1. MPG Handout Pack
Collaborative research on Dyslexia:
incidence, adjustments, and health
outcomes
Nancy Doyle MSc. C. Psychol, AFBPsS
Managing Director Genius Within CIC
Chair, Enabling Workplaces Working Group, DOP
Sarah Cleaver, MA C.Psychol AFBPsS
Honest Psychology Ltd
Member, Enabling Workplaces Working Group, DOP

2. MPG Handout Pack
DOP Enabling Workplaces Working Group… asked the
questions:
Which Reasonable
Adjustments actually
work?
What is the relationship
between Specific
Cognitive Difficulties and
Health Outcomes?
Does Employer Support
make a difference?
How can we show
the difference Occ
Psychs can make?

3. MPG Handout Pack
Journals and
basic terms
Dyslex* Adult
limitations
added to
searc
Excl. HE,
child, student
or education
treatments Additional
terms
employment
Career
Psych Info
Business Source
Complete
CJ Abstracts
Behavioural
Science collection
1995+
English
11,117
(9,600
research
papers)
2010
(1,814
research
papers)
802 463
(377 research
papers)
41
(22 research
papers)
Education / Dyslexia 18
Human Resources 9
Occupational Health 6
Management 4
Other (for example Social Work) 4
Of the final 41 papers that directly related to the adult experiences of dyslexia and employment, the following disciplines
were represented (as judged by the journal / publication type). Of these 41 papers, only four related to treatment
evaluations.
What are the does the literature tell us?

4. MPG Handout Pack
Study 1: Exploratory research
N = 115
Respondents were
gathered via group
members
That is… they were
receiving support in
some form
69% were
employed or self-
employed

5. Reasonable Adjustments
33
23
36 32
44
49
10
12
12
13
23
28
5
7
2 4
1
0
25
31
22
29
15
11
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Extra time Coloured
overlays
Clear font Software Organisation
aids
Memory aids
Really useful Helps a bit Didn't help Don't use

6. MPG Handout Pack
Study 1: Insomnia
51% reported serious
sleep difficulties
General population: 37%
(N = 2662; Morphy et al,
2007)
Significantly greater
insomnia
Does Support
make a difference?

7. Dyslexia status
Wellbeing
Organisational
support
Insomnia
Health
Study 2: N = 206

8. MPG Handout Pack
XX
IV: Dyslexic Status
yes / undiagnosed /no
ANOVA & Tukey HSD
DV: Organisational Support
(Eisenberger, 1986)
Yes: M = 46.83, SD = 17.79
UnD: M = 49.25 , SD =17.91
No: M = 49.35 , SD = 11.99
F (2, 113) = 0.305, p = .737
No sig. diffs between groups
DV: Well-being**
(Warr, 1990)
Yes: M = 52.49 , SD = 8.26
UnD: M = 55.21 , SD =10.25
No: M 59.86 , SD 7.94
F (2, 142) = 9.998, p < .001
‘No’ sig diff to ‘Yes’ and ‘UnD’
DV: Insomnia**
(Morphy et al., 2007)
Yes: M = 18.83 , SD = 5.23
UnD: M = 19.54 , SD= 5.81
No: M 16.16 , SD 5.52
F (2, 152) = 5.307, p = .006
‘No’ sig diff to ‘Yes’ and ‘UnD’
DV: General Health**
(Spence et al., 1987)
Yes: M = 32.55, SD = 12.73
UnD: M= 31 , SD =10.62
No: M =23.41, SD = 13.33
F (2, 202) = 11.727, p < .001
‘No’ sig diff to ‘Yes’ and ‘UnD’
Dyslexics, Undiagnosed and Non-dyslexics differ on the
outcome measures…

9. MPG Handout Pack
Study 2: key points
Dyslexics had
more health
issues
…and less
Wellbeing
Worst insomnia?
Undiagnosed
dyslexics
Does support
help?

10. Dyslexia status
Wellbeing
Insomnia
Health
Organisational
support
Does Organisational
Support Moderate?

11. MPG Handout Pack
Org
Support Well being Insomnia
General
Health
Diagnosed dyslexic
Org
Support
Pearson
Correlation 1 .483**
-.140 -.165
Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .291 .190
N 65 56 59 65
Undiagnosed but
suspected
Org
Support
Pearson
Correlation
1 .441*
-.511**
-.095
Sig. (2-tailed) .019 .005 .631
N
28 28 28 28

12. Which mechanisms are causing these
links?
Internal
•Positive thinking
•Managing emotions
•Working memory
related distracting
thoughts
Inter-
personal
•Organisational and co-
worker support
Organisation
•Planning & Organising
•Working late into the
evening

13. MPG Handout Pack
Summary of findings: Reasonable adjustments
The most useful Reasonable
Adjustments reported were:
Memory Aids
Organisational Aids
Software
57% of respondents did
not feel fully supported at
work

14. MPG Handout Pack
Summary of findings: Outcomes
Dyslexics (diagnosed
or not) have more
health issues
… and less
Wellbeing

15. MPG Handout Pack
Summary of findings: Insomnia
Dyslexics (diagnosed or not)
have more insomnia
… particularly,
unsupported,
undiagnosed dyslexics

16. MPG Handout Pack
And finally: where now?
What should we
research next?
What expertise could you
pool in?
How can our working
group support you?
How can we support
clients?
What questions
could we ask?

17. MPG Handout Pack