Description of the training of liaison persons, pedagogical counsellors and inspectors in francophone Belgium – 2011/2014

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This initiative is supported by Mrs.
Marie-Dominique Simonet, Ministry
of Obligatory Education and Social
Promotion of the French Community of
Belgium.
The project involves the training of over
1500 liaison persons on dyslexia across
more than 3000 schools of francophone
Belgium. These liaison persons go through
the online learning course on dyslexia
designed by Dyslexia International, as part
of their training.
The training is over four days. Enrolment
into the program is on a voluntary basis.
The liaison persons are most often teachers
(from pre-primary schools, primary schools
or secondary schools), but also principals
and speech therapists.
This training is hybrid with two days where
the liaison persons meet three trainers and
two days where they explore an Internet
platform (Moodle) designed at promoting
interactions and providing resources on
dyslexia, as well as the online learning
course from Dyslexia International. The
participants can also ask content questions
about the online learning course and
dyslexia in general addressed to Vincent
Goetry, course director.
The liaison persons spend the first day
together with the trainers, the second day
exploring the online resources, the third day
again with the trainers and the fourth day
continuing to explore the online materials.
In the morning of the first day of the
training, the participants are made aware
of the multifaceted condition of dyslexia
through various activities (e.g. participants
put in the shoes of a dyslexic learner,
brainstorming on the word ‘dyslexia’,
presentation of an excerpt from an
awareness raising film on dyslexia). The
afternoon of the first day is devoted to a
theoretical presentation on dyslexia.
The presentation covers the following
topics: the development of reading in the
nondyslexic learners, the development of
reading in the dyslexic learner (including a
definition of dyslexia and what it feels like
to be dyslexic), the common mistakes made
by dyslexic learners, the informal tests that
teachers can use if they suspect that a child
might have dyslexia, and a few suggestions
on what teachers can do to adapt their
teaching to the learning needs of dyslexic
learners in the classroom.
During the second day of the training, the
participants explore the online resources in
8 September 2013
Description of the training of liaison persons,
pedagogical counsellors and inspectors in
francophone Belgium – 2011/2014

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order to complete assignments (e.g. posting
a topic of discussion on a forum, seeking
for the symptoms of dyslexia in the online
course).
In the third day of the training, the
participants explore, together with the
trainers, some of the tools and techniques
that can be used in the classroom and that
are not only life2 saving for most dyslexic
learners, but that are helpful for all the
children (e.g. visualization, mind-mapping).
On the fourth day of the training, the
participants continue to explore the online
materials, participating to forums and
getting to know the content of the online
learning course further.
In 2011-2012, about 700 liaison persons
were trained.
In 2012-2013, about 500 additional people
were trained. Moreover all the inspectors
in the Belgian French education system
participated to a mandatory training of one
day where the trainers put them in the shoes
of a dyslexic learner with various activities,
and where they were given a theoretical
presentation about dyslexia.
The inspectors could follow a four-days
optional module in which they could access
the Moodle platform, learn more about
dyslexia, and discuss issues like for example
teaching method, compensation software
and techniques (mental management, mind
mapping), or evaluation.
Also, follow-up session with the liaison
persons trained the year before are
organized. These consisted in exchanges
on good practices in the classroom with
dyslexic learners and in thinking through
the role of the concerned participants
within their school as a liaison person for
dyslexia.
From 2013-2014, both liaison persons
and pedagogical counsellors will get the
opportunity to participate in the four-day
training on dyslexia. Additional follow-up
sessions for liaison persons already trained
are also planned.
Vincent Goetry
www.dyslexia-international.org