Dyslexia Smart Foundation Course

Dear Teacher!

Welcome to the Dyslexia Smart Foundation course!

Over the next few weeks, you will develop the knowledge, awareness and practical tools to make a real difference for your students with dyslexia, ADHD and autism.

You will become a teacher who:

• understands neurodivergent conditions
• knows how they can affect language learning
• can recognize signs of dyslexia, ADHD and autism in students
• has practical strategies to help neurodivergent students thrive in language learning
• can adapt materials and exams
• and can create inclusive language classes that work for all students at the same time

The course is structured around four modules:

• Module 1: What Are Dyslexia and ADHD?
  Here, we will look at what dyslexia and ADHD are, their impact on everyday life and learning, how you can recognize the signs in your students, and how they can affect language learning.
• Module 2: Dyslexia & ADHD Smart Language Classes
  Here, we will explore strategies that can help you create inclusive language classes that work for all your students. This is not about doing something completely different for your neurodivergent students. It’s about doing what you already do in a way that works better for the whole class. It’s not about working harder, but about working smarter.
• Module 3: Creating and Adapting Materials, Homework & Exams
  Here, we will look at how to adapt existing materials or create new ones so that they work for all students. Again, this is not about working harder, but about making your materials smarter and more accessible for everyone. We will also look at homework and exams, and explore how we can make assessment more inclusive.
• Module 4: Other Specific Learning Differences (SLDs)
  In the final module, we will look at other specific learning differences and neurodivergent conditions, including autism (ASD), dyscalculia and dyspraxia. We will explore how they can influence language learning and what strategies we can put in place to help these students thrive.

Each module consists of a series of short videos, text summaries and a few quiz questions.

You might want to watch some of the videos more than once — and don’t hesitate to pause, go back and take notes along the way!

When it comes to the quizzes, make sure you answer all the questions correctly before moving on to the next part. Don’t worry: these are not tricky questions. They’re simply there to help you check your understanding and lock in the key ideas.

At the end of the course, there will be a final quiz covering the key ideas from all four modules. Once you have successfully completed the final quiz, you will receive your Dyslexia Smart Foundation course certificate. 

And remember: this course is not about giving you a long list of extra things you now have to do. My aim is to help you understand your neurodivergent students better and make small, practical changes that can have a meaningful impact on their learning.

If you have any questions along the way, or simply want to chat about something, feel free to drop me an email anytime: boelo@boelovanderpool.com

I truly hope you enjoy the course — and LONG LIVE THE DYSLEXIC BRAIN! 🚀

Best,
Boelo

PS: By the way, my name — Boelo — is actually pronounced “Bulo”.