Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion regarding dyslexia. I thank the member for Wakefield for bringing this motion to the House. Whilst it is commonly known that students develop and learn at varying rates, for some students reading and writing present a continual challenge. These are the students who struggle daily with the condition known as dyslexia. It is important that we acknowledge and support these students and, for that matter, adults with the condition.

Dyslexia is better understood as a persistent difficulty with reading and spelling. It is a language based learning condition affecting up to 16 per cent of Australians. It impacts on the skills involved in accurate and fluent reading and spelling.

Dyslexia does not affect general intelligence yet it is a lifelong condition which can severely impact on an individual's ability to complete mainstream education and training. We heard from the member for Wakefield about successful salesmen, but there are a lot of famous people who have suffered from dyslexia and have achieved great things such as Steve Jobs.

It has been reported that the estimated prevalence of people with dyslexia ranges from three to 20 per cent of the population and the Australian Dyslexia Association believe that children identified at risk should receive evidence based, multisensory approaches and early intervention for reading and spelling, and teachers must be able to identify, plan and tailor the needs of individual students.

I would like to highlight some of the great work being undertaken by organisations and individuals within my electorate of Dobell to assist those with dyslexia. As elected members, I believe we should all play an active role in creating a brighter educational future for our children.

It was a privilege to be asked to open the Alison Lawson remedial and dyslexic therapy centre in Dobell last year. This centre focuses on a visual dyslexia therapy approach and a program made up of a minimum of 10 one-hour treatments. When opening the centre, the staff's passion for and commitment to what they are achieving to help those suffering from dyslexia was evident. This is why I joined with the Central Coast Dyslexia Association to provide dyslexia information handbooks for primary schools in Dobell. These handbooks help implement the advice of the Australian Dyslexia Association by providing schools with an additional resource to assist teachers and volunteers who work with students affected by dyslexia.

I also look forward to working to help raise awareness of the need for volunteers, including retired teachers, to help implement dyslexia programs in schools on the Central Coast. Programs implemented by the Central Coast Dyslexia Association provide those children with dyslexia with the opportunity to shine and, importantly, cope in a world which expects so much from numeracy and literacy skills.

This work builds on that of Mr James Bond, resident of Dobell, who for over 25 years has been a tireless advocate for people with dyslexia. He was instrumental in securing technology to address dyslexia in our schools. Jim, who was affected by dyslexia, has championed the introduction of text-to-speech computer software in primary and secondary schools. Jim has also shaped and influenced changes to legislation, including the recognition of dyslexia as a disability in various legislation jurisdictions.

Technological advancements to assist people with dyslexia now mean that a quality education for people with dyslexia is possible. In 2014, this government held a policy round-table on dyslexia to look at what is working in schools and what can be done better. One of the many practical suggestions that arose to better support students with dyslexia concerned improved teacher training. Last year the Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group report 'Action now: Classroom ready teachers' was released. The report provided advice on how teacher education could be improved to better prepare new teachers with the practical skills required to be successful in the classroom and ensure that all students, including those with dyslexia or learning difficulties, are supported.

This government takes the responsibility of ensuring quality and high-standard education very seriously. I know that there is a large amount of work completed behind the scenes between the states and territories and the federal government to ensure that those children suffering from dyslexia do not get lost in the system. I fully support needs based funding in Dobell schools and I will fight for this funding to schools in my electorate. Thank you. (Time expired)

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