Dyslexia, the Self and Higher Education

Increasing numbers of students identified as dyslexic are entering universities, and the academy is obliged to offer them an accessible curriculum. But many of these students struggle to deal with the label 'dyslexic'. This book examines the relationship between dyslexia and identity through qualitative research with students at four universities. It offers unique insights into the views of the students themselves about their experience of dyslexia and education. In the candid interviews, by turns moving, blunt and amusing, the students reveal the socio-emotional effects of dyslexia and its effects on their learning. The students display a wide range of ideas on the nature of dyslexia, absorbed from many different sources. But their learning histories show that the self-concepts of all of them were strongly affected by being labelled dyslexic. The students' views and experiences indicate what the academy should be doing for these students. The recommendations draw on social construction and alternative views of academic literacy, and are pertinent to the debate about the existence of dyslexia. This is an important book for the higher education sector. It connects with the agenda of inclusivity and widening participation in university and has new things to say to managers and tutors.