Neurodiversity

Dyslexia (example content)

Common strengths

• Strong verbal communication and problem-solving skills

• Big-picture thinking and the ability to see patterns and connections

• Creativity and practical intelligence, especially in hands-on contexts

• Good memory for spoken information and learning through discussion or demonstration

Common Challenges

• Decoding is the skill involved in reading individual words by breaking them down into their constituent sounds (phonemes).  Dyslexic ākonga often find decoding challenging, as their brains process language differently from neurotypical ākonga.  They may struggle to isolate the individual sounds within a word, instead perceiving the word as a whole, making it harder to decode unfamiliar words.

• Reading accuracy, speed, or stamina, particularly with dense or unfamiliar text

• Spelling and written expression that don’t reflect actual understanding

• Processing large amounts of written instructions or assessment criteria

• Increased cognitive load when reading and writing are the primary modes of learning

In teaching

• Provide key information in more than one format (spoken, visual, written, demonstrated)

• Use plain language and chunk written text into short sections

• Read key instructions aloud and check understanding before ākonga begin

• Model tasks and exemplars rather than relying on written explanations alone

In the learning environment

• Make slides and handouts dyslexia-friendly (clear fonts, good spacing, minimal text)

• Allow ākonga to use text-to-speech, audiobooks, or screen readers

• Give access to materials in advance so learners can pre-load vocabulary and concepts

In assessment

• Offer alternatives to long written responses where possible (oral, visual, practical)

• Focus marking on meaning and understanding rather than spelling and surface errors

• Break assessments into stages to reduce reading and writing load

NotebookLM

NotebookLM is a free, AI-powered research assistant from Google that helps users understand complex topics by summarising information from various uploaded sources and generating insights from them.  It's useful as it will only refer to the sources you upload.

This resource brings together research, videos, and practical tools to help us better support ākonga with dyslexia.  

 Inside the NotebookLM you’ll find:

• A mind map – key ideas at a glance

• Flash cards – to reinforce understanding

• Notes – distilled insights from research

• Audio overview – listen on the go

• Video overview – summary in plain language

• The sources include over 30 research articles, videos and books.  

• Access the Dyslexia NotebookLM here.