Learning Support Services

Learning Support Services

Who We Are & What We Do

Griffith Learning Support service is a confidential academic support service, which assists students in managing the demands of college life. The Learning Support Unit supports students with disabilities, learning difficulties and neurological differences. The supports are available to both full-time and part-time learners.

Throughout the semester we run a weekly drop-in clinic to support learners with assignments and other coursework, offer various workshops on topics such as academic writing, referencing and exam revision skills and manage the provision of reasonable accommodations for examinations.

Learning support is provided to students who are registered with Griffith’s Learning Support Unit. Students are encouraged to contact the service if they have been diagnosed with any of the following difficulties/conditions in order to register and avail of support.

  • Autism Spectrum/Asperger’s Syndrome
  • ADD/ADHD
  • Blind/Visual Impairment
  • Deaf/Hearing Impairment
  • Dyspraxia/Development Coordination Disorder
  • Mental Health Difficulty
  • Neurological Condition
  • Physical Disability
  • Significant Ongoing Health Condition
  • Specific Learning Difficulty (Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia)

Contact Details

  • Head of Learning Support: Orla Butler
  • Email: ‌[email protected]
  • Phone: + 353 1 416 3376

 

How to Register with the Service

The Learning Support service will provide in-person and online registration appointments throughout the academic year.

To make an appointment, please email [email protected]

Submit any documentation you have in relation to your disability/learning difficulty e.g. educational psychologist report, medical letters etc. Please email a copy of your documents ahead of our first meeting.

Your first meeting with us will be a confidential Learning Needs Assessment (LNA).

During this meeting, you are asked some questions and we will agree on the supports that are appropriate for you.

You will be emailed a reasonable accommodation and consent form to complete and return to learning support to complete your registration with the Learning Support Unit.

To register with the Learning Support Service you must submit any documentation you have in relation to your disability/learning difficulty e.g. educational psychologist report, medical letters etc. Criteria of eligibility for disability.

If you do not have access to appropriate documentation, we will discuss this with you during your initial consultation.

Students eligible to register with the service will need to attend a Learning Needs Assessment (LNA).

The Learning Needs Assessment is a confidential meeting where the student is asked a number of questions designed to explore the types of support that a diagnosed disability may require.

The student is required to provide evidence of their disability during the assessment process.

It takes approximately 50 minutes to complete and is completed collaboratively with the student and learning support coordinator.

The Learning Needs Assessment has three sections:

1.) Student details

2.)  Background – information will be gathered on the impact of the student's disability on their academic experience as well as details of previous supports

3.) Available Support in College

Students will be required to complete reasonable accommodations and consent forms.

Book an Appointment

Learning Support is available to students both in person and via Zoom.

Please email: [email protected]

To make an appointment, please email [email protected]

Include what type of support you are looking for in this session (e.g. study support- help with structuring my assignment)

Bring along your assignment brief/drafts of your work and any other information from your lecturers that you feel may be helpful to the session.

Come prepared and bring a notebook, pen, highlighters, laptop etc.

The appointment will usually last around 1 hour. We appreciate that these meetings can be daunting for some learners. Learning Support staff are trained to approach each learner with care and sensitivity. Meetings are paced with this in mind.

We are located in Room D015 student service corridor – ground floor.

Study & Exam Supports

Learning Support aims to assist students in their learning journey by helping them to develop their academic skills when working independently.

We provide guidance on note-taking, researching information, mind mapping, essay/ assignment planning, academic writing, time management, stress management and studying for exams.

Each individual learns differently. Some prefer written text, others prefer visual or audio descriptions. We have taken a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach and provided PDFs and video guides for some of the most common areas in which students may need academic support.

Please remember if you have any questions about an upcoming assignment, your lecturers, Learning Support and Griffith Library are more than willing to help. 

Wellbeing Supports

College counselling services provide a free and confidential service staffed by professionally qualified psychologists and counsellors.

Griffith aims to provide easily accessible support for students when personal issues arise that affect their happiness, well-being, capacity to cope, relationships, or learning.

Stress management comprises the numerous ways in which we can help alleviate stresses in our lives, from everyday issues to high-stress situations we all face.

Studies show having a healthy amount of stress is OK - as long as we know how to navigate it. A healthy, well-managed stress level can help boost your immune system, deal with stressful situations and improve emotional health.

Firstly, you need to identify what triggers your stress levels. What causes you the most stress? Learning to identify our stressors and managing them has various benefits, from lowering anxiety, to improving concentration and even lowering pain.

There are many symptoms of stress - mental, behavioural and even physical.

Symptoms you may experience:

  • Headaches
  • Aches/pains
  • Tightness in the chest
  • Sweating
  • Eating more/less than usual
  • Sleeping more/less than usual
  • Shutting yourself off from others
  • Irritability/moody
  • Unable to concentrate
  • Procrastinating
  • Poor memory
  • Feeling physically ill

Any one of these could indicate that you are not managing stress well and may be feeling very overwhelmed. This is normal around high-stress situations, but putting coping skills in place will help you navigate these times as best as possible.

Know what’s in your control and what's not. There are stressful times that may be out of your control, but what you can control is how you approach them.

  • Keep notes or a journal: Writing it all down will help you see what’s ahead of you.
  • Make a list and tackle one thing at a time: Prioritising and setting out in your mind how and when you are going to tackle each task can help clear your mind and settle anxiety.
  • Have a routine: Routine is vitally important to keep stress levels at bay as it allows flow and productivity.
  • Sleep: This cannot be stressed enough. Get at least 7 hours of sleep per night and avoid technology an hour before bedtime. Enough sleep helps reduce stress hormones in the body and improve mood and concentration.
  • Eat well: You get out what you put in! If you eat crappy food you will feel crappy. Of course, if you want a treat, have it, but ensure you are getting a wide variety of foods to give you the best vitamins and minerals you need.
  • Exercise: If you are at your desk for 8 hours a day, you are bound to be overwhelmed. Stand up for a few minutes every so often, and get some exercise in - a walk, gym class, yoga, or whatever you are interested in.
  • Self-care: You must care for yourself. The best person to look after you is you! Take an hour to read that book, watch a film, take a bath, draw, sit in the garden or meditate.
  • Focus on the good: It’s easy to focus on what is negative and bothering us. Make a list of what is good in your life. Your favourite pet, pair of pyjamas, someone in your life – whatever it is that brings you joy.
  • Talk it out: Sometimes all we need is to get what is bothering us off our chest. Venting and talking things out can be what we really need so we can see things more clearly.

If you still feel overwhelmed and despite your best efforts, still not coping, there are so many places to get some support. No problem is too big or too small, and people are always there to help you. You can find a list of supports here.

Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology (AT) is a range of tools that makes learning more accessible. This includes software that helps with spelling and grammar, digital pens for recording lectures, adapted tools for those with visual or hearing impairments and alternative inputs for students with mobility issues.

Griffith's Learning Support can provide information and support to students who require assistive technology. 

Information for Staff

The number of students with disabilities and seeking Learning Support Services has increased at Griffith College. As a college community, we need to become aware of the types of disabilities and how they may impact the students learning and participation in college life.

The Learning Support Unit provides support to students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties who are registered with the Learning Support Unit.

Students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties (eg. Dyslexia) are encouraged to register with the Griffith Learning Support Unit to seek supports where the disability could affect their ability to participate fully in all aspects of their lives.

All students with disabilities or specific learning difficulties who register with the learning support unit have a Learning Needs Assessment (LNA) with a learning support coordinator to determine the support they require. Following the Learning Need Assessment (LNA), the service generates a Learning Individual Needs Notification (LINN). This outlines and gives a brief synopsis of a student’s disabilities or specific learning difficulty and how it affects their learning. The LINN report identifies supports and reasonable accommodations to support the students to fully engage in their learning. The Learning Support Unit may recommend and implement other supports for students such as best practices in teaching strategies, supports or assistive technology and examination accommodations. The students must fully complete the registration process and give their consent before their LINN will be issued to their Faculty. LINN files are issued to heads of faculty and faculty administrators. It is their responsibility to ensure that all relevant staff are made aware of any student who has a LINN on file. The student must fully complete the registration process and give their consent. Student Confidentiality should be maintained at all times and staff should only be informed on a “need-to-know” basis.

Griffith Learner Line

Griffith Learner Line