Dyslexia Australia
 and New Zealand

  Dyslexia Parents Resource

We are trying to build up a listing of local or national contacts in Australia and New Zealand. So far our list is a bit short, but if you know of any other organizations, groups or contacts (including your own), please send details on the form below.

• Australian Federation of SPELD Associations
  
  
• New South Wales
  
  
• Queensland
  
  
• Tasmania
  
  
• Victoria
  
  
• Western Australia
  
  
• SPELD New Zealand - non-profit organization with 33 branches throughout New Zealand. We aim to provide assistance with problems associated with specific learning difficulties including dyslexia. These vary in severity and affect all age groups.
  
  
• Specific Learning Difficulties Association of South Australia - SPELD is a non profit organization that provides advice and services to children and adults with specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia.
  
  
• ANSUA - developmental movement therapy. See article at: Developmental Movement Therapy and ANSUA - by Maureen Hawke (Australia).
  
  
• Shorncliss School - information sheet on dyslexia.
  
  
• Dyslexia Information Service - fact sheet.
  
  
• Ninemsn - a parents guide to dyslexia.
  
  
• Parents as Educators - discussion board.
  
  
• Dyslexia in New Zealand
  
  
• Learning & Behavior Charitable Trust NZ
  
  
• Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand

Australian search engines

- where you can search for 'dyslexia' in Australia and New Zealand:

• ANZWERS
• Web Wombat
• Go Eureka
• Education Australia

Academic contacts

I am a lecturer in psychology at the Australian National University. My specialty is dyslexia - particularly understanding how the brain may be constructed or wired that might make it difficult to read. I am currently doing some brain imaging research in England, however, I know how few resources exist in Australia, so I am happy to be a resource for information - particularly scientific ino. I can be contacted at kristen.pammer@ncl.ac.uk
or through my ANU address: kristen.pammer@anu.edu.au
Dr Kristen Pammer

 

Literary contacts

Australian Readers and Writers Database - I have researched and developed a series of literacy and numeracy stepped, multisensory, all ages, humorous kits for dyslexics. They are 'A boodle of doodles' and 'The big fat beaut book', after a teaching career in primary, secondary, tertiary and special needs. Class sets of 'Zany' a 100-page, 70-lesson stepped literacy book for VAKT multisensory holistic spelling, reading, writing and written expression derives from the literacy sector of TBFBB. It was made at the request of Centrelink case managers for dyslexic adults who had left school without adequate 3Rs and were permanently injured on manual work so needed desk work and 3Rs. As class sets they are very reasonably priced and comprehensive.
Christina A Alexander
Email: Turkey.Tracks.Press@uq.net.au

 

Battling Parent - Government Support

From reading your letters it appears we are no better off in New Zealand. I am a tertiary tutor (although originally primary trained) and have a 14-year old daughter who is dyslexic. I have battled since she was seven years old for teachers to recognise that she is dyslexic and for them to provide the classroom support she needs. They seem to think that it is normal for an intelligent child to bumble her way through reading and not comprehend a word that she has read!! It appears to me that educators are not trained to recognise or help the 10% of the population that are dyslexic.
Now that she has reached secondary education it gets worse. Her teachers have less understanding about dyslexia. There is not enough training for teachers and not enough funding by the government. When are the governments going to wake up to the fact that children in wheelchairs and with white canes are not the only ones that need extra funding to get the education that is their right.
Congratulations on a wonderful web site. It is good to know that other people out there care! (Battling parent, NZ)

>>> I too have a daughter (7 ) assessed as dyslexic via SPELD, and if it wasn't for her teacher who has a dyslexic daughter as well, I would of been still battling with the NZ Education System, trying to get someone to recognise her learning difficulties and to address them. So why are we as parents having to bend over backwards to prove that our children have problems, and why is the NZ Govt. not addressing this problem? I think as it is Election year we as parents should be standing up and voicing our concerns. Dyslexia is not a disease, but a medical condition, just as much as other mental health syndromes which are currently funded under ORRS within Schools. Fortunately our daughter is receiving help from a RTLB at her School, and we are paying for her to be tutored by SPELD, but again why should we have to pay for an assessment and tutorage. Thank you for allowing me to vent my concerns as a parent, and it would be great to talk to other parents out there battling with the same problems. (pcartw@paradise.net.nz - New Zealand)

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