{"id":345805,"date":"2019-10-27T07:20:49","date_gmt":"2019-10-27T07:20:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/schooling-and-career-guidance-what-path-awaits-dys-pupils\/"},"modified":"2019-10-27T07:20:49","modified_gmt":"2019-10-27T07:20:49","slug":"schooling-and-career-guidance-what-path-awaits-dys-pupils","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/schooling-and-career-guidance-what-path-awaits-dys-pupils\/","title":{"rendered":"Schooling and Career Guidance: What Path Awaits DYS Pupils?"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a schooling journey that’s more or less long and difficult, many DYS children go on to succeed in higher education. But for some, failure at secondary school stands in the way of further studies. What path awaits children with learning disorders? What career guidance should be chosen for pupils with DYS or ADHD? Which careers should be encouraged depending on a child’s specific disorder?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Schooling choices for a DYS, autistic, or ADHD child<\/strong><\/h2>\n

<\/strong>Once a diagnosis is made, parents of children with a learning disorder start asking questions about schooling. It’s a path that can be complex, but one that keeps improving in favour of inclusion and equal opportunity.
\nIn primary school: nursery and elementary. <\/strong>Once diagnosed, a child can be placed in a mainstream class at their local school. If that proves difficult, they may be directed towards a specialised unit within a mainstream school as part of collective school inclusion: an ULIS unit (Unit\u00e9 Localis\u00e9e pour l’Inclusion Scolaire, a specialised in-school inclusion unit). Under individualised schooling, a pupil with a disability is admitted into a mainstream class and can be supported by a dedicated learning support assistant, known in France as an AVS (auxiliaire de vie scolaire). This AVS is a qualified person who is part of the disabled child’s personalised schooling plan (PPS, projet personnel de scolarisation).<\/p>\n

ULIS units (Unit\u00e9 Localis\u00e9e pour l’Inclusion Scolaire). <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Within an ULIS unit, pupils join a collective setup and benefit from adapted teaching. They still take part in certain activities with the other pupils. Children in an ULIS unit can also individually join another class within the school during their time there.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>In secondary school, at coll\u00e8ge and lyc\u00e9e<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n

While the support offered to children with difficulties is improving at primary level, progress is moving more slowly at secondary level.<\/p>\n

“The Ministry of Education is committed to training primary and secondary teachers better and better, and these training programmes are very well received. Behavioural disorders and DYS conditions raise a lot of questions. I believe they are now better supported.”<\/span><\/h3>\n

V\u00e9ronique Montangerand, inspector in charge of special educational needs<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>Once they reach secondary school, pupils with DYS disorders either join a mainstream class through individual integration, or a specialised unit within an ordinary coll\u00e8ge or lyc\u00e9e. This is known as collective school integration. A scheme designed to improve educational accessibility for these pupils, the ULIS unit is a tailored response for some of these young people living with a disability.<\/p>\n

The ULIS unit (Unit\u00e9 Localis\u00e9e pour l’Inclusion Scolaire)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This educational support system is aimed at young people aged 11 to 16. When individual integration into a mainstream class proves too difficult, but admission to an IME (Institut M\u00e9dico-Educatif, a specialised medical-educational institute) isn’t warranted either, the ULIS unit supports them on the path to integration. Some ULIS units are more specifically dedicated to “learning disorders” or “language disorders.”<\/p>\n

The benefits of ULIS units<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Schooled alongside other pupils their own age, children in an ULIS unit also benefit from teaching materials adapted to their specific needs. Even better, they receive therapeutic support within their own school. All of this adds up to extra opportunities to move on to the next stage.<\/p>\n

Throughout their schooling, a child with DYS disorders can benefit from speech and language therapy support<\/a> thanks to the online speech therapy consultation services offered by the ORA platform. Accessible from anywhere in the world, from home for instance, sessions are run by a qualified speech and language therapist, specialised in DYS disorders and chosen by the child’s family. This is a valuable resource for families living in French medical deserts or abroad.<\/p>\n

Higher education: overcoming the hurdle with a disability<\/strong><\/h2>\n

<\/strong>The difficulties DYS students face at university:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

They’re found in particularly large numbers in agricultural degree programmes, making up more than 20% of students in that professional field. Personal choice, or a fallback option? The figures don’t say more. Yet studies carried out by the ASLAN research excellence laboratory show an encouraging result:<\/p>\n

“This condition is not a strict barrier to accessing university. The accommodations now available are likely contributing to this trend.”<\/span><\/h3>\n

ASLAN Laboratory<\/em><\/p>\n

The real problem seems to lie more in the gradual erosion of support schemes as the pupil progresses through their studies. This is especially true at most universities. And yet behavioural and language disorders persist well beyond secondary school! Once at university, students with disabilities find it harder to take notes, follow lectures amid the noise of large lecture halls, or understand written instructions during exams. The good news is that this situation is changing! That’s the whole aim of the ETUDYS project, which is paving the way for audio lessons and projected visual materials, as well as extended time allowances during exams and tests.<\/p>\n

Helping your child choose their path<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Guiding your child without influencing them, helping them with their choices while respecting them, is an even more delicate situation for parents of DYS children. Here’s an overview of the steps that can help with school and career guidance.<\/p>\n