New Campaign Highlights Problem Of Dyselexia In School Children

Dyslexia is the most common learning difficulty, yet Australia is failing to properly support those with dyslexia. Dyslexia is a brain-based condition that primarily affects reading, writing and spelling, with one in 10 Australians having dyslexia.

People with dyslexia find it difficult to ‘decode’ words, meaning they experience problems making sense of individual words, which makes learning to read and write difficult. It’s a lifelong condition and often runs in families.

Teachers in Australia are currently not trained to teach reading in the most effective way for
all children and they receive little to no training about dyslexia, with the current teaching
practice to wait for children to fail before intervening. This has led to 19 per cent of Australian Year
four students not achieving proficient reading levels; this is equivalent to more than 50,000
students per year and 20 per cent of children at risk of reading failure.

Dr Sandra Marshall, Chairperson for Code Read Dyslexia Network, “The failure and
underachievement of students with dyslexia at school is both a human right and a public
health issue.

Our “Read My Frustration” campaign aims to raise awareness of the prevalence of dyslexia
in Australia, while conveying the unnecessary pain and frustration caused by unrecognised
dyslexia. We know early identification, reading instruction informed by science, and
supportive classroom environments would allow all dyslexics to achieve their potential. But
that’s not happening, Marshall said.

“Beyond awareness, Code Read Dyslexia Network’s key campaign goal is to change
people’s view of dyslexia and to emphasize that dyslexia is NOT linked to intelligence, and
that those with dyslexia CAN learn to read. High expectations for all students is critical.”

Dyslexia occurs across its own spectrum from mild to severe and across the entire IQ
range. With early identification of struggling readers, and early evidenced based
intervention, all but the most severely affected dyslexics can be taught to read.
Early intervention is best practice, and if delayed beyond Year Three, 75% of students will
still be behind their age-related peers when they’re in Year Nineiii – intervention,
accommodations, and support are crucial to improve reading and subsequent life outcomes,
at any age.

Currently, 44 per cent of Australian adults are functionally illiterateiv – that is – they lack the
literacy skills required to cope with the complex demands of modern life. By introducing
testing and support for dyslexia in the foundational and formative years of Australians lives,
these numbers could drastically reduce and ensure those with dyslexia are provided the
opportunity to operate at their full potential.

Jonathan Kerr, Code Read Dyslexia Network Board Member and Chief Marketing & Delivery Officer of Budget Direct Insurance added: “As a dyslexic that battled my way through the system 30 years ago, I was staggered to find out that so little had changed since my school years, so I had to get involved to do something about it. Addressing dyslexia properly in Australia will have profound impact on the lives and prospects of 10 per cent of Australians and in turn the prospects of Australia as a whole.”

Code Read Dyslexia Network, worked with Adelaide Advertising agency KWP! to create the emotive campaign which will feature TV, Billboard, Online and Social Media elements.

KWP’s CEO David O’Loughlin said: “The potency and emotion of this piece of work has come from direct experiences and relationships that are very important to us, and in some cases very personal.

“As parents, friends or caregivers, many staff and suppliers who worked with Code Read on this campaign have supported people who have dyslexia. They have seen the enormous and damaging frustration dyslexia causes, a frustration born from the lack of understanding the broader community has of it.

“We only hope that through this campaign people will lean in and learn more about dyslexia. We hope that children and adults alike will then benefit from that learning and realise their full potential as the smart, capable and confident people they are,” O’Loughlin said.

CREDITS

Chairperson: Dr Sandra Marshall

Vice Chairperson: Carolyn Merritt

Director: Sandra Tidswell

Director: Jonathan Kerr

Agency: KWP!

CEO: David O’Loughlin

Executive Creative Director: Corey Swaffer

Copywriter: Joshua Newnes

Art Director: Kent O’Halloran

Production Manager: Ben Spry

Producer: Peter Lugg

Account Manager: Nat Parsons

Strategist: Brittany James

Finished Artist: Andy Breeding

Production Partners

Production House: 2OC – Tom Molnar

Director: Louise Heesom

DOP/Operator: Max Corkendale

Technical Director: Tom Molnar

Sound: David Tomlinson

Producer: Tayla Stabile

Photographer: Richard Lyons

Hair/Makeup: Annie Tomkinson

Marketing Ops / Media: Budget Direct Team

CSA Partners

oOH! Media

Nine

Seven

Ten

Foxtel

QMS

Google

JCDecaux

PR: 303Mullenlowe

Photo Retoucher: Carl Baker @ Mat Baker

Marketing Ops / Media: Budget Direct In-House Team