Ara Poutama is working with our neurodiverse learners to help them understand their challenges and celebrate their strengths.

1. Supporting Neurodiverse
Learners in New Zealand
Prisons
Helen Farley
Marylou Sloane
Belinda Dawson
Graeme Couper
Ara Poutama Aotearoa
Department of Corrections New Zealand

2. My name is Helen
I am from Christchurch
I was born in Birmingham, UK
I grew up in Toowoomba
I live in Mt Pleasant
I am working at Ara Poutama
Aotearoa Department of Corrections
Pepihi
(Introduction)

3. Quick facts
• 4.8 million people
• 3.9% unemployment
• 268,000 square km
• Life expectancy 81 years
Multi-cultural communities
• 66% New Zealand European
• 15% Māori
• 12% Asian
• 7% Pasifika
New Zealand
Aotearoa New Zealand

4. Department of Corrections
New Zealand
On any given day, we
manage approximately…
10,063 prisoners
29,005 community-based
offenders
9,000 staff members
17 public prisons (and 1
private prison)
104 community
corrections service
centres

5. We estimate:
57% require numeracy and literacy
support
66% have no formal qualifications
compared to 23% general population
4.4% have Autism Spectrum Disorder
40–50% of youth have ADHD
91% have a life time diagnosis of mental
health or substance abuse disorder

6. A contested
space …
Who has responsibility?
• Health?
• Psych and rehabilitation?
• Education?
Poor integration of services

7. A sad
story

9. Dyslexia is …
• A neurological difference where
people process information
differently
• Obvious signs are difficulty with
reading text, writing and spelling
• Dyslexia is heritable

10. Co-morbidities
are common
ADHD
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Acquired Brain Trauma
Auditory Processing Disorder
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Hard of hearing

11. The impact of dyslexia
• Poor educational achievement
• Low self-esteem
• Poor behaviour and feelings of frustration
International research suggests that:
• Dyslexic people are 5 times more likely
to be unemployed than those without
dyslexia
• 35% of dyslexic people leave school
early
• Violent and impulsive prisoners are more
likely to be dyslexic

12. A shadowy history …
NZ has a history of denial of dyslexia.
Educators have not been trained
to identify or support dyslexic learners.
Most with dyslexia have had poor learning
experiences at school, and underachieve.
There are links between dyslexia and crime,
unemployment, anxiety, depression and
suicide.
Prison leaners' have lower levels of
educational achievement and higher levels of
learning difficulty.

13. Some surprising
figures!
55-60% of the prison
population indicate dyslexic
traits
57% of prisoners have low
levels of numeracy and
literacy
Compared to 10% general
population who have
dyslexia

14. Common difficulties for learners in the
Criminal Justice System
• Filling in forms
• Explaining things
• Following instructions or
direction
• Concentrating in lessons or work
parties/workshops
• Managing money
• Organising and looking after
their possessions
• Telling the time and being time
aware
• Remembering information
• Working in a group setting
• Reading, spelling, writing and
understanding information
• Understanding social norms and
hierarchy
• Learning a new skill

15. Strengths of Dyslexic
learners
Orally competent
Good story tellers and communicators
Good oral comprehension
Creative and imaginative
Ability to think in pictures
Ability to see the ‘whole picture’
Hands on learners
Ability to think ‘outside the box’
Compensatory strengths are developed
Innovators and entrepreneurs
Strong empathy with others
Hard workers
See the world differently
Find creative solutions to problems

16. In other jurisdictions
Pockets of support across a number of
jurisdictions
Most support learners with a range of
difficulties
Most don’t use specific screening tools

17. In other jurisdictions …
First Step Act in US,
requires screening on
intake into Federal
Penitentiaries
Provision to support
learners with reading and
writing

18. HMP & YOI Parc
G4S-run men’s prison in Wales
Uses Do-IT Profiler for screening
and recommendations
Delivers person-centred guidance
for the offender and care and
support strategies for staff
↓ violence; ↓ self-harm; ↓
segregation
3000 people screened

19. Neurodiversity Project in
Ara Poutama Aotearoa

21. Aims
1. Provide tutors and Industry instructors with
a simple screening tool to identify
neurodiverse traits.
2. Provide advice to learners about their
learning strengths and weaknesses enabling
them to understand how they learn best,
allowing ownership of their learning.
3. Supply a means for recording an individual’s
neurodiverse traits on learner records which
can be shared across the estate.
4. Provide professional knowledge for tutors
and instructors about neurodiversity.
5. Develop a ‘toolbox’ of resources for tutors
and instructors to enable them to assist all
learners.

22. Pilot screening in
Lower North Region
Engaged Mike Styles, a literacy
expert with Primary ITO
Screened 120 learners from
four prisons in the Lower North
Region
Used a paper-based screening
tool along with an interview

23. Numbers with
significant dyslexia …
• 52% of men (n = 40)
• 43% of women (n = 19)
The screening and interviews with prisoners
revealed:
• 82% had only two years or less of secondary
school education
• 94% had left school without any qualifications
• A number excluded from school were not
picked up by another part of the education
system

24. Another story

25. The plan
Worked with Sarah Sharpe,
neurodiversity expert who
works with neurodiverse
learners at Kāpiti College
Tailored a plan with the
Department to train tutors
how to screen learners
And instructors and tutors in
how to support neurodiverse
learners

26. Workshops
May 2019
• Site champions
selected at each prison
(tutor and instructor)
• Workshop introduced
neurodiversities
• Strengths-based
exercises
• Other teaching
techniques

27. Workshops
November 2019
• Will introduce Lucid LADS
screening tool
• Test duration about 30 minutes
• Only screen those who are
struggling
• Generates a report of
strengths and weaknesses
• 1 or 2 laptops per site

28. What tutors need to know …
• When and how to use the dyslexia screening tool
as part of the Learning Pathway process (since it
won’t be used for every learner)
• Key conversation points for before, during and after
the screening
• The process for analysing results
• Recording screening results in IOMS
• Resources available for dyslexic learners
• Resources available for instructors / tutors
• Expectations of learner pathways and programmes
for dyslexic learners
• Process for training other site staff where required

29. Learner passport

31. Resources
• Information for the dyslexia learner about dyslexia (to be
provided through conversation, print and video on Secure
Online Learning suite)
• Information for education tutors / industry instructors about
dyslexia strategies and teaching tips
• Information for other corrections staff on what dyslexia is
(NOT a disability), and strengths and challenges for dyslexic
learners
• Information for staff who think they or someone in their family
may be dyslexic, including links to external support options

32. Strategies
• Using multi-sensory
techniques for learning
• Providing step-by-step
instructions
• Incorporate learner think
time
• Be aware of memory
overload
• Simplify your language

33. Irlens overlays

34. Hard copy
materials
• Use a sans serif font
• Letters more widely
spaced
• 1.5 line spacing
• Border around page
• Buff or light blue
paper

36. And now …