Reactions to a diagnosis of dyslexia among students entering further education: development of the 'resistance-accommodation' model

Research into the psychological consequences of receiving a diagnosis of dyslexia during adolescence is a newly emerging field. In this article, David Armstrong, senior lecturer in education at Edge Hill University, and Neil Humphrey, senior lecturer in the psychology of Education at the University of Manchester, report on a qualitative study which explored this issue with a group of 20 students with dyslexia in a large college of further education in the north-west of England. Drawing on the outcomes of individual interviews and focus groups, analysis of student responses led to the development of a provisional 'resistance-accommodation' model that seeks to explain the psycho-social processes involved in 'living with the label' of dyslexia, and how such processes might impact upon later outcomes. The 'resistance-accommodation' model and the data contained in this study are discussed in the light of wider aspects of psychological theory and research. The authors also take account of recent literature exploring how students with dyslexia assess self in relation to the label.