Professor S. G. Ingesson interviewed Swedish teens and young adults who have dyslexia to learn about their educational experiences. His informants suggested a lot of interesting things to him. I was taken with one finding indicating that, as they aged, students reported differing feelings of well-being. Generally, they recollected that their feeling of well-being had been low during the elementary years. Even more reported feeling uncomfortable in the middle school years, but as they got older they got, they felt better, so that by their secondary years, the majority felt “good” or “very good.” In fact, in their last school years (ages 17–19 ) over 70% of the individuals reported that they felt “good” or “very good.”
Of course, feelings of well-being are not the ultimate goal, but it is encouraging to learn that Professor Ingesson’s informants said they felt good. Because of the problems they had experienced, most of the students chose vocational education training.
School Psychology International, Vol. 28, No. 5, 574-591 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0143034307085659
© 2007 SAGE Publications
Growing Up with DyslexiaInterviews with Teenagers and Young Adults
S. Gunnel Ingesson
Department of Psychology, Lund University, Sweden, Gunnel.Ingesson@psychology.lu.seInterviews with 75 teenagers and young adults were performed to investigate how young people with dyslexia experienced school in terms of well-being, educational achievement, self-esteem, peer relations and belief in their future. Results from earlier studies suggest that secondary emotional problems are common. The first six grades in school were experienced by the interviewees as full of distress and failure for a majority. Though peer relations were often good, many had experienced bullying. As they grew older, problems were more limited to reading and writing activities. This was thought to be an effect of acknowledgement and compartmentalization of the disability along with choices of school curricula and occupations in line with subjects’ talents and capacities. Academic self-esteem seemed low, and most subjects had chosen vocational programmes in secondary school and had decided not to go to college. The most optimistic subjects were those who had finished school and were permanently employed. Early diagnosis along with careful explanation of the disability was recommended as well as the encouragement of dyslexic children in areas where they can do well and which makes them view themselves positively.
Link to the publisher’s page for the article.
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One thing I’d really want to know is the availability of early identification and research-based remediation approaches in the Swedish education system.
Good point, Liz. We’d never be able to figure out the extent to which such services did or did not affect these individuals, but it would be worthwhile to compare outcomes for folks where early identification and research-based remediation are used to outcomes for folks where early identification and research-based remediation are not used.
Hi John
I am wondering if resiliency (Martin Seligmann) was identified in this study? I have been able to track several past students with diagnosed LD as they grew to adulthood, and the ones who do well and go on to have fulfilling careers seemed to be resilient as youngsters. They had strong family support and were successful in extracurricular pursuits, but more important, they had a quality about them that allowed them to shake off disappointment and not take failure personally. A few who did not seem to do as well (low confidence level, low self esteem, and not following their dreams) seemed to feel the effects of failure more as children.
This bit “acknowledgment and compartmentalization of the disability along with choices of school curricula and occupations in line with subjects’ talents and capacities” seems to speak to resiliency.
(I hope I have pushed your readership to 4!)