Dyslexia at Third LevelFor general information on the signs of dyslexia and assessment for adults, please consult our adult section. Application to Third LevelAll colleges welcome applications from students with disabilities, and aim to achieve a situation where no student who would otherwise gain admission will be prevented from doing so by reason of disability. It is important, as a first point of call, to make contact with the Disability Support Service in any college the student is considering applying to. This service can provide valuable information and support about application procedures and also advise on available supports within the college. CAO ApplicationAll applications to third level colleges are processed centrally through the CAO system, including those of students
with disabilities who may be seeking additional support or alternative entry.
In the case of students with dyslexia, the colleges (through the CAO) will ask the student to submit a reasonably up-to-date psycho-educational assessment report (not more than 3 years old) which illustrates their dyslexic profile and details their learning support requirements at third level. Some colleges offer alternative entry. This is targetted to students with disabilities, including dyslexia. Alternative entry can allow access to courses by students who would otherwise not have accesss. It recognises the impact of the disability on points, i.e. that the student with dyslexia may not reach the points required. Through the alternative entry route, colleges can assess the students suitability and aptitude for a course on a individual basis. This route is called the Disability Access Route to Higher Education (DARE). School leavers who wish to be considered for DARE must apply as part of their CAO application (www.cao.ie) before February 1st 2010. The student's supporting documentation must be submitted by April 1st 2010. Many students who applied in previous years were ineligible because they failed to submit appropriate evidence of disability documentation. It is essential that students, teachers and parents begin to gather this information as early in the academic year as possible. One of the key requirements for students with dyslexia is the provision of a full psycho-educational assessment report which is less than three years old, i.e. for students applying this year, the report must be dated after 1st February 2007. Further information on DARE can be found on the newly launched website www.accesscollege.ie. Contact details for all the participating colleges are included on the website, and colleges are happy to be contacted to discuss any queries. ***Remember that while some courses can only be accessed directly through a degree course entry (e.g. medicine), many others can be accessed through the PLC to Certificate to Diploma to Degree route. This route may take a year or two more, but the end result is the same. A degree is a degree, and whether it takes 3, 4 or 5 years to achieve, the end result is the same. Launch of Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) 2010The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) aimed at all school leavers with disabilities was launched on 6th October 2009 by the participating universities. This supplementary admissions scheme recognises the impact of disability on educational attainment and on progression to higher education. School leavers who wish to be considered for DARE must apply as part of their CAO application (www.cao.ie) before February 1st 2010. The student's supporting documentation must be submitted by April 1st 2010. Many students who applied in previous years were ineligible because they failed to submit appropriate evidence of disability documentation. It is essential that students, teachers and parents begin to gather this information as early in the academic year as possible. One of the key requirements for students with dyslexia is the provision of a full psycho-educational assessment report which is less than three years old, i.e. the report must be dated after 1st February 2007. Further information on DARE can be found on the newly launched website www.accesscollege.ie. Contact details for all the participating colleges are included on the website, and colleges are happy to be contacted to discuss any queries. Exemption from Language RequirementsStudents with dyslexia can apply for an exemption from the language requirements for entry to most third level institutions. Formal exemptions will generally be recognised by the National University of Ireland and most third level institutions. These institutions will generally allow students with such exemptions to be exempt from college matriculation requirements regarding the number of language subjects a candidate is required to have. Even if a formal exemption has not been granted, it is worth seeking such an exemption from the NUI if a serious problem exists. There are still a few careers where Irish is a compulsory requirement, e.g. primary teaching, the Gardai, the Army and for some Civil Service occupations. Students with dyslexia can apply directly to third level institutions for an exemption from the matriculation language requirements. This can usually be done at any stage after Junior Cert. Application to the NUI colleges, such as UCD, UCC, UCG and Maynooth, is done centrally via the NUI office in Dublin. Application forms are available from the National University of Ireland, 49 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-4392424. Website: http://www.nui.ie/entry/. Individual applications must be made directly to all other colleges. Be aware also that some courses will require Irish or other languages, because they are integral parts of the course, e.g. Irish is a compulsory subject for a primary teaching degree; a European Studies or Business course may require a modern European language. In such cases where a language is an integral part of a course it is obviously not possible to get an exemption. However, for most courses there exists a comparable course, in the same college or in another college, which offers the same core degree without the language component.Support While at Third LevelMost third level institutions at this stage have Disability Support Services. The activities of these services vary from college to college, but they generally provide information, act as advocates and organise the provision of necessary supports for students with disabilities. They often have an important role in creating a higher awareness of the needs of students with disabilities among the teaching staff of the college, and generally making the college a more accessible place to students with disabilities. The types of supports which can be available in third level colleges are:
As soon as a student has been accepted into college, it is very important to meet with the Disability Support service as soon as possible, to ensure that supports are put in place. Colleges have to apply for funding for some supports; if the funding deadline has been passed, then it is not possible to apply until the following year. Therefore, it is essential to meet with the Disability Support service early in September and discuss any needs the student may have. Extra Tuition Many colleges provide special tutorial support for students with disabilities. If this is not available in a college, some dyslexic students might organise some specialised private tuition outside of college. DAI offers tuition to adults, including third level students, in reading, spelling, essay writing, study skills and examination techniques. This tuition is designed for people with dyslexia and is given by specifically trained private teachers. A fee is usually charged. This is not part of the adult literacy programme and meets a very different set of needs. Resoures/LinksCAO - Central Admissions Office
AHEAD - Association for Higher Education Access and Disability
The Quest For Learning website
Students with disabilities or specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia may need additional study skills tuition due to the disadvantage of their disability or learning difficulty in a new learning situation. For example a student with dyslexia may need additional tuition in learning how to lay out an academic paper and may benefit from additional hours with a study skills tutor. If you have a disability or a specific learning difficulty you should approach the disability support services in the college or the access office for advice. Below are links to the Disability Support Services in some of the Irish universities and colleges.
AHEAD ConferenceDyslexia 2010 - Challenges and Perspectives in Higher EducationDate: 16th March 2010.
|