Volunteer feedback

It is often about general life and the experience one has gained from living.

It is about knowing when to listen and when to speak (One needs to understand their concerns and what position they are in. But not to allow development of incorrect assumptions).

It is about knowing what they need to know and even when they are unaware of what they need to know, empowering them to make progress.

Dave

I enjoy helping people with the huge range of challenges that come with being dyslexic.

I have the flexibility of working remotely from home it is increasingly important for volunteers, students and people in work. Continued training of volunteers in new trends and software tools must be maintained as people seek advice for their evolving circumstances.

Geoff

I have been a volunteer with the British Dyslexia Association for about six years. I became interested in dyslexia when my own son struggled with reading and writing and was soon identified as needing extra interventions at school.

Each Helpliner brings their own knowledge and experience of dyslexia. Every caller shares their own experience of dyslexia, be it in the classroom, workplace or every day life. Some just need to talk, others need advice, or information.

Liz

I retired in 2012 and suddenly found that I had a lot of extra time on my hands and was looking around for things to do. I had my movie making and Sunday night bridge but I thought it might be an idea to do some volunteering somewhere...

We take calls from a wide variety of different people the most common probably being from parents of primary school children. In my experience, the question we are asked most often is from parents who say “I think my child is dyslexic. The school won’t do anything about it, where can I get an assessment?”

I can point them in the right direction as the British Dyslexia Association carries out diagnostic assessments. But I always have to warn parents that the school is not legally obliged to implement any recommendations that may appear in a diagnostic assessment report.

We also get a lot of calls from parents of older children who are on course for taking their GCSEs or A Levels and advise them on the process for access arrangements like extra time in exams.

Some calls are difficult; the individual may be frustrated with the system and need to sound off. And we do get some heartbreaking calls as well, from people who feel excluded from society because of their disability.

So, it’s been an interesting 9 years. I’ve spoken to a lot of people and answered a lot of emails. Some are appreciative of what we do and they do express their gratitude. I feel that I am doing something worthwhile and I now understand my wife a lot better.

John