ERIC Number: EJ1379971
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1949-1212
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Digital Self-Help Groups for College Students with Dyslexia: What They Can Provide to Young People with Substantial Difficulties in Reading and Spelling on Their Path through Higher Education
Grünke, Matthias; Hammes-Schmitz, Edeltraud; Nobel, Kerstin; Ramacher-Faasen, Nicole; Stallmann, Till; Apel, Kirsten; Faasen, Josephine; Faasen, Rainer
Insights into Learning Disabilities, v20 n1 p51-63 2023
Higher education students with dyslexia are generally under enormous emotional pressure. The fear of getting exposed as "stupid" leads many of them to isolate themselves and avoid social contact with their peers. In consequence, a lot of dyslexic college students suffer from feelings of loneliness or even depression and anxiety. One promising way to palliate the anguish is participation in self-help groups. They can create a sense of belonging and of not being the only one out there with severe reading and writing problems. Moreover, they can help disseminate practical information on how to best cope with one's challenges. In this paper, we describe the opportunities that digital self-support groups (mostly by means of video conferencing) can offer. We argue that for these groups to be successful, they need a facilitator, must limit their attendance to a specific set of not more than five members, should have some etiquette and routines, should not limit the number of sessions that one is allowed to attend, and should be connected with nonprofit associations or other suitable organizations to elicit synergy effects.
Descriptors: College Students, Dyslexia, Self Help Programs, Computer Mediated Communication, Discussion Groups, Mental Health, Depression (Psychology), Anxiety, Emotional Problems, Psychological Patterns, Teleconferencing, Social Media, Social Networks, Accessibility (for Disabled), Sense of Community, Peer Acceptance, Social Support Groups, Usability
Learning Disabilities Worldwide, Inc. 14 Nason Street, Maynard, MA 01754. Tel: 978-897-5399; Fax: 978-897-5355; e-mail: info@ldworldwide.org; Web site: http://www.ldworldwide.org/educators/ild-educators
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A