
Created in 2014, Dyslexia Victoria Support (DVS) is a state and international award-winning community group, supporting the Science of Reading (SOR) and evidence-based education for literacy difficulties.
It is a place to seek advice and support for Specific Learning Difficulties.
We promote programs such as direct instruction (DI), systematic synthetic phonics (SSP), explicit teaching, decodable texts and audiobooks.
We support information about programs that have been independently, scientifically peer-reviewed and published in reputable scientific journals.
DVS is run by a team of volunteer parents supported by; Teachers, Allied Health Professionals such as Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists, Academics, Parents, Grandparents, Specialist Tutors, Schools and people who have literacy difficulties or dyslexia.
Click here to view the Report: PDF
Victoria’s education system has long failed children with literacy difficulties. Rather than being equitable, it’s discriminatory. Rather than being inclusive, it’s marginalising. All children deserve policy makers, educators and parents who are willing to step up to the collective responsibility of teaching all children to read and write in their early years of school.
“The ability of a population to read and write at standards considered competent, and not merely functional, confers widespread opportunities to succeed academically and gain post-school training and education, even in the context of inter-generational academic under-attainment. This in turn affords opportunities for larger numbers to be part of the social and economic mainstream, and sits at the core of reading ability as a pressing public health issue and as a modifiable form of social inequity and disadvantage.” (Snow, P. (2020). SOLAR: The Science of Language and Reading. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. Published early online August 4 https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0265659020947817)”
DVS parents contend with the academic, social, emotional and financial costs that follow when their child’s reading difficulties are not addressed at school. This parent survey gave Victorian parents of children with literacy difficulties the opportunity to share their experiences. Thank you to those who shared their personal experiences. You are not alone.
Click here to view the Report: PDF
"The best way to advocate for a child with dyslexia is to be so well-trained and informed that no one can (or wants to) argue with you." ~ Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley
The purpose of this online screening tool is to provide an informal indication of the likelihood that the individual being screened is demonstrating literacy or numeracy-related learning difficulties. It is designed to assist with determining whether the individual would benefit from targeted intervention and/or formal assessment, and what steps should be taken next to best support them. It is important to note that any assessment (including this online Next Steps Screening Tool) completed without the child or individual being directly assessed or having their academic skills formally measured will not provide enough information for a diagnosis to be made. However, this online tool can be very useful in promoting a better understanding of current difficulties and provide an indication of future support needs.
Understanding Learning Difficulties: A Guide for Parents
https://auspeld.org.au/product/understanding-learning-difficulties-a-practical-guide-for-parents-2022/
There is a new edition and can be bought from here:
https://auspeld.org.au/resources/
**Published with permission from the publisher, Australian Federations of SPELD Associations (AUSPELD).
A feature article by Debra Le Nepveu
24 February 2022
Debra Le Nepveu (she/her) is a lawyer and an emerging creative writer.
Her work has appeared in Spineless Wonders’ 2018 Time Anthology and Deakin University’s 2020 Verandah 35 Literary & Art Journal.
Debra wrote this article for assessment in the subject “Feature Writing” (ALJ728) towards a Master of Arts (Writing and Literature) (Deakin University). It achieved a High Distinction.
She has a strong personal interest in the topic of specific learning disabilities and their impact upon families. Her daughter, who illustrated this article, is dyslexic.
Described as the ‘heart and soul’ of Victoria’s Dyslexia Community, the DVS Administration Team work around the clock to give online support and advice to thousands of people on screening, assessments, assistive technologies, and targeted interventions. The team displays initiative, courage and open mindedness, and have developed essential resources, fostered local support groups, convened events and advocated for people with dyslexia.