 4(Leaving Cert standard) qualification.5. You want to do further study or you are planning to go back to work.6. You have been diagnosed with dyslexia or you have indicators of dyslexia.

How do I join?You will meet with the tutors to work out if this is the right group for you. We will do an assessment with you to work out if you have indicators of dyslexia.Contact Cora Rafter at cora.rafter@aes.cdetb.ie Telephone 01 8348018 Text 087 7953235

Starting in November 2016 this group/class will run for 12 weeks initially on Fridaymornings. If there is sufficient demand, other classes on different days/times may bearranged. If you are interested in joining this group or a future group please contact CoraRafter at the above numbers.

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Dear Members

The Dyslexia Association of Ireland (DAI) has been shocked by the revelations regarding a smallnumber of organisations in the charity sector over the past year. The questionable actions ofthese individuals could potentially undermine the great work done by so many people in thenot-for-profit sector.

We want to assure our members and the public that the Dyslexia Association of Ireland iscommitted to the highest governance standards possible for our organisation and ournationwide Branches. Our ongoing work to achieve full compliance with the Code ofGovernance for Community and Voluntary Organisations is testament to how seriously we takethese duties. For more information on the code please visit www.governancecode.ie.

DAI is committed to transparency and accountability. Our financial statements, annual reports,strategic plan, publications and policy documents are shared with members and are availablepublically on our website: www.dyslexia.ie/download-section.

DAI is registered with the Charities Regulatory Authority (CRA) and is up-to-date with reportingrequired by the CRA. In addition, DAI is compliant with the Statement of Guiding Principles forFundraising. For further info see www.ictr.ie/content/fundraising-codes-practice. DAI is alsomoving to producing our accounts using the SORP method (Statement of RecommendedPractice for charities).

The Dyslexia Association of Ireland is a company limited by guarantee, registered with theCompanies Registration Office in Ireland, and fully compliant with our reporting requirements tothe CRO.

Our Board members (National Executive Committee) are all volunteers who take on significantlegal and governance responsibilities in the interests of the DAI and its members.

The governance and compliance obligations arising for DAI, as a result of the implementation ofthe Charities Act and the new Companies Act, are welcome as they are intended to ensure werun the business of the Association in compliance with the law and to a high standard ofpersonal probity and public accountability. Our Board has also led a major review of ournational structure to ensure the Association is best set to meet these high standards whileseeking to deliver on our mission - working with and for people affected by dyslexia, byproviding information, offering appropriate support services, engaging in advocacy and raisingawareness of dyslexia

If you have any questions or would like information on the range of supports we provide, pleasedon’t hesitate to contact us at info@dyslexia.ie or 01 8776001.

We look forward to working with and for you to help develop a more dyslexia-friendly society.

Yours faithfully

Rosie Bissett, CEO

Assurance Statement

The Dyslexia Association of Ireland welcomes some much needed positive changes to theimplementation of Reasonable Accommodations for the Junior and Leaving Certificate from2017 onwards. The DAI have lobbied and advocated for change to this unfair and unnecessarilystressful system for many years and are pleased that students with dyslexia and their parentswill be operating under a fairer system from now on.

Reasonable accommodations can be made available to students withdyslexia when sitting State examinations. The accommodations areintended to limit the impact of the candidate’s disability on their examperformance, while not giving the candidate any unfair advantage.

The options students with dyslexia can apply for if they meet the criteriaare:• Access to a Reader• Use of a Recording Device or Word Processor/Laptop• Access to a Scribe• Waiver from the assessment of spelling, grammar and punctuation in the language subjects

Key Changes to the 2017 Reasonable Accommodations at Certificate Examinations(RACE) schemeIn relation to the provision of RACE for students with dyslexia, two major changes have beenannounced.

1. Reasonable Accommodations that were granted for the Junior Certificate will now bereactivated at Leaving Certificate level. This is on the condition that the school can confirmthat the student still has an identified and continuing need. Schools will continue to beresponsible for granting accommodations at Junior Certificate level for students that meet thecriteria (Please see www.examinations.ie for current RACE criteria). In addition schools are nowresponsible for recommending the supports that should be put in place at Leaving Cert level.This means that the State Examinations Commission (SEC) will, in most cases, accept thereactivation recommendations from the school and there should be no need for further testingof attainment levels.

2. Previous to these changes dyslexic students applied for RACE under the category of ‘SpecificLearning Difficulty’. This category has now changed to ‘Learning Difficulty’. In light of thischange cognitive/IQ scores are no longer required or a formal SLD/dyslexia diagnosis. Thismeans that more students will be able to access accommodations, e.g. students who perhapshaven’t yet had a formal diagnosis of dyslexia, as well as students with more general ormultiple learning difficulties.

Assistive TechnologyAt present the only assistive technology option available to a student with dyslexia is a wordprocessor/laptop. However it is important to note that the SEC has stated that it is open toindividual applications made through the school for the use of other assistive technologyprovided it meets the following criteria:• It must be already being used by the student (therefore the student could use their ownequipment and there would be no additional cost to its approval for use in a State exam.)• The SEC are satisfied that is will not jeopardise the integrity of the exam. • It requires no development work from the SEC in relation to its exam papers.

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Reasonable Accommodations in State Exams 2017By Amy Smyth

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Applications ProcessAll applications for RACE will be made through the school using a common set of forms. Youmust indicate on the forms that you are making an application under ‘Learning Difficulty’ if youare dyslexic. There are separate sets of application forms for Junior and Leaving Certificate andthey have separate application deadlines. It is important to note that as 2017 is the flagshipyear for this change in the RACE application process, the deadlines are quite tight. The SEC hasstated that they hope the deadlines will be different in 2018.

The following are the forms that must be filled out in relation to RACE at Junior Certificatelevel:• RACE Scheme Junior Certificate Application Form (RA5) – This is the standard applicationform for RACE at Junior Certificate Level. Closing date: Jan. 13th, 2017.• RACE Scheme Junior Certificate Late Applications Form (RA6) – This form is used for lateRACE applications. Closing date: April 7th, 2017.

The following are the forms that must be filled out in relation to RACE at Leaving Certificatelevel:• RACE Scheme Leaving Certificate Reactivation Form (Form RA1) – This should be used whenapplying for the reactivation of accommodations from Junior Certificate. It is also acceptable touse this form to apply for the use of a word processor rather than a scribe if a scribe wasgrated at Junior Certificate. Closing date: Dec. 9th, 2016.• RACE Scheme Leaving Certificate Application for New Accommodations (Form RA2). Thisform can be used to apply for RACE for students who meet the criteria but did not receive anyaccommodations in their Junior Certificate OR where a student needs additionalaccommodations to the ones that were granted at Junior Cert. Closing date: Dec. 9th, 2016.• Race Scheme Leaving Certificate Late Application Form (Form RA3). This form can be used tomake a late application for RACE at Leaving Certificate. It should be noted that that there isstill a deadline for late applications and that schools will have to furnish the SEC with a reasonfor the application being submitted late. Closing date: April 7th, 2017.

Additional InformationIt is important to note that the criteria for each accommodation have not changed. These willcontinue to be used to ‘evidence need’. In addition schools will be subjected to strenuousquality assurance checks by the SEC in order to maintain the integrity of both the Junior andLeaving Certificate. Schools will be required to strictly adhere to the criteria when grantingexam accommodations. The SEC will provide a referral and advisory service to schools to assistthem in difficult or complicated cases in relation to granting RACE.

Decisions on approval of reactivations and first time RACE applications will be passed on to theschools and the school will notify all candidates of the result of their application. If theapplication is rejected then the SEC will provide the reasons for the rejection in writing to theschool and student. As before, an independent appeals process will be available should you bedissatisfied with the result of your RACE application. If you are then dissatisfied with theoutcome of the independent appeal you may be able to have recourse through the Office ofthe Children’s Ombudsman (if the student is under 18 years old) or the Ombudsman (if thestudent is over 18 years old).

Full details including an Instructions for Schools and a Guide for Students are available on theSEC website: www.examinations.ie/schools/circulars/reasonable-accommodations

These changes are Phase 1 of the SEC’s review of RACE. Phase 2 which is now underway willlook at other issues including increasing use of assistive technology.

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Dyslexia Awareness Week takes place each year in the first week of October. Our theme thisyear was “Dyslexia: Accessing Your Rights”. Our press release and media work included furtherresearch findings from last year’s members survey which highlighted our key messages callingfor (1) mandatory teacher training on dyslexia identification and support strategies and (2)equitable access to evidence-based assessment and supports.

We were delighted to get press coverage in both regional and national radio, and in somenational newspapers. We also helped to arrange a television report shown on RTE’s news2dayon Oct. 5th which featured the fabulous children from the Catherine McAuley Reading School inBaggot Street who shared their experience of dyslexia.

A range of events were also held over the week including a Parents’ Course, a seminar onAssistive Technology, a large public information talk, an adult information seminar and aTeachers’ Course. The highlight of the week as an evening of discussion on Accessing YourRights held in our national office (on October 6th). This included excellent presentations fromNuala Ward, Head of Investigations at the Ombudsman for Children’s Office, and Gareth Noble,from KOD Lyons, one of Ireland’s leading children’s rights solicitors. Due to the level of interestthis event was filmed and can be viewed online at: http://bit.ly/2gc7Pzb.

Social media was a key focus of our awareness work this year using the hashtag#iwishyouknew. We asked people to share their #iwishyouknew messages or videos throughoutthe week, to help give people a better understanding of how it feels to have dyslexia. We hadsome fabulous contributions from a wide range of people including videos from Jane McGrathand Catherine Byrne, two of our Ambassadors. We also had videocontributions from other adults with dyslexia, so a big thank you toHeidi, Tom and Niall for your videos, as well as our own Amy andJenny from national office. In addition to the videos (which you cansee on our Facebook page and YouTube channel(http://bit.ly/2gc2LL4), we also had many written messages which we shared on Facebook andTwitter. The level of engagement on social media during the week was fantastic and exceededour expectations.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped to make Dyslexia Awareness Week 2016 such asuccess, especially the members of our Communications and Fundraising sub-committee, andeveryone who attended events and engaged on social media.

Hidden Potential - new short filmTo mark Dyslexia Awareness Month, DAI was delighted to share‘Hidden Potential’ a new Irish short film on dyslexia. This shortfilm was made by Eamonn McMahon a talented young film-maker from Wicklow in Ireland, with some support from theDyslexia Association of Ireland. The film has now been viewedalmost 100,000 times on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. Well done to all thoseinvolved in producing this lovely, moving short film. You can view the film athttp://bit.ly/2gxGCvd.

Report on Dyslexia Awareness Week 2016

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What is Mindfulness?Mindfulness is a gentle technique which usesawareness of the body and breathing to helpimprove self-awareness in the presentmoment. Mindfulness practice can help tostrengthen your resilience and ability to focus.It can also help to understand patterns orhabits of thinking, and to learn to treatemotions and feelings with kindness, ratherthan self-criticism.

Mindfulness techniques are now used in manysettings including in education; some schoolsnow teach mindfulness to pupils. Some adultswith dyslexia have also found it a usefultechnique to build resilience, self-awarenessand self-compassion.

The Benefits of Mindful Mediation –Comments from Dyslexic Adults

“I have been practicing mindful mediation for3 years and it has made a very positive impactin my life. As a dyslexic adult I have atendency to over think situations and analyseproblems from many different perspectives,this type of thinking can be beneficial incertain situations but can also be exhaustingand unproductive. Mediation helps me to stayin the present moment and to ‘let go’ of thehabit of over thinking. We may not control allthe events that happen in our life but you candecide how to react to them. The practice ofmediation also enabled me to pause beforeautomatically reacting to comments orsituations. It’s amazing how powerful themind is – we can cause our mental suffering orwe can choose our freedom.” Maria

“I was introduced to mindful meditation about

10 months ago, so far the time I have investedin meditating and pausing has been veryfruitful and a major unlock for me in my day today tasks and my work environment. I striveto allocate 10 mins a day when I pause andfocus on the here and now, as a result of thisinvestment of time I am noticing a majorimprovement in my concentration, not todwell too far in the past or the future, I amless conscious of how I’m perceived by othersand it has enhanced my self-esteem. Myability to focus on one thing at a time hasunlocked more capacity to challenge myselfand how I approach problems or tasks.Another benefit of meditating is a more stablesleep pattern. I would say things run a lotsmoother and I am calmer since I started tomeditate”. Tom.

Mindfulness Meditation Classes:Mediation classes are widely availablenationwide. Locations include: • The Santuary, Stanhope Street, Dublin 7.• Oscailt, 8 Pembroke Rd, Dublin 4.• The Mindfulness Centre, 33 Lr. PembrokeSt., Dublin 2.• And at many local Adult Education Centres.

Suggested books (also available on CD): • The Power of Now by Erkhart Tolle.• The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introductionto the Practice of Meditation by Thich NhatHanh.• Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Mobile Phone Apps are also available.Examples includes: Headspace: GuidedMeditation and Mindfulness. Available oniTunes and for android phones.

www.mindfulness.ie/resources includes someaudio mindfulness practices you can listento/download, videos, recommended booksand websites, and a listing of meditationgroups nationwide.

Please also keep an eye on the Events Page onour website and on our Facebook and Twitterpages as we hope to arrange an informationevening on Mindfulness in national office inthe New Year.

MindfulnessBy Maria McLoughlin

DAI takes part in Erasmus+ Youth Exchange By Amy Smyth

From July 23rd to 30th around seventy youngpeople with dyslexia from eight differentcountries attended a week-long Erasmus+youth exchange project in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq,Malta. The youth camp was aimed at youngpeople sharing their experiences of dyslexiaand to promote active citizenship. TeamIreland consisted of 10 participants includingadult group leaders and ranged in age from 18to 40. This experience was a rare opportunityfor young people with dyslexia to engage withand learn from other young people and mostimportantly to see that they were not alone indealing with their dyslexia.

The camp consisted of a variety of fun andeducational experiences and exchanges. Thisranged from treasure hunts in the capital cityof Valetta to meeting in groups to discuss howpeople with dyslexia could learn from eachother’s experiences – this was all broken upwith some swimming and sightseeing with theleaders from our host nation! Anotherimportant aspect of the youth camp wasinteracting with the European Union. Theyoung people met with two Maltese Membersof the European Parliament (MEPs) to discussfunding for projects for people with dyslexia,the work that is being done at a Europeanlevel in relation to dyslexia and the challengesthat lie ahead.

Team Ireland also did a presentation on theattitudes in relation to dyslexia that exist inIreland and the accommodations for peoplewith dyslexia that can be put in place. In thispresentation the young people detailed theirown experiences in school, college and theworkplace to give the other participants aflavour of the supports that exist in Ireland.This was an extremely helpful exercise as wesaw what is working in other countries andshared ideas on what improvements could bemade.

Overall the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange in Maltawas a wonderful experience, with all involvedreturning to their own country with wonderfulmemories, new friendships and some greatideas! Team Ireland would like to take thisopportunity to thank all involved in theplanning, organising and facilitating of thisevent in Malta.

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European Dyslexia Association (EDA) Conference 2016 Representatives from the DAI attended the EDA Conference in Modena, Italy, on September21-24 to hear current research from European and International experts. The abstracts frommost speakers are available on the conference website (www.eda2016.unimore.it) for anyonewho would like to gather more information on the researchpresented.

DAI’s Head of Psychological and Education Services Donald Ewinggave a presentation at the conference on “Assessment of Dyslexiain Ireland: A Paradigm Shift”. Donald’s well-received presentationwas grounded in the ethos of DAI’s Educational PsychologyAssessment Policy and DAI’s work to drive improved equity ofaccess to evidence-based and client-centred dyslexia assessment.

The EDA Conference which is held once every three years also provides a great opportunity tomeet with colleagues from across Europe to share best practice and gain insights from othercountries. Rosie Bissett, DAI CEO, was elected onto the Board of the EDA at the EDA GeneralAssembly held after the conference; this will help to strengthen our links with Europeancolleagues as well as our advocacy work at a pan-European level.

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DAI runs a wide range of courses, seminars and events each year in Dublin and on rotationaround the country, subject to demand. Here is an outline of just some of the events we areplanning for the first half of 2017:

• January 18th - Assistive Technology for Adults with Dyslexia (Dublin)• February - Parent's Course (Dublin)• February - Primary School Teacher's Course (Dublin)• February - Parents Course (Limerick)• February 22nd - Dyslexia in the Workplace (Dublin)• March 4th - Secondary School Teacher's Course (Dublin)• March - Primary School Teachers Course (Limerick)• March 22nd - Adult Information Seminar (Dublin)• March 28th - What is Dyslexia (Newbridge Library)• April 1st - Parents Course (Dublin) • May 6th to 20th - Primary School Teachers Course (Dublin)• May 27th - AGM• June 13th - App Technology and Dyslexia (Athy Library)• September 19th - App Technology and Dyslexia (Leixlip Library)

Further information and booking forms for courses can be found in the Events section on theDAI website (once dates and venues have been finalised). Please do follow us on Facebook andTwitter, and sign up for our monthly members’ email updates to ensure you hear about newevents around the country as they are organised, as we will be adding more talks and coursesto the above list. We are also planning some new courses for tutors in the further and adulteducation sector.

DAI is also open to invitations from community groups, libraries, workplaces, etc. to deliverseminars. This could be a dyslexia awareness session for an organisation, a talk for a parents’group on a specific topic, a seminar for adult literacy tutors. All talks are tailored to the needsof each group. Please call 01 877 6001 or email info@dyslexia.ie for further information.

Upcoming DAI Events - 2017

Children and young people aged 8-18 are needed to beinterviewed for, and to illustrate, a new book ondyslexia. Author Margaret Rooke is looking to speak to children and young people (aged 8-18)about having dyslexia and what has made them feel better about being dyslexic. Theinterviews will be anonymous.

Margaret would also like some of the contributors to draw illustrations for the book.The book will be published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers next year.

If anyone would like more information, please contact Margaret atmargaretrooke@btinternet.com. Margaret's last book 'Creative, Successful, Dyslexic'contained interviews with Darcey Bussell, Eddie Izzard, David Bailey and many otherwell-known personalities and looked at how dyslexia helped them to achieve.

We would encourage Irish children and young people to consider contributing theirvoice and experience to this new book.

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The Building Blocks of WordsVocabulary Building with Latin and GreekBy Wyn McCormack (www.dyslexiacourses.ie)

Up to 75% of English words come from Latin and Greek roots. They provide a powerful tool tounderstand unfamiliar words and to develop vocabulary. These roots provide consistentpatterns that help all students to pronounce, spell and know the meaning of new words theyencounter. Students at second level will meet many new words in different subjects. Many ofthem will come from these languages. This is particularly true in science subjects such asBiology.

Knowing the Latin and Greek roots is especially valuable for the student with dyslexia for tworeasons: 1. These students learn best when they can see patterns and understand what they are learning.2. Many do not read for pleasure and as a result may not have an extensive vocabulary. As aresult they often come across words they do not recognise.

Giving them the building blocks of words helps them to see how the word is constructed, how topronounce it, make a good guess at its meaning and helps in remembering how to spell it. Hereare examples of some of these roots and their meanings.

Biblo- (book) -lateral (sided) Odor- (smell)Bi- (two) -logy (study of) Osteo- (bone)-cide (killing) -mania (madness) Philia- (love of)Chrom- (colour) Mal- (bad) Phobia- (fear of)Derm- (skin) Matri-/mater (mother) Post- (after)Herbi- (plant/grass) Mono- (one) -volent (wishing)Hydro- (water) Mort- (death)-itis (inflammation/infection) Multi- (many)

With these, it is possible to make a good guess at the following words even if they areunfamiliar.

Matricide, herbicide Bibliophile, bibliophobia, hydrophobiaMalodorous, malevolentBilateral, multilateralOsteology, hydrology, dermatitis Monochrome, post mortem.

Even if the word is made up, it would be possible to guess at its meaning. Have a go at guessingwhat these words could mean: Chromophilia, matriology, dermaphobia.

While students would benefit if they were taught these Latin and Greek roots formally, parentsand teachers can help foster an understanding of them by explaining new words and where theycome from. If the origin is unfamiliar, looking them up in a good dictionary or on-line can help.There are websites that have games and quizzes on these roots at different age levels includingthe following:• http://www.syracusecityschools.com/tfiles/folder712/Latin%20Root%20Acativities.pdf• https://quizlet.com/4749316/greek-latin-root-words-flash-cards/• www.quia.com is a website that teachers can subscribe to. However if one searches Googlefor Latin and Greek roots quia, it is possible to access some Quia games such Jeopardy, Whowants to be a Millionaire, Rags to Riches using the roots. • www.english.glendale.cc.ca.us/roots.html. This site is more appropriate for senior cyclestudents. It includes a quiz.

There are only ten Latin and Greek plurals but they can cause great confusion and puzzlement.Why does fungus become fungi or criterion become criteria? See the ten rules atwww.biomedicaleditor.com/spelling-tip-latin.html

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Dyslexiacourses.ie run half-day seminars for senior cycle students which focus on study skillsand exam preparation techniques. The dates for their new year seminars are as follows• Wednesday 4th January - Dun Laoghaire Royal Marine Hotel (9.30 – 1.30)• Saturday 11th February - Dublin Stillorgan Talbot Hotel (9.30 – 1.30)• Tuesday 14th February - New Ross (1.30 – 5.30)• Thursday 16th February - Limerick (1.30 – 5.30)

Dyslexiacourses.ie also run a course for mainstream second level teachers on dyslexia. Theircourse is designed for (1) teachers who have students with dyslexia in their classes and (2)teachers who have been allocated some SEN classes and have not received any formal trainingon SEN teaching. Upcoming dates for their second level teachers courses are:• Dun Laoghaire Royal Marine Hotel - Saturday Jan. 14th

• Galway Clayton Hotel - Saturday Jan. 21ST• Cork Rochestown Park Hotel - Saturday Jan. 28th

Full details including booking information is available on their website at: http://www.dyslexiacourses.ie/index.php/second-level

Dyslexiacourses.ie

Contributions welcomed for future newsletters

We would love to include more articles from people with dyslexia in future newsletters. Wouldyou like to share your dyslexia experience, strategies you have found helpful or simply shareyour personal story/journey to encourage and motivate others that they too can succeed.Articles, poems or artistic contributions are all welcome. If you are interested in submittingsomething for our spring newsletter, please email it to ceo@dyslexia.ie by January 31st, 2017.While we may not be able to print all submissions, we would love people to send in theirarticles/poems/art for consideration.

E-Fun Brain Training Study seeks participantsThe E-FUN study is exploring if playing their E-FUN (Executive Function - EF) brain traininggame can improve EF, brain activity, reading and regulation abilities in children withdyslexia. They are looking for children aged 10-12 years with a diagnosis of dyslexia to takepart in their research study.

What’s involved: You and your child will be asked to attend two testing sessions 6 weeksapart at DCU. During each session your child will complete a number of EF and readingmeasures and you will be asked to complete some questionnaires on your child’sbehaviour. They will also record your child’s brain activity using EEG technology(electroencephalogram) for two EF tasks. Each session should take approx. 2 hours. In the 6weeks between sessions, your child will be asked to play our online brain training gameunder your supervision at home.

If you are interested in taking part or have any further queries about the research pleaseemail caoilainn.doyle96@mail.dcu.ie or phone 01 7006868.

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DAI now has a text donation facility (run in conjunction with LikeCharity). Text donation isa really easy, and economical, way to show your support for the work the Associationdoes. Funds raised through our text donation facility will be used to support our nationalinformation and advice service, subsidised assessment, tuition and training for peopleaffected by dyslexia.

With your support we will be able to help many more people families dealing withdyslexia.

Text Donation Facility

With early identification and supports Irish children with dyslexiacan succeed with reading

Text READ to 50300 to donate €4

100% of your donation goes to Dyslexia Association of Ireland across most networks.Some networks apply VAT which means a minimum of €3.25 will go to Dyslexia

Association of Ireland. Service Provider: LIKECHARITY Helpline: 0766805278.

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The Teaching Council’s New Complaints Investigation Function

The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for teaching that promotes andregulates the teaching profession. It acts in the interests of the public good while upholdingand enhancing the reputation of the teaching profession. One of the functions of theTeaching Council is to investigate complaints and, where necessary, hold inquiries aboutregistered teachers.

The Teaching Council’s updated Code of Professional Conductfor Teachers sets out the standards of professionalknowledge, skills, competence and conduct which areexpected of registered teachers. The standards areunderpinned by four core values – respect, care, integrity andtrust, and reflect the complexity of teaching. While the vastmajority of teachers do a good job teaching the students intheir care each day, this new complaints investigation processprovides a mechanism to address poorperformance/misconduct.

The Minister for Education and Skills formally commenced Part 5 of the Teaching CouncilActs, 2001-2015 on 25 July 2016 which allows the Council to receive complaints aboutregistered teachers and to conduct investigations and hold inquiries, where deemedappropriate.

The Council can look into complaints on a number of grounds including: • professional misconduct• poor professional performance• engaging in conduct contrary to the Code of Professional Conduct• being medically unfit to teach• and a court conviction for certain offences

Any person including members of the public, employers and other teachers may make acomplaint about a registered teacher. In addition, the Teaching Council can itself make acomplaint about a registered teacher. In general, complaints should first be brought to theschool management and only when those procedures have been exhausted should acomplaint be made to the Teaching Council.

The Teaching Council can generally only consider complaints where the matters complainedabout took place on or after 25 July 2016. For complaints about events that took placebefore 25 July 2016, the Investigating Committee can only decide to proceed to considerand investigate the complaint in exceptional circumstances.

For further information visit the Teaching Council’s website: www.teachingcouncil.ie

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Recent Fundraising

Mary McKenna Golf Classic 2016The sun shone and the golf was good at Donabate Golf Club onFriday June 3rd at the Mary McKenna Golf Classic in aid of DAI. Wewere delighted to have over 30 teams playing on the day, and alsoheld a raffle at the event – in total we raised over €7,000 eurowhich has been used towards our support services for those withdyslexia, including the provision of subsidised assessments tochildren and adults from disadvantaged families. We weredelighted to have 3 former Curtis Cup captains taking part in theevent, which happened in the week leading up to this year’s Curtis Cup which took place inDublin and was won by GB & Ireland.

Our Golf Classic would simply not happen without the significant efforts of Mary McKenna, MBE.As well as being one of Ireland’s golfing greats, she is a long-time friend and supporter of DAI.The success of our Golf Classic over recent years has largely been due to Mary’s extraordinarygenerosity with her time and talents, as well as the support from her wide circle of golfingfriends. We truly appreciate all that Mary has done for DAI. The funds raised at the MaryMcKenna Classics over recent years have had a huge impact and enabled over 100 children andadults from disadvantaged families to have their dyslexia identified and supported.

Thanks to the fabulous golfers who played on the day – the winning team with a score of 90points (and winning on the back 9) was Maurice Keane, Anne Hammell and Agnes Foster.

Donabate Golf Club staff and members gave us all a great welcome as always. We would alsolike to sincerely thank our sponsors who provided prizes, and products for our goodie bags:Frank Clarke of Simply Painting fame, The Curtis Cup organisers, Jus de Vine Portmarnock,Keelings Fruit, Centra Seabury, Cork GC, Galway GC, Enniscrone GC, Castlewarden GC and LarneGC.

Huge thanks to all our volunteers and supporters who helped out in advance and on the day,especially Brendan Redmond, Cal Gannon, Jo Gannon, Fergus and Mary Cosgrave, the membersof our Communications and Fundraising sub-committee, and our staff.

VHI Women’s Mini-Marathon June 2016 A big thank you to all the ladies who took part in the VHI Women’sMini-Marathon in Dublin on June 6th 2016 on behalf of the DyslexiaAssociation of Ireland. Some took part on behalf of their localBranches and some took part on behalf of the National Association –we thank them all sincerely for their efforts. The 2017 event will beon Monday 5th June, 2017.

Individuals to Thank• Thank you very much to Mick McCarthy and family for theirvery generous donation of €4,400 to the DAI. Funds raisedwere in memory of Mick's son Padraig (Podge) McCarthy whowas dyslexic. The monies will be used to fund assessments forchildren and adults on reduced incomes.

• Sincere thanks also to Peter Bosch who ran theConnemarathon in aid of DAI this year, a fantastic achievementin aid of a great cause.

Christmas Cards

Our attractive range of charity Christmas cards are now on sale in aid of the Dyslexia Associationof Ireland. In order to clear our stocks, we are offering all packs at the SPECIAL SALE PRICE of just€4.00 per pack (plus postage). Packs contain either 12 or 15 cards and envelopes. We have a very wide range of designs available, featuring snowy scenes, snowmen, reindeer,Santa, Christmas animals, vintage style.

Postal orders will be lucky dip (random selection), or members are welcome to drop into ourDublin office if they want to make a specific selection. If you are able to drop into our nationaloffice then you can also avoid the postage costs entirely.

Postage costs will be as follows:• €2.30 for 1 pack• €7.00 for 2-3 packs• €8.30 for 4-5 packs• For larger orders please contact the office for total postage cost.

Christmas Card Order FormI would like to order ____ packs of Christmas Cards (lucky dip) @ €4.00 per pack.

I enclose €_____________ for cards plus €__________ for postage The total enclosed is€_____________________ You can also call the office (01 877 6001) with your debit or creditcard and order cards over the phone.

Your Name: ___________________________________________ Tel: _____________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Email: _________________________________________________________________________

Please post, with the appropriate fee, to: DAI, 5th Floor, Block B, Joyce’s Court, Talbot St., Dublin 1, D01C861.

NEW eCardsIn recognition that many people and companies are now switching fromtraditional Christmas cards to eCards, DAI can also produce a customisedeCard for companies and individuals in return for a donation to theAssociation.

Please contact ceo@dyslexia.ie if you would like to arrange a customisedcharity eCard which you can then email to your clients/colleagues.

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This Newsletter was published by the Dyslexia Association of Ireland inNovember 2016.

For further information about dyslexia and the work of the Dyslexia Association ofIreland, please contact:

Address: 5th Floor, Block B, Joyce’s Court, Talbot St., Dublin 1, D01C681.Telephone: 01 877 6001Email: info@dyslexia.ieWebsite: www.dyslexia.ieCharity No: CHY 10044CRA No.: 20025335Registered Company No: 185795