Specific Learning Difficulties A1.7 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity are the main characteristics of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). As a student’s academic success is often dependent on their ability to attend to tasks and tutor expectations with minimal distractions, a student with ADHD may struggle within the typical HE academic environment. Activities associated with acquiring necessary information for completing tasks, completing assignments and participating in discussions with their tutors and peers, are all activities that can potentially be problematic for the student with ADHD. As students with ADHD may experience difficulties with the structured environment of a tutorial or lecture or focusing on their assigned work, they may need adjustments to the learning environment to help them remain focused on the task in hand. Students may need to be questioned about where they prefer to sit within the learning environment to help them to focus on what is being said; they may also benefit from working closely with another student who can help them to develop their co-operation skills or, if space permits, work in separate learning areas, away from other students. Different students will find different scenarios work better for them and open communication with the student about this is essential. A1.8 Autistic Spectrum Disorders Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder that affects the way an individual communicates and relates to people around them. Children and adults with autism experience difficulties with everyday social interaction. Their ability to develop friendships is generally limited due to their capacity to understand other people’s emotional expression. People with autism often have accompanying learning difficulties but all individuals share the same common difficulty in making sense of the world around them... [and] generally experience three main areas of difficulty; these are known as the triad of impairments: Social interaction - difficulty with social relationships, e.g. appearing aloof and indifferent to others Social communication - difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication, e.g. not fully understanding the meaning of common gestures, facial expressions or tone of voice Imagination - difficulty in the development of interpersonal skills and imagination, e.g. having a limited range of imaginative abilities, possibly copied and pursued rigidly and repetitively. In addition to this triad, repetitive behaviour patterns and resistance to change in routine are often also characteristic. A1.9 Aspergers Syndrome Individuals with Aspergers syndrome find it difficult to read communication signals that most of us take for granted and, as a result, find it more difficult to communicate and interact with others. Aspergers syndrome is a form of autism, and a number of traits of autism are common to Aspergers syndrome, including: difficulty communicating - individuals may speak fluently but they may not take much notice of the reaction of the people listening to them; they may talk on and on regardless of the listener’s interest or they may appear insensitive to their feelings. Despite having good language skills, people with Aspergers syndrome may sound over-precise, or over-literal jokes can cause problems as can exaggerated language, turns of phrase and metaphors difficulty forming social relationships - unlike the individual with classic autism, who often appears withdrawn and uninterested in the world around them, many people with Aspergers syndrome want to be sociable and enjoy human contact. Although they do still find it hard to understand non-verbal signals, including facial expressions, which makes it more difficult for them to form and maintain social relationships with people unaware of their needs lack of imagination and creativity - while they often excel at learning facts and figures, individuals with Aspergers syndrome often find it hard to think in abstract ways. Students with autistic spectrum disorders may also have a number of characteristics that have a negative impact on the way they learn; these can include any or all of the following: Difficulty interacting with other students and tutors Misunderstanding or naivety within social interactions Anxiety within social interactions Reliance on routines and a dislike of sudden changes Poor organisational skills Easily distracted Confusion of relevant and irrelevant information Focusing on inappropriate details. Students with autistic spectrum disorders may find group work situations problematic due to their difficulties with social interaction; specific group work difficulties might include: missing unspoken messages given through body language, facial expression, or tone of voice, making remarks that appear to be inappropriate to the context of the conversation, and difficulty accommodating to different audiences. Students with autistic spectrum disorders are more likely to use language literally, finding it difficult to understand metaphors, jokes or abstract concepts. Their difficulty with the abstract and their inflexibility in thinking can extend to other areas, for example, reliance on fixed routines or demonstrating repetitive behaviour, such as wishing to sit in the same seat; they may experience distress when these routines are disrupted. A1.10 Dyslexia Dyslexic students can often perform a range of complex tasks, such as solving complicated problems in electronics or design, yet cannot do the seemingly simple: learning to read and spell, organising writing, taking notes, remembering instructions, telling the time or finding their way around. A way of regarding this pattern of strengths and weaknesses is as a cognitive or learning style, in fact many dyslexic students themselves experience their dyslexia as a difference in the way they think or learn. Because of their language processing and short-term memory difficulties, dyslexic students rely heavily on meaning and understanding, which requires: A highly personalised approach to learning A need to have the learning process and conventions made explicit A need to understand how and why in order to learn. Reading forms a major part of most curricular activities and if a student has, for instance, half the reading speed of other students, this may put an immense strain on their studies, affecting their ability to remember what has been read. Vocabulary levels may also be poor and so comprehension suffers. Dyslexic students can experience problems with written expression and vocabulary to the point where it affects a tutor’s understanding of their work. Students with dyslexia may experience problems with their written work including some or all of the following: Poorly constructed and slow handwriting interfering with their ability to get ideas down Difficulty planning and structuring written work Problems with the transition of ideas Difficulty relating theory to practice Poor written expression and/or sentence structure Difficulty understanding conventions in writing Difficulty relating abstract to particular. Students may experience problems taking in information given orally quickly or accurately enough, misunderstanding instructions or information, assimilating what has been said in a group situation, word-finding problems or with pronunciation of polysyllabic words. Some dyslexic students experience short-term memory problems which can affect note-taking, reading, writing and organisation but can also make it difficult to organise their time and meet deadlines. Many students with dyslexia are mathematically very able; however, some may have difficulties resulting from visual perceptual or short-term/working memory problems. Dyslexic students may also experience some or all of the following mathematical difficulties: Visual problems such as reversals and substitutions Transcription errors between media Losing place in multi-step calculations or failing to hold all aspects in mind Difficulty remembering sign and symbols Problems remembering formulae and theorems Difficulty retrieving specialised vocabulary Difficulty with arithmetic and basic numeracy Difficulty moving from concrete to abstract. A1.11 Dyspraxia Dyspraxia is a specific learning difficulty that affects the brain’s ability to plan sequences of movement. It is thought to be connected to the way that the brain develops, and can affect the planning of what to do and how to do it. It is often associated with problems of perception, language and thought. The effects that dyspraxia have on a person’s ability to function in a day-to-day environment, as well as in a learning environment, can vary depending on the degree of difficulty. Some people with dyspraxia have tactile defensiveness - they are over-sensitive to touch. Others may have articulatory dyspraxia, which causes difficulties with speaking and pronunciation. People with dyspraxia often have low self-esteem. They may experience depression, have mental health problems and experience emotional and behavioural difficulties. Students may experience difficulties in some, or all, of the following areas: Gross motor skills: poor performance in sport, general clumsiness, poor balance, and difficulties in learning skills involving co-ordination of body parts, e.g. riding a bike or swimming Manual and practical work: problems using computer keyboards and mice, frequent spills in the laboratory and elsewhere, difficulty measuring accurately, slow, poor or illegible handwriting, messy presentation/work and problems with craft-work, cookery, etc Personal presentation and spatial skills: untidy and rumpled appearance, clumsy gait, poor posture, frequent bumping into things and tripping over and can be poor at sport, especially team and ball games Memory and attention span: poor attention span, poor short term memory, easily distracted in class, especially by noise and bright lights, difficulty following class discussions, slow retrieval of information, especially when under stress; may become disorientated e.g. getting lost in buildings and in new environments Written expression: erratic spelling and punctuation, awkward and confused sentence structure, poor proof-reading, inclusion of irrelevant material in essays and may be slow to complete work Visual and oral skills: trouble keeping place while reading and writing (tracking problems), poor relocating - cannot easily look from blackboard/overhead to notes, difficulty word finding, and wrong pronunciation of newly-introduced words, speaking indistinctly, loudly, fast or slowly, interrupting inappropriately and difficulty learning foreign languages Numerical and mathematical skills: tendency to reverse and mistype numbers, signs or decimal points, frequent and apparently careless mistakes, particular difficulty with geometry - both drawing and using equipment such as a compass or protractor and difficulty with spatial awareness e.g. drawing shapes, graphs, tables, etc Social, communication and emotional difficulties: problems with oral interaction and communication, low self-esteem and lack of confidence, frustration, defensiveness or aggression, over-talkative and excitable behaviour, withdrawn and reserved or may experience anxiety, stress and depression. The Policy 1 Key Principles 1.1 In keeping with legislation and associated guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission , higher education providers are required to take reasonable steps to:  mitigate against substantial disadvantage where a provision, criterion or practice may create barriers for the involvement and educational attainment of disabled people;  alter or remove physical features that place di sabled persons at a substantial disadvantage;  provide an auxiliary aid where, without one, disabled students would be put at a disadvantage;  consider adjustments to assessments or the provision of alternative arrangements for assessments, being mindful of the specific learning requirements of students with disabilities. 1.2 All students of the University can expect a learning and assessment experience that is consistent with Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance and which is underpinned by the values and practices of inclusion. 1.3 Inclusive practice involves:  pro viding accessible learning and assessment for all students;  providing for flexibility in learning, teaching and assessment;  ensuring the relevance of curriculum assessment items for all students;  ensuring teaching staff have the requisite professional co mpetencies for teaching and assessing all students;  making reasonable adjustments where appropriate and/or considering applications for alternative assessment arrangements. 1.4 Inclusive teaching and assessment is best facilitated by anticipating and planning for the learning requirements of all students. This involves anticipating and considering, in a generalised way, the requirements of students with learning and/or physical d isabilities. 1.5 Key aspects of inclusion for learning, teaching and assessment, should inform all phases of programme design, development, approval, evaluation and review on an ongoing basis. 1. 6 The University recognises that the adoption of inclusiv e teaching, learning and assessment methods does not negate the need to make reasonable adjustments for individual students. 1.7 In keeping with the Equalities Act 2010 the University does not seek to modify competence requirements or learning outcomes wh ich meet the definition of a competence standard, but does make adjustments to the means by which these are assessed, where necessary. A genuine competence standard applies equally to all students and may not be modified. However, depending on the need o f an individual disabled student, the means by which that student is enabled to demonstrate the standard can be adjusted/adapted. This might involve, for example: adapting materials used in an assessment to aid accessibility; providing assistance during as sessment; re - organising the assessment physical environment and facilitating the use of assistive technology and a computer. Similarly in some circumstances it may be most appropriate to provide for alternative assessment arrangements to prevent disadvant age whilst assuring academic rigour. 1.8 Where students are diagnosed with a specific learning difficulty at a point in their course after which they have already submitted assessments, they may apply to take an alternative assessment where it is adjudge d that the original assessment may have unfavourably disadvantaged them as a consequence of their disability. 1.9 Students who disclose specific learning difficulties ( e.g. dyslexia, or a disability impacting on spelling, syntax, or structural organisation of written work, such as for pre - linguistically deaf students) have the facility to bring the nature of their disability to the attention of the staff who mark their work. This is in order to accommodate the student’s functional difference, and does not affect academic standards applied in the marking of work or assessment of the achievement of learning outcomes. Procedures 2 Inclusive assessment by design 2.1 Through inclusive design, anticipatory planning, and providing real choice, assessments should meet the needs of the vast majority of students. 2.2 Planned anticipatory inclusive assessment design should be mindful of the learning requirements of all stud ents, particularly those with disabilities, and other student groups, such that all students are enabled to demonstrate to their full potential what they know, understand and are able to do. 2.3 Assessment practices should be designed to address learning outcomes and competency standards in ways that are facilitative and non - discriminatory. A competency standard is defined in the Equality Act 2010 as ‘an academic, medical, or other standard applied by, or on behalf of, an education provider for the purpose of determining whether or not a person has a particular level of competence or ability’. 2.4 Students and other key stakeholders should be consulted in the design, development and implementation of inclusive assessment practices. 2.5 Inclusive assessment is mos t relevant and effective when it is designed to engage with real world tasks and challenges. 2.6 Programmes and courses should include elements of choice in assessment items mindful of anticipatory learning requirements of all students, including those with disabilities. 2.7 Assessments and learning practices including for example: teaching and learning environments, field trips, group work, placements, and laboratory work should as far as possible be accessible and inclusive by design, so that only minimal adap tations or adjustments are necessary for individuals. 2.8 Inclusive practice in assessment should be provided for by reflecting and acting upon the nature of students’ assessment experiences at differing stages as modules and courses are designed, taught, eva luated and reviewed. 2.9 Evidence that elimination of disability related barriers has been considered is required for the approval and re - approval of programmes. 2.10 University routes to professional recognition (PG Certificate Learning and Teaching in HE, and the Worcester CPD Scheme leading to Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, as well as the University Teaching Awards) require staff to evidence a commitment to the values, principles and practices of diversity and inclusion; incorporating a capac ity to engage effectively with inclusive assessment. 2.11 The University will provide staff with opportunities for professional development in the area of inclusive assessment design, practice and implementation. 2.12 In some circumstances, given the indivi dual nature of disabilities, it may be necessary to develop ! 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