Stories of resilience : learning from adult students' experiences of studying with dyslexia in tertiary education

Abstract

Stories from adult students with dyslexia are not widely heard in Aotearoa/New Zealand. While working alongside students with dyslexia we have gained access to some powerful stories of struggle and triumph. Our own practices, as a learning development lecturer and a literacy advisor, have been challenged by what we heard and this has prompted us to investigate dyslexia and the discourses that are associated with it in more depth. In order to learn more we interviewed four students about their study journeys , and asked them to identify what lecturers did or could do to make learning easier. Using a narrative analysis approach we identified five clear themes: resilience (these students were studying successfully); the positive impact of identification ; the importance of self-awareness; implementation of compensatory strategies; and, the positive consequences of being open about dyslexia in terms of receiving institutional assista,ce and accessing support in the learning environment, for example, assistive technologies. Recommendations are also made about what lecturers can do to make learning easier for students with dyslexia.