Table 2 Main characteristics of included studies

Raskind et al., 1997 [33]

To learn about assistive technology from its users and discover how it can be used to compensate for LD in an employment setting

US

5

4 M 1 F

32–60

3 in adulthood, 2 as school-aged children

Currently employed in ‘white collar’ positions

Semi-structured, face-to-face and telephone interviews

Thematic analysis

Technology has been used to compensate for LD in the workplace in a wide range of ways

Shessel and Reiff, 1999 [34]

To identify and further understand the positive and negative impacts and outcomes of LD in adulthood

Canada

14

6 M 8 F

26–60

NS

Participants held a wide range of occupations

Two in-depth interviews

Inductive thematic coding in a summary to which participants were asked to respond

Negative effects and outcomes (daily living issues; the imposter phenomenon; social isolation and social perception); Positive effects and outcomes

Hellendoorn and Ruijssenaars, 2000 [28]

To identify how adults with dyslexia experience their disability, how they grew up with it and live and cope with it in their personal and working lives. To learn how dyslexia has affected their sense of self and how it has influenced their socio-emotional development

The Nether-lands

27

12 M 15 F

20–39

The age of first definite diagnosis varied considerably

Participants' occupations varied considerably

Open in-depth interviews

According to criteria outlined by Glaser and Strauss (1967)

Acceptance, openness and ways of coping; secondary education, vocational training and career experiences; experiences in the socioemotional domain; self-concept

Ferri et al., 2001 [29]

To draw out the stories of a group of adults with LD who can tell us first-hand how they experienced special education, first as students receiving services and now as teachers providing services to others

US (south central metropolitan area)

3

2 M 1 F

28–29

6–8

Three teachers in elementary, middle and high schools

In-depth semi-structured interviews

Constant comparative method (Glaser and Strauss, 1967)

Disempowering expectations: low expectations and the belief that too much help can be disempowering to students with LD; LD from deficit to teaching tool

Lindstrom and Benz, 2002 [35]

To examine the factors that influence the career development process for young women with learning disabilities entering the workforce

US

6

6 F

19–21

5–11

Participants had six different occupations

In-depth open-ended interviews

A two-step coding process (Miles and Huberman, 1994): descriptive codes per case and cross-case analysis

A high level of individual motivation and personal determination; family support and advocacy; opportunities for career exploration; vocational training; supportive workplace environments

McNulty, 2003 [23]

To understand how life stories can unfold and how they might offer potential to help parents and professionals intervene in a more sensitive, supportive and effective manner

US and Canada

12

8 M 4 F

25–45

Prior to age 14

Current occupations varied considerably

Life story interviews

Narrative analysis (Atkinson, 1998)

Contending with the LD and the sense that ‘something’s wrong with me’; finding a niche in adolescence and young adulthood; resolutions and four adult ways of life; integrating the emotional experience in adult life

Price et al., 2003 [21]

To determine the issues employees with LD have in relation to job acquisition, job advancement, self-disclosure and experiences with employer attitudes and beliefs

US (New Jersey)

25

17 M 8 F

19–32

All participants were diagnosed in K-12 settings

Participants were employed in many occupations

Face-to-face interviews with a semi-structured protocol

Constant comparative analysis, postulated by Miles and Huberman (1994) and Lincoln and Guba (1985)

Job acquisition; experiences on the job; job advancement; employer perceptions about LD; self-disclosure

Gerber et al., 2004 [25]

To explore what differences (if any) there are between US and Canadian workplaces for adults with LD

US (New Jersey) and Canada (Ontario)

49

29 M 20 F

18–45

During their school years or college

Employment experiences varied widely

Face-to-face interviews

Constant comparative analysis, postulated by Miles and Huberman (1994) and Lincoln and Guba (1985)

Getting a job (assistance from family and friends; interviewing varies widely in the workplace; self-disclosure and one’s first job; requesting accommodations prior to employment); Experiences on the job (requesting and using accommodations; employer reactions to disclosure; coworker reactions to LD); Job advancement (ramifications of LD)

Ferri et al., 2005 [26]

To examine how four teachers with LD negotiate multiple, complex, and sometimes contradictory discourses about disabilities in constructing their own understanding of LD

US

4

3 M 1 F

23–46

Self-identified as having been labeled with LD

K-12 special education teachers

Three in-depth interviews

A combination of narrative and critical discourse analysis

Individuals assign constantly shifting meanings to LD based on the influence of four sources of information: cultural scripts, official discourse, personal narratives and teaching experiences. Individuals constantly negotiate these four sources in their evolving understanding of LD

Macdonald, 2009 [36]

To investigate the effects of disabling barriers on education and employment for people with dyslexia, and to learn how disabling barriers and social class structures affect the lives of people with dyslexia

UK

13

6 M 7 F

19–54

5–43

Represent a continuum of individuals from different social backgrounds

Three life story interviews

Narrative analysis

Educational narratives and disabling barriers; Disabling barriers and issues of social class within special needs education; employment narratives, disabling barriers and social class

Burns and Bell, 2011 [24]

To discover what kind of narrative resources can be identified in interviews when teachers reveal their experiences of what it is like to teach with dyslexia. To learn how the identified narrative resources are used in the narrative construction of teacher identity

England and Finland

8

5 M 3 F

Late 30 s to late 50 s

NS

All were employed in tertiary education for less than one year to more than 30 years

Narrative interviews

The analysis applied the holistic dimensions and the categorical-content approach (Lieblich et al., 1998)

Subject positions as narrative resources; emerging professional teacher identities: the sensitive and empathetic teacher, the teacher capitalizing on personal strengths, the perseverant and proactive teacher

Burns et al., 2013 [27]

To increase understanding of how teachers with dyslexia in tertiary education have developed and employed resilience strategies to deal with the challenges they face in work contexts

Finland

6

3 M 3 F

Mid 30 s-late 50 s

In adulthood

Teachers in further or higher education

Narrative interviews

Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006)

Task-related strategies; strategies for personalizing work contexts; social support networks; nurturing self-esteem and self-efficacy

Newlands, 2015 [37]

To develop an understanding of the challenges faced by doctors with dyslexia in the first year of practice and their support requirements

Scotland

7

1 M 6 F

23–31

7–20

Year 1 doctors at Scottish hospitals

Semi-structured telephone interviews

Inductive thematic coding, in sympathy with grounded theory

Year 1 doctors indicated that due to their dyslexia, they experience difficulty with all forms of communication, time management and anxiety. There were concerns about disclosure of their dyslexia to colleagues and supervisors. Frequently used coping strategies were safety-netting and planning; technology solutions did offer some assistance

Skinner and McGill, 2015 [38]

To explore the intersection of dyslexia, paid work and the mothering of children of school age or below

Great Britain

10

10 F

20 s-40 s

NS

Details about professions were not given to preserve anonymity

Life story and semi-structured interviews

Thematic analysis

When work, dyslexia and mothering intersect; supportive and unsupportive managers; perceived positive work impacts of dyslexia and becoming a mother; what they found helpful to maintain paid work; help in the work environment; help outside of work: partner and parent involvement

Sang et al., 2016 [30]

To explore the lived experiences of men and women who work in a sector traditionally dominated by men: the transport industry

UK

19

17 M 2 F

NS

NS

UK transport industry

Focus groups and semi-structured interviews

Template analysis (Brooks et al., 2015)

Career experiences and progression; homosociality (how men uphold their dominance in society) and humor; public–private divide; the changing organization of work; constructing difference

Locke et al., 2017 [39]

To look at the effects of dyslexia on clinical practice and the coping strategies doctors use to minimize them

UK

14

NS

NS

In practice, diagnosis happened at different stages of their work and careers

Hospital- or community- based health care

Semi-structured interviews, online survey and interviews ‘in situ’

Thematic analysis

Difficulties experienced relating to dyslexia; effective workarounds

Yeowell et al., 2018 [22]

To explore the disclosure decisions physiotherapy staff with a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) make in the workplace

UK

8

4 M 4 F

NS

NS

Physiotherapy. The mean number of years as a qualified physiotherapist was 4.5 years

In-depth semi-structured interviews

Thematic analysis

Disclosing when applying for a job; positive effects of the disabled people scheme; disclosing in the workplace

Major and Tetley, 2019^a [31]

To identify how dyslexia might affect registered nurses, with a particular focus on practice

Great Britain and the UK

14

3 M 11 F

25–54

7–49

A broad area of nursing practice

In-depth semi-structured interviews

Template analysis

Career choices; decision to disclose; effect on practice; compensatory strategies; support from others

Major and Tetley, 2019^b [32]

To identify how dyslexia might affect registered nurses’ engagement in lifelong learning and how lecturers can support them

Channel Islands and UK

14

3 M 11 F

25–54

7–49

A broad area of nursing practice

In-depth semi-structured interviews

Template analysis

Recognition of dyslexia; impact of previous learning experiences; teaching and learning strategies; reasonable adjustments