Is coaching an effective adjustment for dyslexic adults?

Abstract

Our primary purpose in this paper is to (a) outline the heretofore limited investigation and understanding of dyslexia in adults and (b) assess the impact of coaching as reasonable adjustment for this significant proportion of the working population, who receive little attention in the coaching, work performance and indeed disability literature. A Social Cognitive Learning Theory-based coaching intervention was implemented with 95 dyslexic coachees who, along with 41 line managers, provided independent ratings of work performance both before and after the coaching was conducted. Analysis of the coaching topics revealed a higher prevalence of working memory, organisational skills and time management than literacy difficulties. Paired samples t-tests revealed significant differences between the time intervals and large effect sizes (coachees: t (92) = 19.35, p < .001, d = 1.94; line managers: t (40) = 10.72, p < .001, d = 0.85) indicating that work performance improved over time. The study supports the definition of dyslexia as a life-long, cognitive condition; the group comparisons demonstrated that coaching can address occupational performance deficits in executive functions as well as literacy.