Published May 1, 2026 | Version v1
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Dyslexia, Diagnosis, and Disability Discourse: A Case Study of Academic Advisers in Higher Education

Authors/Creators

  • 1. ROR icon Abertay University

Description

This paper reports on a case study of the ways in which dyslexia is discursively constructed in relation to higher education and the nature of support offered for students who have been assessed as having the condition. While there has been a shift in contemporary understanding away from considering dyslexia in terms of disability or deficit towards viewing it under the umbrella of neurodiversity, there is still some uncertainty in higher education about what this means in practical terms. Consequently, this study sought to examine some of the issues surrounding making reasonable adjustments for students with dyslexia. Interviews were conducted with academic advisers as part of a wider study on support for students with dyslexia at a UK university.  The data was analyzed through utilizing a discursive psychology approach in which three key inter-related themes emerged: (i) diagnoses and dispositions in which dyslexia was externalized as a diagnosable condition versus the constructing it in internal dispositional terms related to student agency; (ii) dyslexia and deadlines in terms of adjustments made for coursework submissions and the tensions around support versus equitable treatment for all students; and (iii) reasonable adjustment and resources in which the advisers’ discourse posed a contrast in terms of what is specified in students’ support plans versus the ‘reality’ of associated resource pressures.

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Dates

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2026-05-01

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