Germán Kuri Díaz, Extintores Seguridad e Higiene

Despite aspects of handwriting often being absent from definitions of dyslexia, and when it is included, it is categorised as a co-occurring difficulty (Burden, 2005; Rose, 2009) the students within the current research reported a multitude of difficulties experienced within a classroom environment when writing by hand. The inclusion of handwriting impairments was noticeably absent from the previous lived experience studies reviewed within this research. Although, as the previous studies required a ‘diagnosis’ of dyslexia, as a criterion for participation, which does not normally include an assessment for handwriting, the studies may not have included difficulties experienced when writing by hand within the scope of their research. The inclusion of dyslexic students’ experiences of handwriting impairments within schooling in this current research therefore provides a distinctive contribution to the field of dyslexic research.

The student’s descriptions of their intrinsic handwriting impairments (Shakespeare 2014) were described in terms relating to the appearance and legibility of their written work. The students mostly described their handwriting using negative terminology, such as, “scruffy”, “horrible… I just write really funnily” (Quinn, year 9), “It looks blurry” (Haydon, year 6), and, “the letters will just deform” (Sam, year 8). Their illegible handwriting often meant that they were unable to read what they have written, “sometimes I can’t read it” (Charlie, year 9), and therefore what they write “doesn’t make sense” (Quinn, year 9). When trying to improve the appearance and legibility of their writing, “recently I have tried to make my

handwriting bigger so my teacher can read it” (Sam, year 8). Other students stressed this

would ‘slow’ their handwriting pace down, “when I try to do neat…I’m so slow” (Jamie, year 5). A slower writing pace often-meant students would experience additional difficulties, for example, failing to complete the work set, “every time I do it neat, I have never actually

Some students also spoke of the physical pain they experienced when handwriting, “[my hand] gets achy and it hurts…it starts stinging” (Elliott, year 3), “starts to hurt” (Quinn, year 9), “I always get a cramp in my hand” (Haydon, year 6). The pain described by the students within this current research, gave key insights into why their writing, and possibly why other dyslexic students writing may appear to be illegible and slow. Engaging with dyslexic

students’ understandings of the difficulties they experienced within educational settings, as with these examples, can give insights that will otherwise be too often overlooked.

The students’ anxiety concerning their handwriting difficulties, again as with their reading and spelling impairments was influenced by extrinsic factors (Shakespeare 2014) for example, the discrimination they experienced from their teachers. Students spoke of the punishments they experienced for not being able to write as ‘neatly’ as their teacher expected “Miss says it has to be neat” (Jamie, year 5) and if they failed to write ‘neatly’ this meant some students would get their “page ripped out and they would have to do it over

again” (Casey, year 4). The students explained that the time they spent attempting to write

as ‘neat’ as their teacher expected meant their work would often take “forever” as it “takes

so long to do it neat” (Jamie, year 5). Many of the students had endured several years of

being denied a break time, “I miss breaks if I didn’t finish my work” (Leslie, year 8) so they could complete their work according to the teachers set standard.

Missing breaks is not only an unacceptable form of punishment for experiencing difficulties when handwriting, but it prevents students from having a break from their work which is also a barrier to the social aspects of schooling, as it can prevent students from maintaining peer relationships. Some students spoke of how they had lost friends due to them missing their break time, “they think I don’t want to play with them anymore so I don’t really have a

lot of people to play with because I stay in all the time” (Leslie, year 8). Shakespeare (2014)

argues that often disabled students are “segregated in school or excluded” which “may lead

to disabled children from being excluded from peer groups” (p. 196). Leslie’s example,

therefore, illuminates how disabled children “can experience significantly greater isolation

and loneliness” (Shakespeare 2014: 191) due to the discrimination they endure within

Most students had stressed how the use of adjustments to their learning environment, such as the use of a word processor, not only alleviated the pain they experienced when

handwriting, it prevented the difficulties they had when trying to read what they had previously written, and allowed them to complete tasks within the set time frame. One student Riley, year 5 also claimed how the use of highlighted lines, improved the

appearance and legibility of their handwriting. However, as with the use of coloured tinted filters to improve a student’s reading discomfort, the use of reasonable adjustments, such as a word processor or highlighted lines, within a classroom was often due to the discretion of the teacher.

As Shakespeare (2014) claims “even in the most accessible world, there will always be a

residual disadvantage attached to many impairments” (p. 42). Although the students

intrinsic handwriting impairments would remain, if they were given access to reasonable adjustments, such as a word processor, then this could alleviate many additional disabling barriers within schooling. The interactional approach to disability does not only address the effect that external barriers can have on disability but also includes the extrinsic factors such as the attitudes and reactions of others. The student’s experiences within this current research provide important insights into the disabling extrinsic influence the individual attitudes of teachers can have on a dyslexic student within a classroom environment and further research is needed.

6.3 Conclusion

As this current research began with a brief description of my understanding of dyslexia and the difficulties, I experienced throughout education I felt it was appropriate to bring the research to a close in a similar manner. When I began this journey, I imagined that my dyslexic son’s education and other dyslexic school-aged students’ current educational experiences would be different from my own negative experiences and those highlighted within previous research, i.e. Alexander-Passe, N. (2012), Riddick (2010) and Armstrong and Humphrey (2009). My perceptions however have changed throughout this journey.

Although I am grateful to the dyslexic students that shared their experiences with me, I am disappointed with the multitude of negativity they are currently experiencing within school.

The student’s experiences within this research provided insights into how they are often refused adjustments to their learning environment. They were also subjected to, for example, the humiliation of being required to read in front of the whole class, which led to peer ridicule but mostly the students described being denied a break time at school due to the discrimination they experience from teachers because of the effects of their

impairments. The interactional approach to disability argues that “disability is always an

interaction between individual and structural factors” (Shakespeare 2014: 74) and therefore

regardless of being identified and labelled as dyslexic this research highlights how the classroom environment disables dyslexic students as they experience barriers to education and social and emotional aspects of schooling.

As this research offers an accessible and relatable way to understand the difficulties

experienced by a dyslexic student within the classroom, I hope that the dissemination of the findings can reach a wide audience. The student ‘voice’ within this research could not only enhance and expand the academic field of dyslexic research but it offers teachers unique insights into the difficulties dyslexic students can experience within schooling that they may have been previously unaware of. Overall, I hope that the dissemination of this research helps dyslexic students to gain access to the educational experience they deserve.