Sequencing and Structuring

The logical sequencing and structuring of information, ideas and activities is a necessary part of human life. Though we may prefer to see the world holistically, yet still we cannot escape structure in our daily lives.

Language in particular is highly structured. It is not surprising, therefore, that dyslexic people have a number of difficulties with language, especially written language. However, they are often also inefficient in many other tasks which involve sequencing and structure. Some commonly-reported difficulties are listed below.

General difficulties.

· writing and copying words and numbers

· following instructions / carrying out instructions in the correct sequence

· working under pressure

· keeping workspace tidy

· organising daily life

Study difficulties.

· structuring essays

· taking succinct notes

· organising work and revision schedules

· presenting an argument logically in a seminar

· dealing with library catalogues / finding books

Workplace difficulties.

· filing documents / retrieving files

· following work protocols

· writing letters and memos

· structuring reports

· presenting ideas clearly in oral interactions / presentations

· carrying out tasks in an efficient, logical way

· dealing with a varied workload

· getting the times and places of meetings wrong

· missing appointments

· failing to prioritise / missing deadlines

· never having the right papers

Managing the difficulties.

· read words and sentences bit by bit

· skim text to get an overview before reading for detail

· use alphabet cards

· colour code columns and rows of figures

· colour code instructions / protocols

· colour code files and filing trays, eg, use red for urgent work

· clearly label files and filing trays

· keep workspace tidy

· plan daily, weekly and monthly action lists

· leave some time each day to deal with emergencies / unexpected tasks

· at the beginning of each day review the action plan for that day

· at the end of each day check what has / hasn’t been done

· pre-plan essays and reports

· pre-plan oral interactions / presentations

· pre-plan tasks, and split them into sections / stages

· work one step at a time

Further reading.

- Dyslexia in the Workplace, by Diana Bartlett and Sylvia Moody, published by Whurr.

- Dyslexia at College, by Tim Miles and Dorothy Gilroy, published by Routledge