Education
It has been a busy time for the Learning Differences Aotearoa Trust in Southland with a number of initiatives in October for Dyslexia Awareness Month.
The Southland-based charity was established in 2017, and provides information, support and guidance for children, youth and adults with learning differences.
Promotions and funding co-ordinator Philippa Christie said in the past financial year they had answered 242 queries both locally and from around New Zealand, and now have 1333 people on its databases and using the social media channels.
The trust also runs workshops, both in person and online support groups, and visits schools and workplaces to upskill staff and raise awareness of learning differences.
“Our strengths based approach means we advocate for neurodiversity to be valued as an asset not only for the individual but also for our community.”
With five trustees and five contractors working for the trust, there have also been 500 hours of volunteer time involved in the past year, and 825 people engaged with their workshops.
Philippa said 15% of the population was recognised as dyslexic, which equated to 105,000 school children - 82% of those leave school with the unrecognised condition.
Awarua Synergy general manager Samaria Beaton-Sikisini said although she was only officially tested in August 2023, she knew growing up that she felt inadequate with spelling and using academic or corporate words.
“I only started seeking additional help and support in the past year. Support was never present during my childhood.”
What she wanted people to understand was that it wasn’t always just about spelling and reading.
“There are many common misconceptions. The impact of dyslexia can vary based on an individual’s background, schooling, and work experience.
“Dyslexic thinking has many strengths, especially in a supportive environment. When dyslexics can utilize these qualities, workplaces benefit from excellent problem-solving skills and big-picture thinking.”
She said people might notice it in her correspondence, and at the bottom of her emails she writes:
I’m #MadeByDyslexia – expect curious ideas & curious spelling.
“But otherwise, it’s only known if I talk about it. I’m more than happy to tell people I have dyslexic thinking. The more people own it, the more awareness can be created.”
Learning Differences Aotearoa Trust founder Chris Cole is a dyslexia campaigner driven by the belief that ‘awareness creates change’.
Her work is informed by her own experience as a parent of dyslexic children and as a late diagnosed dyslexic, and supported by her roles as a business owner.
The trust organised several events last month for Dyslexia awareness, of which 90 people attended.
- Growing Stars – our craft based workshop for children aged 6 – 12 years was held in the school holidays
- Unlock the Potential of Your Workforce – HR Dyslexia Workshop with Southland Business Chamber.
- Assistive Technology – Literacy Support Tools Training – with DTSL Assistive Technology
- Understanding Dyslexia and Neurodiversity – Essential Indicators for Health Professionals - with Number 10 Southland Youth One Stop Shop
- Unlocking the Potential of Dyslexia – A Parent Guide to Support and Advocacy. (For parents and presented by Chris Cole and Rachael Norman from Learning Differences Aotearoa Trust.
“We were very pleased with the attendance at the events. We are very grateful that we received funding from the Community Organisation Grants Scheme (COGS) which we put towards advertising our events,” Philippa said.