Annual Dyslexia Guild Online Conference - 3 July 2024

Delegate Rates 

£96 Guild Member Rate
(£80.00 + £16.00 VAT)

£138 Non-Guild Member Rate
(£115.00 + £26 VAT)

Conference Programme

‘Why some of us struggle with maths, and how we might find ways to assess and support learners in the classroom’

Rob Jennings – Co-founder of the Dyscalculia Network, Head of Maths at Emerson House LLP and Head of Learning Support at Westminster Abbey Choir School and co-author of ‘Maths Difficulties and Dyscalculia Assessment’. Rob is planning to talk about issues related to maths assessment and diagnosis. He will outline definitions of dyscalculia and maths difficulties and he will consider co-occurring conditions and how they impact upon maths assessment and intervention. He will consider how interventions can be planned and how to make use of ‘maths games’. 

'The prevalence of anxiety within dyslexic communities and practical solutions and strategies in Supporting one-to-one study support students'

Dr Amanda T Abbot-Jones - Amanda works in supporting dyslexic higher education students with their cognitive and emotional learning needs. Her own late diagnosis of dyslexia whilst undertaking a postgraduate teaching qualification has driven her passion to work with and support students with dyslexia. She received her doctorate in education focusing on dyslexia and its association with anxiety and social / emotional difficulties from University College London. She is author of ‘Dyslexia in Higher Education: Anxiety and Coping Skills’ (Cambridge University Press, 2022) and ‘Cognitive and Emotional Study Strategies for Students with Dyslexia in Higher Education’ (Cambridge University Press, 2023).

Regulating Emotions – Strengthening Adolescent Resilience 

Re-Star Programme, King's College, London - We will learn about an ongoing programme entitled Regulating Emotions - Strengthening Adolescent Resilience (RE-STAR) led by Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke of the Experimental Psychopathology and Neurodevelopment (ExPAND) Research Group at King’s College London. Many young people with ADHD or autism traits develop depression during adolescence but little is known about what underlying processes increase that risk and what the best way might be to increase resilience to reduce that risk. RE-STAR explores the interplay between autism and/or ADHD traits, exposure to environmental stressors, and emotional responding in neurodivergent young people in driving developmental pathways to depression.

‘Adult learners with dyslexia and English as an additional language: assessing and teaching’

Dr Paul Demetriou-Crane – Paul works as an educational consultant in further education (FE) and will be presenting how to support adults with dyslexia who also have English as an additional  language (EAL), offering us practical tips to enhance practice.  In FE and higher education (HE) there are increasing numbers of adult learners with academic writing and other literacy issues. Many of these are learners who have EAL and an additional learning difference. Many teachers in FE and HE are struggling to support the needs of these learners in the classroom because this area receives very little coverage on standard teaching training programmes and thus, they tend to rely upon their own research and occasional CPD sessions for information and guidance. There is much research about how to teach children who have EAL and learning differences, but very little regarding adult learners.  Paul will explore screening for reading failure in dyslexic students with EAL. Identifying reading difficulties early on is crucial to providing effective interventions. Participants will learn about different screening tools and strategies tailored to the specific needs of a diverse student population with varying language proficiencies. Additionally, assessing language in bilingual and multilingual individuals will be addressed. Evaluating language proficiency and identifying language dominance is vital when assessing dyslexia in multilingual learners. Participants will learn about evidence-based assessment tools and techniques applicable to bilingual and multilingual individuals.

The Guild Toolkit! A free resource for our members

This invaluable toolkit, originally developed within the remit of the Infinitus Project has been re-packaged for those who work to support and assess adults. The materials are also of relevance to practitioners working with children with literacy difficulties, as many of the ideas within it can be adapted for use with younger learners. It is an ideal way of gaining CPD hours.  

Previous feedback from Guild members about the toolkit: 

“Read through this incredible resource, which was insightful and provides numerous resources that I will use in the future with my students, many of which I have never explored before.” 

“I’ve not been genuinely excited by a resource for years, but this one is amazing for our HE context and I will use my position as Team Leader of a DSA study skills team to draw in key lessons."

David Bailey - David Bailey works with adults in his role as tutor with an adult education service in the north of England, he is also a tutor for Dyslexia Action CPD training courses and is a long term Guild member.

Dyslexia Action Shop - What's New!

The Dyslexia Action Shop has a large range of products for all your learning resource needs, from assessment tests and supplementary materials to books, games and much more. Having been established for over 20 years, the shop has experience and expert understanding of the assessments and support materials used in today's education institutions.

Monica Vashisht, Shop and Product Manager will be giving an overview of new products....

An overview on the New Teaching for Maths-Related Difficulties Postgraduate Certificate

Available from May 2024, and comprising two modules, this new Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching for Maths-Related Difficulties will prepare you for working in whole class and one-to-one tutoring situations with learners with a wide variety of maths-related difficulties.

Amanda Woolf, Head of Sales and Marketing will be providing an overview of this new qualification.

You will add to your knowledge thus updating your continuing professional development activities in order to maintain professional practice standards.

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