Dyslexia in Higher Education Anxiety and Coping Skills

People can best help dyslexic students once they understand dyslexia's association with anxiety and effective coping strategies, both cognitively and emotionally. By highlighting the perspectives of dyslexic students, this book evidences the prevalence of anxiety in dyslexic communities. The shared experience from a range of dyslexic learners pinpoints best practice models and helps combat the isolation felt by many with learning difficulties. The author targets academic areas where students struggle, offering techniques to overcome these barriers. Such obstacles are not always due to cognitive factors but may be associated with negative experiences, leading to fear and uncertainty. Recounting these sticking points through student voices, rather than from a staff viewpoint, enables readers to find meaningful solutions to dyslexia-related problems. Through this dynamic methodology, the book shows researchers and practitioners how to understand dyslexic needs on an emotional level, while presenting dyslexic readers with practical coping methods.

Preface; 1. Introductory chapter – Dyslexia in adult students; 2. Dyslexia, anxiety and social /emotional barriers in higher education; 3. Theories of anxiety and coping; 4. Identification of the prevalence of anxiety; 5. Effects of dyslexia and emotional responses to academic tasks; 6. Cognitive techniques to overcome barriers to learning; 7. Emotional techniques to overcome barriers to learning; 8. Theoretical insights on dyslexic anxiety and coping responses; 9. Concluding thoughts and moving forwards; 10. Appendix A: The survey; 11. Appendix B: Cognitive coping strategies used for each study task; 12. Appendix C: Study skills checklist; 13. Index.

Amanda Abbott-Jones received her doctorate in education, focusing on dyslexia and anxiety, from University College London, UK. She has worked as a dyslexia support tutor for seven years at Independent Dyslexia Consultants London.