Good Practice Guidelines

Last revised in March 2025 by Karisa Krčmář and Tanya Zybutz

In 2008, a working party was set up by PASSHE to address the issue of quality in the provision of specialist 1:1 study skills and learning strategy support for students with specific learning differences (SpLDs), and to draw up guidance for best practice for the delivery of this provision. Since then, the role of 1:1 specialist support has changed. These guidelines have been updated to reflect these changes.

PASSHE’s Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Specialist Support for Learners with Specific Learning Differences in Higher Education aim to:

• share knowledge and disseminate good practice, including promoting and developing the understanding of all aspects of SpLDs (such as dyslexia, dyspraxia) and the impact on executive functions on allied conditions such as ADHD
• to share and disseminate knowledge of the impact of such learning profiles on mental wellbeing and learning
• to clarify and promote students’ entitlement to specialist support throughout the sector.
• PASSHE welcomes the dissemination of these Guidelines across the sector and professional networks. Please feel free to share.

Introduction

It is recognised that there are a number of professionals involved in the process that leads to specialist 1:1 support accessed by students with SpLDs, and ADHD, currently funded through the Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA). This support is based on:

• recommendations made in psychological or educational assessment reports (see 1.1).
• recommendations agreed by the student and their needs assessor.
• approval of the above recommendations by the relevant funding body, for example, Student Finance England/Student Finance Wales/Student Finance Northern Ireland/Student Awards Agency Scotland/NHS/RC, or the Disability Service at HEPs who have opted out of DSA funded support protocols.

The Professional Association of Specific Learning Difference Specialists in Higher Education:

• welcomes open and constructive dialogue between the professionals engaged in identifying student needs and delivering specialist 1:1 support under the remit of the DSA, or any equivalent funding stream and any future iteration of dedicated funding like Disability Premium Fund etc.
• believes that specialist knowledge (especially expertise from PASSHE Professional Quality Assured [QA] Members) should be respected, and research should be cited where appropriate in any considerations to the provision of specialist 1:1 support.
• is committed to an on-going professional recognition of the role of the specialist 1:1 quality assured support tutor.
• believes that effective learning can be inhibited by societal practices which often excludes students with protected characteristics. This exclusion can be compounded into a cumulative, negative experience for those whose minoritised identities intersect, such as specific learning differences intersecting with race, class, mental health and gender. We further recognise the challenges intersecting identities bring within a higher or further education setting.

It is essential for all interested parties involved in the provision of specialist 1:1 study skills support to consider the following:

• before an academic course starts, the student will likely only know their needs in broad terms. This is especially true where a student has only recently been identified as a learner with SpLDs. The total number of students needing support has been rising steadily in line with the total student population. In the academic year 2017/18 115,815 students (4.9% of the student population) were recorded as having a SpLD or ADHD; this had risen to 140,140 students (5.1% of the total student population) for the academic year 2021/22.  There is, however, a wide variation in need depending on the HEP.  For example, in 2021/2, almost one-fifth of students (18.2%) studying at the Royal Agricultural University and 16.3% of students at the Conservatoire of Dance and Drama had a SpLD.  Aston University and the University of Strathclyde saw only 2% of their students with SpLDs. (HESA, 2023). 
• the specialist 1:1 tutor working with students with SpLDs needs to review the development of strategies on an ongoing basis as learning needs emerge and change. Specialist tutors adopt a layered approach in their response, designing support to play to student strengths, addressing difficulties in small, consolidating steps, and helping students to an understanding of how the interaction of SpLDs and learning affects them.
• a student’s profile changes over time, which needs to be taken into account when working 1:1 and there is a need to meet the student where they are on their learning journey.  “You can get to a stage where your profile serves you well in most of your life and then you find a new task or situation is bringing back dyslexic/SpLD problems again” (Stacey & Fowler, 2019:63).
• whilst most of the evidence surrounding the value of 1:1 specialist support is rightly qualitative, a small-scale study by Graham (2020) highlights its absolute importance to achieving grades that reflect students’ ability. PASSHE believes the value of working 1:1 is paramount to a student with SpLDs thriving in their studies possibly for the first time in their educational pathway.

1. Identification of SpLDs

The SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC) was tasked with establishing clear guidance for the identification of students with SpLDs.

Chartered psychologists and specialist teachers who hold Practising Certificates are qualified to carry out diagnostic assessments and write reports. Guidelines for this procedure can be found on the Downloads page of the SASC website.

PASSHE believes that student-centred diagnostic reports can be liberating as it can help students to understand their SpLD, enabling them to achieve their academic potential. The following standards should be used as best practice guidelines at the identification stage:

1.1. Prior to a diagnostic assessment, a student should be aware of the reasons for referral, the content of the assessment itself, and the follow-up process – including the importance of consent to disclose. Cooper observes having “a screening process for dyslexia…provides a clear message that the university expects [SpLDs] to be among their students” (Pollak, 2009:72).

PASSHE believes that a thorough and holistic, combined qualitative and quantitative screening conducted by a specialist tutor is essential for good practice. It will help identify a range of SpLDs and possible mental health concerns in order to help inform a specialist assessor’s diagnostic assessment. It is worth noting that the mental health of students has “become a topic of increasing focus for all involved in higher education” (Krčmář, 2020:8).

A minimum time scale for the return of diagnostic reports to students. It is difficult to suggest a minimum timescale, due to differing work contexts. It is recommended that these are returned to the student as soon as practicable, so they can access support in a timely manner. Whatever this timescale is in each HEP, this information should be make transparent to the student in advance of their assessment.

The original copy of the report must be given to the student. This can be either as a hard copy or a digital one. Best practice is to ensure that the student receives a digital copy for future safeguarding and access as HEIs records are deleted after six years. If sending a digital copy, then General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulations must be followed, and they must be password protected. Where HEPs make it a requirement to supply a report, they have the responsibility to pass it on to the students. Records generally need to be kept 6 years after the end of a student’s course; student qualifications need “retaining forever in case a student requests a copy of their qualification certificate(s) or needs to change their name on them”. (Dylan Griffiths, PASSHE Chair, 2024).

1.2 Post-assessment feedback to the student is essential to ensure that the student understands the report findings and implications. Ideally, this should be done by the author of the report; however, it is recognised that this is not always practical. Feedback should be handled sensitively by someone with a clear understanding of the assessment language, the emotional consequences of this kind of assessment and the impact for the student’s past, current, and future learning. This will often be a specialist tutor as part of the study skills and strategies support process as “developing students’ understanding of their cognitive profile leads to better metacognition, self-esteem and self-advocacy skills” (Burwell & Szumko, 2015:26).

1.3 DSA application. While responsibility for applying for the DSA lies with the student, it should be recognised that students with an SpLD profile are those who are most likely to find the paperwork involved with the application difficult. In many institutions the disability service (or its equivalent) will offer students support with the application process. This should be seen as an anticipatory duty in compliance with the Equality Act (2010).

2. Tutor and Administrative Protocols

PASSHE believes that, in a student-centred process, the following standards should be used as best practice guidelines:

2.1 Accountability and transparency. Accountability and transparency are essential and should be evident, and communicated, throughout the provision of specialist 1:1 support.

2.2 Documentation. Case, or office, notes and are a record of support and contact, additional to records of work. If you are working for an Agency, there will be protocols to follow.  If you are working freelance, ensure that all paperwork is up-to-date and compliant; especially important for any forthcoming QA Audits. All documentation should be stored in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Data Protection Act 2018. It is useful to remember that students can make requests to have sight of all the notes taken about them including session records.

2.3 Attendance. Attendance records must be maintained for the benefit of both student and specialist 1:1 tutor and any internal Disability Service and specialist commercial companies/agencies who offer this type of support as they may need to be submitted for funding, and/or legal purposes. Note these records should be independent of any content of sessions notes.

2.4 Metacognitive Development for Learning. PASSHE believes that specialist 1:1 study skills are about helping the student to learn how they learn best and which strategies to employ when needed. This is seen as being a vital part of self-esteem for effective learning. Szumko captured this important principle in 2015 in the following figure.

Where a diagnostic assessment report is not made available, ideally specialist tutors should consult the students’ needs assessment report. In the absence of either, an initial conversation should take place with the student to understand how they process and the challenges they face on their course, including identifying their forthcoming deadlines. It is important to ascertain the student’s priorities and current level of academic functioning within your initial few sessions to ensure that you start the learning sessions at the appropriate point. 

Specialist strategies need to be woven into the academic work that the student needs to produce. Sessions should start with some targets for the meeting and end with a recap of what’s been covered as well as agreeing what’s on the agenda for the next session. As the sessions are meant to be student-led, this type of goal setting has to be flexible to meet the demands of the student’s deadlines and priorities.

2.5 Records of Work. Teaching notes detailing support are kept for the use of specialist 1:1 tutors and their supervisors. Students are able to request copies under GDPR compliance. These should be confidential and only disclosed to other parties with the student’s express consent. Confidentiality should be assured, but students should be made aware of the need to disclose information to a third-party if they are at serious risk of doing harm to themselves or others.

2.6 Learning Contract. A formal agreement (often known as a learning contract, learning agreement or something similar) should be drawn up between the specialist 1:1 tutor and student. This needs to cover specialist 1:1 tutor responsibilities, student responsibilities and accountability to DSA, or relevant funding body. Specialist tutors should share PASSHE’s Student Charter with their students, and flag PASSHE’s Inclusivity statement.

2.7 Student Feedback. Opportunities for student feedback should be provided at least once a year to cover all service provision and to inform future practice. Best practice is to engage with feedback each semester. Anonymised feedback should be available in the public domain and utilised in service reviews and for identifying staff development needs.

2.9 Confidentiality and Dissemination of Information. Students are encouraged to sign a /consent to disclose/ document so that the disability service can disseminate information about anticipatory reasonable adjustments to, for example, academic tutors, library service, examination office, academic departments, placement contacts, etc. With student consent, and in accordance with institutional and employment agency protocols, it may be appropriate for specialist tutors to liaise with individual academic staff. All HEP staff should have access to ongoing opportunities for SpLD and neurodivergence awareness training. Good practice would be to include an awareness training session for all newly appointed staff, both academic and administrative, as part of their induction. Specialist tutors and students SpLDs should be involved in such training. PASSHE recognises that in-house specialist teams are best practice but that some HEPs do not directly employ 1:1 specialist tutors, making it difficult for specialist tutors to contribute their invaluable knowledge and skills to the organisation as a whole. It is PASSHE’s strong belief that any Inclusion drive without such input is demonstrably not inclusive.

3. The Specialist 1:1 Tutor in HE

The PASSHE Mind Map details the type of support that a tutor can provide, and can be downloaded here.

3.1 Professional Standards. The academic nature of specialist 1:1 tutorial work is now widely recognised. This professionalism is underpinned by ensuring that specialist 1:1 tutors are:

• appropriately qualified (see more details here)
• engaging with professional supervision at regular intervals. A mandatory part of PASSHE’s Professional QA process requires a minimum of three sessions each year of Professional Peer Supervision (PPS)®. Professional Peer Supervision is PASSHE’s initiative to ensure that our practice is on a par with similar professional practice in HE, for example, Counsellors, Mental Health Mentors, Educational Psychologists.  For further detail please see PASSHE’s Tutor Handbook. PASSHE QA Tutor Handbook for New Members (updated September 2024).
• actively engaged in Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
• adhere to PASSHE’s Intersectionality Statement.
• tutors are expected to actively engage in regular reflection to develop their critical perspectives on practice through PPS®.
• able to apply their specialist practice to the context of a student’s HEP.

3.2 Working 1:1. The specialist 1:1 tutor should have the training and skills to take account of:

• the well-recognised effects of SpLDs on language and literacy acquisition.
• the effects of short-term and working memory limitations.
• the influence of slower processing speed on learning that contributes to overwhelm.
• fatigue which can often be the result of masking the effort involved in producing traditional academic knowledge.
• the possibility of a history of failure in academic learning contexts.
• the on-going impact of challenges to learning faced by intersecting identities
• traditional neuro-typically designed education systems, which often have adverse emotional impacts on people with SpLDs. This can be exacerbated in individuals when the intersectional aspects of their political and social identities are considered, such as global majority groups.  
• access to good, relevant assistive technology software can be liberating when the training is appropriately and effectively delivered.   The SpLD 1:1 tutor needs to be aware not only of the learning needs of their students, but also any underlying emotional problems which might be affecting their concentration and/or their ability to focus fully on their studies. For example, sometimes students with SpLDs can feel angry about how they have been misjudged or humiliated in the past.
• allowing the student a little time to ‘offload’ at the beginning of a session can often mean that the session is more productive. A SpLD 1:1 tutor must, however, be aware of the limitations of their role and refer the student to a mentor or counsellor when appropriate.

3.3 The learning context. Ross Cooper (2009:77) argued that tutors “can play an important role in advocating appropriate support”, and in the SpLD 1:1 context, where possible, the tutor should:

• provide professional advice to colleagues on inclusive learning and reasonable adjustments. A reasonable adjustment may be defined as an accommodation or alteration to existing academic programmes, which is necessary for neurodivergent students to have the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, rather than penalised for their processing due to their SpLD. The implementation of a reasonable adjustment enables students to achieve their true potential within a framework of academic standards (PASSHE, date not specified).
• provide advice and guidance on appropriate formats for information and feedback to contribute to inclusive best practice.
• provide advice and guidance on compliance with the law (specifically, the Equality Act, 2010).
• be involved in induction training of new staff.
• be available for consultation and support to colleagues. Advance HE has identified “the need for all learning experiences to respect student diversity, enable participation, remove barriers (existing and potential) and has outlined that higher education provision should encompass a variety of learning needs and preferences” (Krčmář, 2019:22). Further, the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (introduced by the government in England in 2016) awards universities and colleges Gold, Silver, Bronze or Provisional status, considers teaching excellence, graduate employment and retention levels. The updated framework puts an overt emphasis on the effectiveness and impact of teaching; the context in which teaching takes place; and inclusivity with the aim that all learners feel respected and valued and have equity in opportunity to succeed (AdvanceHE, 2024). While the TEF is designed for HEPs and FEPs in England, those in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland can choose to participate (UCAS, 2004).
• PASSHE recognises the importance of in-house specialist teams and the valuable contribution they can make to increase the knowledge of the wider university staff.  PASSHE views this as best practice in any inclusion protocol.
• PASSHE recognises that many specialist tutors work in isolation for agencies and are not able to contribute to institutional practices but are able to offer their students the same quality of specialist study skills.
• PASSHE recognises independent organisations/companies that have established expertise in specialist 1:1 provision – often remote sessions that operate within the sector; these are usually smaller, specialist enterprises.

3.4 Working with colleagues within the profession. PASSHE was founded with the aim of sharing best practice and an effective place for such sharing is the PASSHE Jiscmail. In this spirit, it is expected that specialist tutors will:

• share information on, for example, forms of paperwork, policies and business procedures to avoid unnecessary duplication of work.
• contribute to research where possible.
• support professional colleagues in their reflective practice. PASSHE believes that PPS® is the best practice for this. Please see PASSHE’s updated PPS Handbook for further information about PASSHE Professional Peer Supervision.

4. Support

It is essential that a clear understanding of both why specialist support is appropriate for students with SpLDs, and of the underlying, research-based principles that underpin that support is articulated. Evidence-based practice and research underpin the development of training programmes for specialist tutors who work with adult students with SpLDs. Specialist 1:1 study skills and strategy support are based on individual need and is specific to each student. Every person with SpLDs is unique, so it is important to understand strengths and weaknesses in order to maximise learning potential. 

4.1 Why Specialist 1:1 support is necessary. Neurodivergent students may experience some degree of phonological difficulty, a weaker short-term memory, a slower speed of information processing, and diverse spatial, temporal and social perceptions, to which might be added a history of educational failure and there should be recognition of the impact of intersectionality (Collins and Bilge, 2000; Price and Skinner, 2007; Steele, 2010).  Please consult, PASSHE’s statement on intersectionality and you may find it useful to refer to Jannett Morgan’s recently published book (2024).

Specific learning differences are combinations of abilities and challenges which impact the learning process in aspects of literacy and sometimes numeracy. Coping with required academic reading is often seen as one of the big challenges at HE-level due, in part, to a difficulty in skimming and scanning written material, as well as recalling what has been read to gain coherent comprehension. A student may also experience difficulty with expressing their ideas clearly in written formats and in an academic style appropriate to the level of study of their course. Marked and persistent issues may be identified in working memory, speed of processing, sequencing skills, auditory and/or visual perception, spoken language and motor skills (Price and Skinner, 2007). This may impact on self-esteem and educational confidence and needs to be addressed in 1:1 sessions. Visuo-spatial skills, creative thinking and intuitive understanding are less likely to be impaired and indeed, often are exceptional.

Cooper demonstrates that SpLDs can cover a bewildering range of experiences from spelling to timekeeping, from taking notes to organisation, from the need to move to self-esteem both academic and social. Cooper believes that this array of experiences can be viewed around a need for a holistic, rather than sequential, approach to understand perceptions and experiences (Cooper, 2019:83-84).  Grant suggests it is useful to refer to the terms “dyslexias or dyspraxias as this helps to break away from misleading stereotyping” (2007:2). PASSHE considers the term SpLDs better describes the array of different and overlapping behaviours and learning barriers individuals may demonstrate.

In general, individuals with SpLDs show an imbalance of skills: they may have difficulty in taking in symbolic material when it is presented at speed, but they may be very successful at tasks that require good reasoning power (Du Pre, Gilroy, &; Miles, 2008:7). It is also important to recognise and understand that the structure of higher education is not designed for neurodiversity inclusion. Reproduction of knowledge in inflexible formats (time-limited exams) is one example of practice which marginalises and excludes neurodiverse learners. What is clear is that these students do not always learn effectively in a traditional way and alternative approaches need to be adopted; as Cooper puts it “the problem isn’t reading ability but teaching effectiveness” (Cooper, 2019:83). Pollak rightly highlights that the academy – the HE establishment – esteems linear thought, for example the conventional structure of an essay, above other forms, and this can disadvantage those who do not naturally think, or process information that way (Pollak, 2005:xvi). 

Cooper further argues that “when education requires a good working memory” students with SpLDs are disadvantaged and risk failing. This is especially apparent in exam situations where success is gauged “in reproducing knowledge in timed limited ways” (2019:84). He further argues that any sequential process involved in the learning of literacy, maths, timekeeping, organisation, attention, movement, etc. [that] are attempted sequentially rather than holistically” (2019:84) are likely to be problematic. He comments that “holistic learning, that is, capturing patterns of information and how they interrelate, rather than attempting to hold on to each step in sequence, is crucial. Understanding comes before the details” (Cooper, 2019:84).

Working with a specialist 1:1 tutor may be the first time a student feels they have met someone who understands them. Specialist tutors work with students to help develop an “understanding of their cognitive profile [which] leads to better metacognition, self-esteem and self-advocacy” (Burwell and Szumko, 2015:26).

4.2 PASSHE 7-Principles® Underpinning Specialist 1:1 Support for Learners with SpLDs. The PASSHE 7-Principles® are a code of best practice and underpin the development of strategies used in specialist 1:1 study skills support. They should inform every specialist 1:1 study skills session. PASSHE members can access a wealth of resources from the website, including an interactive poster, and members are encouraged to share these with colleagues and peers to help support students.

The PASSHE 7-Principles® are:

• Metacognition – Students with SpLDs need to understand how they process information to facilitate their own learning. Specialist tutors work closely with students to help them understand their individual learning preferences, strengths and weaknesses. Often metacognition does not occur spontaneously in neurodivergent learners. Allum et al. (2016) argues for the overt recognition of “the student’s strengths […] to identify strengths, existing strategies and transferable skills and to relate them to their particular dyslexic profile [and to] to develop the student’s understanding of [neurodivergence] and build confidence, metacognitive skills and knowledge” (2016:59). This, they argue, “puts the student in control of their own learning and working methods and, as many years of experience as a specialist teacher has shown, this leads to a reduction in stress and anxiety or depression. Good cognitive skills lead to improved self-esteem, which is a crucial factor in academic success due to the inter-relationship of belief, capability and action; behaviour is under the control of what we believe we are capable of achieving (self-efficacy)” (ibid, 2016:60).
• Multi-sensory – The specialist tutor adopts a multi-sensory approach to learning, taking account of students’ processing styles. This is an approach which adopts simultaneous use of multiple senses. Multi-sensory learning involves the integration of visual, auditory, tactile or kinaesthetic-tactile pathways simultaneously to enhance memory and learning of written language. Links are consistently made between the visual (language we see), auditory (language we hear) and kinaesthetic-tactile (language symbols we feel) (International Dyslexia Association, 2020). There is a consensus that multi-sensory learning is particularly beneficial to neurodivergent learners by arguing that multiple perceptual pathways strengthen memory.
• Relevance – Most students with SpLDs learn best when they can see the relevance of what they are doing. It is useful for the SpLD tutor to relate any teaching point/strategy directly to the student’s own work, e.g. using course text to explain a reading strategy. Also, many learners like to have a holistic view of their learning – they like to see the /big picture/. Cooper argues that this enables a learner to capture patterns of information and understand how they interrelate, rather than attempting to hold on to each step, in sequence. “Understanding” he says, “needs to come before details” (Cooper 2019:85).
• Motivation – It is recognised that motivation is an important component of students’ learning experience. Motivation can sustain students’ expectations, aspirations, self-esteem and confidence. Motivation is an essential element in keeping the student focused and able to enjoy their studies. As a result of negative experiences within their past education, a student’s lack of self-esteem and confidence may result in considerable anxiety linked with their learning at university. A student who is stressed or anxious can often experience a lack of motivation. As Stacey and Fowler (2019) suggest, stress can increase the effects an SpLD has on an individual.
• Overlearning – Students with SpLDs often learn quickly and forget quickly. They need to recognise this and understand the efficacy of overlearning. Strategies often need to be repeated, re-focused and re-applied, often time after time. Students with SpLDs often require plenty of overlearning and reinforcement of a process before they can apply it (Hunter-Carsch & Herrington, 2001:83).
• Little and Often – Most students with SpLDs will effectively manage their own learning when it is broken into small manageable chunks and when they take short, frequent breaks. “An important role of the specialist support tutor is to break workloads down into smaller more manageable chunks with personal deadlines, working with the student to achieve these goals as part of their personal learning programme. As students begin to realise they are able to achieve their targets, their motivation, confidence and self-esteem increase, anxiety levels fall and their pathway to learning becomes clearer” (Sumner, 2012).
• Modelling – Moving through the model-mentor-independence process is effective for many students with SpLDs who find it difficult to appreciate what a task actually involves. The specialist tutor might first model strategies and approaches that students then put into practice. PASSHE members (2019) suggested a variety of methods of modelling such as: sharing a well-structured paragraph to explain topic sentences, supporting points, key words, linking words etc. in order for the student to use the principles to develop their own writing skills; modelling a particular reading strategy with a section from a course text. On a more challenging task modelling may have to be repeated several times (see Little and Often principle above). The aim is clearly to work towards more autonomous learning.

4.3 Student perception of 1:1 support at university. Many students do not fully realise what specialist support at higher education involves. It should be made clear to students that:

• specialist 1:1 support is focused on the student’s metacognition, alongside the academic skill being learned.
• while many students have been taught study skills in school, specialist 1:1 tutors can help them adapt these for university or college and introduce new strategies.
• students attending work placements (for example as trainee teachers, social workers, nurses, or medical students etc.) or field trips may require focused advice on support mechanisms or reasonable adjustments to assist in their general practice. The specialist tutor can work with the student to develop strategies which can be transferred into practice requirements, according to personal and placement requirements. Where required, specialist tutors can provide guidance to mentors or supervisors regarding useful support and simple adjustments that can be put in place for students on work placements and/or field trips (Sumner, 2012).
• modelling the best use of Assistive Technology reinforces IT training which students can access through DSA funding. “The impact can be extraordinary if the assistive technology is recognised as built around our senses and capable of forming a powerful individualised learning styles environment […] Technical expertise needs to service the learning priorities and be integrated with learning support” (Cooper, 2009:81). Whilst the fusion between Specialist Study Skills support and AT has become more integrated, there is still much work to be done for this to become normalised (Choudhury, 2020).
• specialist 1:1 study skills and strategy support is a continual process of empowering students, helping them to become more autonomous learners. “It is clear that some students may require regular, on-going support throughout their whole programme of study, whilst others may access support at crucial stages, as and when required. A system that can therefore encompass this range of need is essential, to allow flexibility and accommodate individual differences and changes in circumstances” (Severs, 2008:2).
• specialist tutors should help their students to become familiar with PASSHE’s Student Charter to increase their awareness of what they can expect from their 1:1 sessions.

4.4 Delivery of specialist 1:1 tutorials. Students with SpLDs may currently be eligible for the following support from the DSAs subject to the nature of their learning differences and their needs assessment recommendations.  At the time of this update, there has been a seismic shift in the needs assessment landscape and the precarity of the current situation in academic year 23/24 and beyond should be noted:

• the aim of such support should be to impart non-subject specialist academic skills which, together with any specialist equipment that has been provided, will allow the student to become more independent in their learning. Therefore, specialist support should be tailored to the student’s individual needs and cognitive profile.
• whilst this guidance refers to specialist 1:1 support for students with SpLDs, similar 1:1 support may be considered for students with mental health difficulties where recommended in a Needs Assessment Report.
• group workshops should not be considered as an alternative to specialist 1:1 support, however there is a benefit for ND students to be able to engage with students with similar learning profiles to reduce the sense of isolation and of feeling like ‘they’re the only ones’.
• students are responsible for developing their own learning processes and specialist 1:1 tutors are there to facilitate this process. Specialist 1:1 sessions should be student-led to meet the student’s academic work priorities. Committing to support sessions can in itself assist the development of better time management and organisation.
• learning priorities: any individual provision should be negotiated with the learner before specialist 1:1 support sessions begin, taking into account the demands of their degree programme, their individual experience of SpLDs and establishing their emotional readiness to learn.

Specialist 1:1 Study Skills focuses on the individual student and their evolving learning needs. Learning priorities in support sessions are developed by the student and specialist tutor, in partnership (see 3.2). In identifying academic priorities account should be taken of:

• the student’s learning profile.
• the student’s current level of proficiency in academia.
• the nature of the course, how it is delivered and assessment methods.
• what has worked (or not) for the student in the past.
• recommendations made by diagnosticians and needs assessors.

The aim of the Specialist 1:1 specialist study skills session is to:

• reinforce and build on successful strategies.
• develop skills cumulatively to enable a student to develop transferable skills and move towards more autonomous learning.
• support the student in critical reflection to enable understanding of their working preferences and of how the interaction of SpLD and learning affects them.
• reinforce and develop student’s self-esteem, personal and academic resilience.
• ensure that all sessions are student-centred with the flexibility to work with students on what is most urgent.
• ensure strategies developed with students should support student’s metacognition.

It is good practice to establish long, and short term, goals in establishing learning priorities; however, it must be recognised that the demands of any course at this level change year by year, and even every term. As such it is inevitable each new academic year will bring new challenges. For example, the final year for many students involves an extended dissertation. The organisation and management of such a detailed assignment may mean that students who have become more self-reliant learners, once again find themselves needing a high level of support.

4.5 Content of support. As noted in 4.2, PASSHE’s 7 Principles® underpin the specialist 1:1 support offered for learners with SpLDs. Each of these underlying principles should underpin the specialist 1:1 support sessions and, when used appropriately, coalesce to facilitate a student’s effective learning. Raising students awareness of these principles within sessions enhances their metacognitive development of how they process information and which strategies to employ for their effective learning.

Authorship

Guidelines’ Original Authors, September 2008:

• Ros Lehany, then Chair of PASSHE, Northern School of Contemporary Dance
• Shirley Dow, University of Essex
• Sally Freeman, Nottingham Trent University
• Pauline Sumner, Middlesex University
• Tanya Zybutz, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London

Revised Guidelines, July 2012:

• Jamie Crabb, Research Assistant

Revised Guidelines, September 2020:

• Mark Worrall, then Chair of PASSHE
• Karisa Krčmář, Loughborough University
• Janet Skinner, first PASSHE Level 5 course leader
• Tanya Zybutz, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London
• members of PASSHE Executive Committee

Revised Guidelines, March 2025:

• Principal Authors:
  • Karisa Krčmář, PASSHE Director and Executive Committee Member
  • Tanya Zybutz, PASSHE Executive Committee Member
• Additional Contributions:
  • Bob Burwell, PASSHE Executive Committee Member 
  • Tina Horsman, PASSHE director
  • Dionysios Kyropoulos, PASSHE Co-Chair and Director

Glossary of Terms

ADSHE: Association of Dyslexia Specialists in Higher Education, the former name of PASSHE, the Professional Association of Specific Learning Difference Specialists in Higher Education
AMBDA: Associate Membership of the British Dyslexia Association
AT: Assistive Technology
BDA: British Dyslexia Association
DSA: Disabled Students’ Allowances
DSSG: Disabled Student and Stakeholders Group
Executive Function: refers to the pre-frontal cortex activities of the brain involved in planning, decision-making, attention capacity and attention switching and inhibition control
FE: Further Education
FEP: Further Education Provider
HE: Higher Education
HEP: Higher Education Provider
Neurodiverse: This term is sometimes used instead of ‘neurodivergence’; this can be problematic grammatically. A group can be neurodiverse; not an individual. An individual is better described as neurodivergent, rather than neurodiverse. However, it’s useful to consider why the ‘divergent’ part of neurodivergent garners resistance.
Neurodivergence: This term has historically been championed among the autism community but is increasingly being used in other settings.
Neurodivergent: Describes individual cognitive functioning that is different from what is seen or perceived as ‘normal’ or typical. Being neurodivergent means having a brain that works differently from how most people might expect a brain to work. While the term appears to reflect the ‘medical model’, it is a term that many neurodivergent people increasingly are comfortable with.
Neurodiversity: The biological reality of infinite variation in human neurocognitive functioning and behaviour. This is akin to ‘biodiversity’ in the natural world. The term ‘neurodiversity’ is now being used to describe aspirational initiatives like ‘workplace diversity-and-inclusion’ that focus on including people who are neurodivergent.
Neurotypical: It’s important not to draw simple lines in the sand between ‘neurotypicals’ and neurodivergent people. Human neurodiversity is a highly complex spectrum, in which everyone sits. However, there is a bias towards neuro-normative processing which sets a baseline ‘standard’. For example, see the structure of PhD Vivas for a good example of the problematics of such an orientation.
NHSBSA: National Health Service Business Services Authority
NMH: non-medical helper
PASSHE: Professional Association of Specific Learning Difference Specialists in Higher Education (formerly known as ADSHE, the Association of Dyslexia Specialists in Higher Education)
PATOSS: Professional Association for Teachers of SpLDs
PQATM: PASSHE Quality Assured Tutor Member
SAAS: Students Awards Agency Scotland
SpLDs: Specific Learning Differences, a term deemed to include dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and dyscalculia
SLC: Student Loans Company
SFE: Student Finance England
SFW: Student Finance Wales
QAA: Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

References

Authorship

Guidelines’ Original Authors, September 2008:

• Ros Lehany, Chair of PASSHE, Northern School of Contemporary Dance
• Shirley Dow, University of Essex
• Sally Freeman, Nottingham Trent University
• Pauline Sumner, Middlesex University
• Tanya Zybutz, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London

Revised Guidelines, July 2012:

• Jamie Crabb, PASSHE Research Assistant

Revised Guidelines, September 2020:

• Mark Worrall, Chair of PASSHE
• Karisa Krčmář, Loughborough University
• Janet Skinner, PASSHE Level 5 course leader
• Tanya Zybutz, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London
• members of PASSHE Executive Committee

Revised Guidelines, March 2025:

• Principal Authors:
  • Karisa Krčmář, PASSHE Director and Executive Committee Member
  • Tanya Zybutz, PASSHE Executive Committee Member
• Additional Contributions:
  • Bob Burwell, PASSHE Executive Committee Member 
  • Tina Horsman, PASSHE director
  • Dionysios Kyropoulos, PASSHE Co-Chair and Director

Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Specialist Support for Learners with Specific Learning Differences (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia) in Higher Education

Please note that 7-Principles® and PPS® are registered trademarks of PASSHE Limited

PASSHE Limited Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Specialist Support for Learners with Specific Learning Differences in Higher Education

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