Subj : Programme looks to help address undiagnosed dyslexia among offenders
To   : All
From : News
Date : Wed Jun 12 2024 01:16 pm

By 1News Reporters
10:19am

A pilot programme being trialled on the West Coast, helping people in the
justice system get diagnosed with dyslexia and given additional support, is
yielding positive results.


The programme is a collaboration between the local Corrections office, West
REAP (Rural Education Activities Programme) and consultant Mike Styles. Its
goal is to keep people out of prison and find a programme that works.


It recruits people who have come to the attention of Corrections but aren't
in prison - putting them through a checklist to see whether dyslexia or
neurodiversity was an issue in their offending.


Those with dyslexia or neurodiversity are then referred to Styles, who
provides screening.


The programme is still in its early days with only seven participants so far,
with 12 to be involved in total.


Styles said 80% of those screened showed up as having dyslexia or a related
neurodiverse condition, which he said played a large part as to why they
offended in the first place.


"We look a bit deeper and find some of these people have been driving without
licences, almost without exception, have literacy and numeracy issues, and
struggle in most cases to engage with government agencies," he said.


"And therefore, with accessing stuff like benefits and all sorts of things
like that, they struggle."

Styles said the programme has achieved some "very positive results".


"Many have succeeded in passing their licenses, for example.


"They're going to drive anyway, but they're going to drive now with a
licence, not without a licence."


Styles said the main goal for the programme was "awareness raising", because
people with undiagnosed neurodiversity are currently "outside the tent", and
struggle to engage with society.


"Everyone from political parties, cabinet ministers, government agencies
down, still haven't got their head around dyslexia and all of the impacts
that it has on society," he said.


In 2018, the Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand conducted a study that found
the number of people in prison with dyslexia could be as high as 30 to 50%.


"It's a problem around criminality, it's a problem around mental health, it's
an educational problem, it's an employment problem," Styles said.


He wants to see a change in how people with dyslexia are treated and
diagnosed in New Zealand.


"Hopefully, in the future, we might train our teachers a little better and
resource our teachers a little better to pick it up much earlier.


"It's a waste of human potential, and it's not equitable."


In 2022, Styles presented a petition to Parliament, calling for inquiries
into dyslexia and neurodiversity in New Zealand.

The petition made recommendations, including asking for the inquiry to cover
the impact of undiagnosed and/or unsupported neurodiversity in people on
education, health, justice, imprisonment, employment, well-being, the
workplace and productivity.


Corrections also currently provides programmes that support inmates with
neurodiversity.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A44 2020/02/04 (Windows/64)
 * Origin: S.W.A.T.S BBS Telnet swatsbbs.ddns.net:2323 (63:10/102)

.