Specific learning difficulties (SpLD) are neurobiological conditions that affect cognitive processes related to language, reading, writing and/or mathematical calculation. For people experiencing these conditions, university life can become a constant struggle. Not only do they face barriers to academic achievement, but these challenges can affect their mental health and well-being as well.
SpLDs include:
Dysgraphia: a writing disorder characterised by an inability to compose written texts
Dysorthography: difficulty with spelling specifically, usually associated with reading disorders
Dyscalculia: affects the ability to understand, learn and perform mathematical operations
Dyslexia: difficulty in reading words accurately and/or fluently
- Embrace AI tools to improve student writing
- Writing exam questions in a six-step process
- Asynchronous pedagogy to improve student engagement
How does dyslexia affect learning?
Of course, the impact of conditions like these depends on each student’s personal characteristics and the coping strategies they adopt to overcome challenges. However, some general considerations include:
- Slower reading speed: students require more time to process and understand information compared with peers without dyslexia
- Greater cognitive load: they often need to reread texts, ideas and instructions multiple times to ensure comprehension, which can affect performance on written assessments.
- Frequent spelling errors: difficulty automating the sound-letter relationship can lead to substitutions, omissions, reversals or additions of letters and syllables.
- Constant revision: they frequently reread their responses to verify what they’ve written.
To ensure equity in the learning process, we aim to implement reasonable accommodations. The following recommendations serve as a guide, though they should be adapted to meet each student’s specific needs.
In the classroom
Use audiovisual resources (presentations, videos, audios, podcasts, etc) to support lectures. In one theoretical course, short explanatory videos were shared before in-person sessions, helping students to grasp the material and enabling more active participation during class. One key challenge was ensuring that all students reviewed the content on time, which was addressed by sending systematic email reminders.
Provide presentations in advance so students can review them beforehand. This strategy proved particularly valuable for students with SpLD, who reported that having access to the materials in advance helped them anticipate the content, manage their time and focus better.
Highlight key words or concepts in bold in slides to emphasise essential information and avoid overloading them with excessive text. This simple yet effective practice improved comprehension for all students, especially those with reading difficulties.
Share readings in PDF format so students can use screen readers. In some cases, text formatting needed to be adapted to ensure compatibility with these tools.
Stagger and announce deadlines for individual written assignments in advance, which helped reduce academic overload and anxiety for all students. This required careful scheduling and planning.
Avoid asking students to read aloud, unless they do so voluntarily. This protects students’ well-being and prevents uncomfortable situations.
Allow more time for reading and writing tasks. Combined with clear instructions and structured timing, this accommodation supported better organisation of both individual and group work.
In assessments
Before the exam
Write clear, concise instructions, avoiding negative phrasing. If negatives must be used, highlight them in bold or UPPER CASE.
In multiple-choice questions, avoid options such as: “All of the above”, “none of the above”, “A and B are correct” (or similar combinations).
Extend exam time by 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the student’s needs.
Consider offering oral assessments, if the course format and student request allow it.
During the exam
Read the instructions aloud at the beginning, if feasible.
Allow the use of supportive tools such as calculators, spell-checkers or computers.
Authorise personal reference sheets with key words or formulas to assess application and reasoning rather than memorisation.
Offer the option to verbally explain any answers the student feels were not clearly expressed in writing.
After the exam
Prioritise the content and quality of the response over spelling when grading.
By implementing these strategies, we foster the holistic development of students with dyslexia. Reasonable accommodations enable them to participate in coursework and be assessed on an equal footing with their peers. One professor, who had previously been unaware of her dyslexic students’ struggles, found that once she had learned more about the issue, she spotted other areas of the course that needed adjusting to be easier to navigate, such as exercise guides.
Raising awareness and providing information about learning difficulties empowers educators to better support university students. Being informed allows teachers to adapt their practices and create a more equitable learning environment – one in which every student has the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and reach their full potential.
María Catalina Bolaños Dubos is pedagogical adviser of the department of biomedical education at Universidad Austral.
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