**3.2.1 Major developments of the multi-focus model**

• Teacher training

Five-year professional development framework launched in the 2007/2008 school year aims to let 10% of teachers in each ordinary school complete the Basic Course (30-hour), a minimum of three teachers complete the Advanced Course (90-hour) on catering for diverse learning needs, and at least one Chinese Language teacher and one English Language teacher complete the Thematic Courses (60 hours each) on specific learning difficulties respectively.


Dyslexia in Hong Kong: Challenges and Opportunities 37

given to satisfy the needs of these students, without unjustifiable hardship. Special examination arrangements are regarded as reasonable accommodation. They aim to remove the disadvantages induced by dyslexia rather than related to the knowledge or skills being examined. The premises include having no unfair advantages over other students and no

In addition to taking reference from the guidelines such as "Principles and Strategies for Assessment for Students with Special Educational Needs in Ordinary Schools" published by EDB in 2004, special arrangements in internal examinations have to be made by schools according to the difficulties of the individual students, and the advice from educational professionals such as educational psychologists. As schools are supposed to be accountable for such arrangements, EDB can be approached for assistance if parents find any disagreement

between them and the school. The examples of the special arrangements include:

• alternative method of answering (e.g. oral response, circling the answers);

Students with dyslexia can apply to HKEAA for special arrangements in public examinations (HKCEE for Secondary 5; HKALE for Secondary 7). The "early application" and "second phase application" are open in September/October of the academic year in Secondary 4 and 6, and Secondary 5 and 7, respectively. In addition to completion of an application form, an up-to-date assessment report (with records of special arrangements in his/her school) duly signed by a qualified psychologist and the school head is also necessary. More precise specifications on the requirements of the report are suggested. First, the "qualified psychologist" must be an educational or clinical psychologist with professional practice training. Second, "up-to-date" assessment report refers to the one done within three years prior to the public examination. Third, the psychologist signing the report should be the one who confirms that the applicant has dyslexia and needs special arrangements in the public examination. Last, conclusion has to be drawn on the recommended types of special arrangements. The examples of the special arrangements

• allowing writing on only one side of an answer book, or on alternate lines or circling

• providing special format question papers, e.g. one-side printing or enlarged fonts;

• special seating in a centre (e.g. near the front or back of an examination centre);

interferences with the assessment objectives.

• extending examination time;

• supervised breaks

include:

• providing extra time;

**3.3.2 Special arrangements in internal examinations** 

• enlarging the spaces in answer sheet for writing answers;

• reading out the questions to students for non-language subjects; • allowing use of a special room under separate invigilation;

• enlarging the font size of examination papers;

• use of computer for word processing; and

**3.3.3 Special arrangements in public examinations** 

multiple-choice answers on a question paper;

• specially arranged centre (e.g. in a classroom instead of a hall);

Tier-1 support - preventive in nature; quality language teaching in the classroom for all students; managing early signs of learning difficulties.

Tier-2 support - "add-on" intervention for students with persistent learning difficulties; small group learning, pull-out programs, etc.

Tier-3 support – focusing on a relatively small number of students with the need of intensive support, special accommodations, specialist support, etc. due to higher severity of learning difficulties.


#### **3.3 HKEAA**

In response to the concerns about the implementation of the special examination arrangements for students with dyslexia, a direct investigation was conducted by The Ombudsman in 2007, under The Ombudsman Ordinance (Office of The Ombudsman, 2008). The following issues about special examination arrangements for students with dyslexia were examined:


#### **3.3.1 The necessity to adopt special examination arrangements**

The government policy embarked the provision of special examination arrangements for students with dyslexia. The EOC issued DDO Code of Practice on Education. It states that reasonable accommodation in the existing programs, services, facilities and benefits must be

students; managing early signs of learning difficulties.

• Development of expertise and specific learning resources

introduction of a district support model for parents.

admission); and HKASLD (on provision of parents' advice).

through mass media, leaflets and web-based information.

secondary schools for students with dyslexia;

HKEAA, and between government and NGOs;

**3.3.1 The necessity to adopt special examination arrangements** 

students, teachers and school authorities.

small group learning, pull-out programs, etc.

severity of learning difficulties.

• Cross-sector collaboration

• Promotion of public awareness

**3.3 HKEAA** 

were examined:

special arrangements;

Tier-1 support - preventive in nature; quality language teaching in the classroom for all

Tier-2 support - "add-on" intervention for students with persistent learning difficulties;

Tier-3 support – focusing on a relatively small number of students with the need of intensive support, special accommodations, specialist support, etc. due to higher

With a budget of over \$150 million, the 5-year READ & WRITE initiated in 2006 has achieved a number of successes including the development of a prevention program at kindergarten level, publication of new assessment tools and evidenced-based learning resources for both primary and secondary students with dyslexia, implementation of the training for a target of 5000 primary school Chinese language teachers, and

EDB has collaborations with a number of other stakeholders including DH (on assessment); schools, tertiary institutions and non-government organizations (NGOs) (on resource development and service provision); HKEAA (on special public examination arrangements); Vocational Training Centres (on special arrangements for

Promotion of understanding and acceptance towards dyslexia is continuously done

In response to the concerns about the implementation of the special examination arrangements for students with dyslexia, a direct investigation was conducted by The Ombudsman in 2007, under The Ombudsman Ordinance (Office of The Ombudsman, 2008). The following issues about special examination arrangements for students with dyslexia

• special arrangements for internal examinations and assessments in primary and

• the roles of EDB and the former Education and Manpower Bureau in providing these

• special arrangements made by the HKEAA for public examinations for these students; • coordination regarding the provision of the arrangements among EDB, schools and

• promotion of awareness of the practice of such special arrangements among parents,

The government policy embarked the provision of special examination arrangements for students with dyslexia. The EOC issued DDO Code of Practice on Education. It states that reasonable accommodation in the existing programs, services, facilities and benefits must be given to satisfy the needs of these students, without unjustifiable hardship. Special examination arrangements are regarded as reasonable accommodation. They aim to remove the disadvantages induced by dyslexia rather than related to the knowledge or skills being examined. The premises include having no unfair advantages over other students and no interferences with the assessment objectives.

### **3.3.2 Special arrangements in internal examinations**

In addition to taking reference from the guidelines such as "Principles and Strategies for Assessment for Students with Special Educational Needs in Ordinary Schools" published by EDB in 2004, special arrangements in internal examinations have to be made by schools according to the difficulties of the individual students, and the advice from educational professionals such as educational psychologists. As schools are supposed to be accountable for such arrangements, EDB can be approached for assistance if parents find any disagreement between them and the school. The examples of the special arrangements include:


#### **3.3.3 Special arrangements in public examinations**

Students with dyslexia can apply to HKEAA for special arrangements in public examinations (HKCEE for Secondary 5; HKALE for Secondary 7). The "early application" and "second phase application" are open in September/October of the academic year in Secondary 4 and 6, and Secondary 5 and 7, respectively. In addition to completion of an application form, an up-to-date assessment report (with records of special arrangements in his/her school) duly signed by a qualified psychologist and the school head is also necessary. More precise specifications on the requirements of the report are suggested. First, the "qualified psychologist" must be an educational or clinical psychologist with professional practice training. Second, "up-to-date" assessment report refers to the one done within three years prior to the public examination. Third, the psychologist signing the report should be the one who confirms that the applicant has dyslexia and needs special arrangements in the public examination. Last, conclusion has to be drawn on the recommended types of special arrangements. The examples of the special arrangements include:


Dyslexia in Hong Kong: Challenges and Opportunities 39

Some school-age children have weakness to mentally turn and rotate objects or picture. This skill is essential to distinguish differences in size, shape, and orientation of Chinese characters, especially those not printed in a normal horizontal alignment or in different font sizes. Training on visual form- constancy can improve their reading speed and accuracy.

This helps to improve children abilities to conduct visual decoding and encoding. This is an

Some children have difficulties in perceiving the positions of objects in relation to oneself and other objects. Children with visual spatial problems will have poor alignment and

Children with problems in visual closure have weaknesses to identify a whole figure when

Visual discrimination skills involve the ability to perceive words accurately by noting similarities and differences in words. This is an essential ability for the children to

Figure ground perception is the tendency to discriminate between target and background stimuli. The stimulus perceived as the target is regarded as the figure. The other stimuli not perceived as the target make up the background, or ground. It is important for children to

Visual motor skills have been defined as "the ability to integrate the visual image of letters or shapes with the appropriate motor response" (Schneck, 1996). These skills have been shown to be highly associated with other functional activities like handwriting. Besides, visual-motor skills can be multifaceted and influenced by number of factors, including pencil grip, fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, kinesthesia, motor planning, and visual perceptual skills. Activities involving visual scanning and visual tracking like mazes,

While traditional handwriting tasks involve paper work and require children to be seated, sensory integration and multisensory modalities become one of the core treatment programs for the school-based occupational therapy. Although the research on the effectiveness of a multisensory approach has been sparse and the results of finding are inconsistent (Harris & Livesey, 1992; Lockhart & Law, 1994; Oliver, 1990), a study in United States found that

differentiate complex figures among different Chinese characters.

driving game, throwing, and cycling can improve visual motor skills.

**Training on visual form-constancy** 

**Training on visual sequential-memory** 

essential component for English spelling. **Training on visual spatial relationship** 

spacing in the written outputs.

only fragments are presented.

**Training on visual discrimination** 

**Training on figure ground perception** 

**Training on visual motor skill** 

**3.4.2 Sensory integration** 

capture important content in a reading paragraph.

**Training on visual closure** 


The HKEAA Task Group on Special Examination Arrangements is responsible for deciding to approve or reject the application. Candidates dissatisfied with the decision can appeal by giving reasons and supporting documents to The Appeal Panel for Special Needs. They would be notified of the appeal result prior to the examination.
