Music and Dyslexia - Do you know someone with dyslexia that is struggling to pass a music exam?
Tuesday 7 April 2020
Guest post from Sue Flohr, Head of Policy, British Dyslexia Association
Do you know someone who is dyslexic who is struggling to learn to play a musical instrument or to pass a music exam? If so, you can have access arrangements put in place for a music exam.
Access arrangements (or reasonable adjustments as they often called) may include:
- Extra time
- Printed materials provided on coloured paper and/or enlarged
- The use of coloured overlays
- Repetition of instructions
- Annotation of sight-reading tests during the preparation period
- Possible replays of scales and access to a scale book as a reference only
- Additional attempts at aural questions
We would advise contacting the access coordinator of the specific music board to find out more about their exam access arrangements. Students must apply for adjustments in good time and will need to provide proof of dyslexia such as:
- A letter from school Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) or head teacher on headed paper
- An assessment or a letter from your Local Education Authority (LEA) on headed paper
- For adults, using a dyslexia screener. Many of these are listed on the Assured section of our website
For more information, see our guide to exams from the four main boards in the UK, which refers to music exams.
