A campaigner whose Tynwald Day petition has led to the formation of a new committee looking into support for pupils with dyslexia says she's 'so pleased'.
Members voted in favour of the Select Committee, which will report back with recommendations on how to improve matters in April.
Julia Bell set up the Dyslexia Advocacy Group after noticing signs in her own daughter but struggling to get a diagnosis or recognition on the Isle of Man.
Well I'm so pleased you know I've put in so much hard work not just this year but actually over the last four years because I put my first petition in in 2020 and so this is actually my second petition that I put in two years four years later and so you know this has been a long day coming for me and just for me like it's all been worthwhile like you know that I persevered and I didn't give up despite you know obstacles along the way and it's just all been worthwhile now. Reminders why you put this petition in in the first place? Yes so when my daughter was young I suspected she had dyslexia I suspected it from the age to be honest around the age of four or five it was only when she started getting to about six or seven that I started suggesting it to the teachers and each time teachers just reassured me saying that it's normal for her age and dismissed my concerns and I didn't feel my concerns were taken seriously so when she was eight I was convinced she had dyslexia but I knew that the school wouldn't really take my concerns seriously so I felt like I had to prove it to them so I did that by taking her to the UK and funding a diagnostic assessment which confirmed she was dyslexic and then I had and then I was able to present the diagnostic report to the school which was used as evidence that I was right but then I struggled with what we would call thwarted hope because I don't think that diagnostic report was read and or acknowledged and no interventions were put in place or if they were the interventions were inadequate late and it's just been an exhausting process from beginning to end it continues to be an exhausting process and she's only a couple of years away now from doing her GCSEs and I thought for it I've been fighting for my own child's education at the same time as trying to fight for other children's education and the future generation as well because you know I see it I see there's no point about moaning about a problem moaning about a problem doesn't get anywhere you have to actually understand what the problem is and try and find out what the barriers are and actually do something about it let's solve the problem that's not moaning about it so that's been my drive and from today a report will be made by the end of April 2025 April next year there was a message today from Education Minister Daphne Kane who's to the committee to say you know bear in mind that any measures any proposals will have to be funded what do you hope comes from this though um okay so desk say that they are in needs led service and there was nothing wrong in a needs led service of course that's actually you know what anyone would strive for but we've put a strong argument to Tim Wold that needs are not being led we know that from the two public consultations they had an additional educational needs code of practice survey which found you know that parents teachers and stakeholders didn't think that needs were being met and also they had another public consultation called the literacy for all parents and school staff perspective survey and that too showed that parents were generally dissatisfied with identification and provision available for students with dyslexia so independent reports the beaming report you know there's been so many reports written which have which I have evidence in the in the presentation I did to Tim Wold members which the public unfortunately can't hear but I did do that to the Tim Wold members and also what's detailed in my petition there's so much evidence that needs are not being met so my ideal would be for needs to be met perhaps for assistive technology to be available that's of a good standard you know minimum standard you know what what you know we'd like staff to be trained in dyslexia we would like CPD to be available perhaps even mandatory dyslexia training to do become available and there are good quality training available for free that Microsoft 365 offer the Gibraltar have done amazing things you know Gibraltar have signed made by dyslexia pledge they've employed additional educational psychologists they offer mandatory training they offer workshops for parents and children you know they've also done things that would cost a huge amount of money like their their goal is to actually accredit all schools with the British dyslexia association quality marker which is internationally recognized as being you know an environment where a dyslexia children thrive and obviously that would quote that would cost a huge amount of money and to probably be unrealistic within the scope of the finances that the government have but obviously that that would be the gold standard and what would your message be to any parents who perhaps find themselves in the same position you found yourself in in recent years you have to educate yourself you know that's how I started this by trying to research what dyslexia is and that education gave me I think the influence that I have had today in being able to then pass on that knowledge to teachers once I understood the laws and the policies and what is required and the dyslexic symptoms that helped with the education side of it and then from a personal level at home it helps in terms of having patience and also being able to give your child some education about why they're struggling and to highlight the strengths of dyslexia and also the you know the science about what's happening in the brain when a child is reading to justify that no wonder it's difficult for you to read if you actually understand what is happening in your brain when you are reading and you know rather than looking at the deficit-centred view of literacy difficulties let's look at the strength of dyslexia and let's try and tap into those instead so for example my daughter as soon as we learned so she was dyslexic and I was like trying to find the strengths that she has she went into drama and dancing and singing and the arts and she loves all that she thrives in that area had we have just focused on you know literacy difficulties you know we wouldn't have found the things that she's good at just lastly if I can a word from you regarding mr. Callister the onkon mhk who's who's been leading this call into mold for you um yes so I can't thank mr. Callister enough um he's shown support from the very beginning that I first made contact with him before I put the petition of redress in the second time round and he has stayed um stayed true to his words he'd committed all the way throughout um as has his colleagues actually so dawn kenish and and call it and and all of timel members they've all been so supportive I couldn't have asked for a better outcome um it just demonstrates that there there is a need that it was worth doing this and that you know I'm clearly there this there has to be a public interest for it to have kind of been picked up at this this high profile I'd also like to thank the family library actually because the family library made it possible for the dyslexia advocacy group iom to be created and I think it was the collective voice of the dyslexia advocacy group that made the difference um so without the family library it would have been very difficult for us to have been able to meet and to to work to do the work that we did so the family library also have a role to play in the success of this story the only thing I would say is I think I can take a a back seat for the time being on this because the committee is being established and then once the recommendations have been made then perhaps I need to kind of poke my head into the situation again and make sure that the recommendations are actually looked at and implemented so I'm not going to take a complete back seats on it I'll keep a close eye on it put it that way for now I can rest let's say for the short time thank you for making it to the end of the manxeradian newscast you are obviously someone with exquisite taste may I politely suggest you might want to subscribe to this and a wide range of manxeradia podcasts at your favorite podcast provider so our best bits will magically appear on your smartphone thank you you (gentle music) [BLANK_AUDIO]
