Under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Assistant Professor Dr. Sarmed H. Kathum Alkhateeb, the Continuing Education Unit, in cooperation with the Ibn Sina Unit at the College of Pharmacy/University of Baghdad, held an electronic workshop about “Dyslexia: from Discovering the Signs to Obtaining Support”, delivered by the Lecturer Dr. Shaymaa Abdul-Zahra Abbas in the Clinical Laboratory Science Department. The workshop aimed to draw attention to the concept of reading difficulties, which is one of the problems that a person faces at any stage of the reading process and occurs due to the difference in the way the brain processes language. Reading difficulties and difficulties associated with language learning are also called “dyslexia.” The workshop pointed out that students with dyslexia have a very normal or even above-normal level of intelligence. Dyslexia has nothing to do with intellectual disability. Rather, dyslexic students can be creative, as dyslexia has been linked to some exceptionally positive characteristics, including advanced creativity, great problem-solving skills, a vivid imagination, and a comprehensive approach to projects, all of which are employable skills. The workshop also included suggestions for assessment, as is the practice in international universities in giving students who have dyslexia an additional 25% time in exams, allowing and encouraging students to use assistive technology (such as a recorder to record the lecture), guidance and support can help reduce any negative impact on self-esteem, giving priority to the appropriate font and size in presenting the study material and the possibility of using colors in displaying important titles, and favorite applications that dyslexic students can use, which are suitable for use on both Android and iOS systems.
