Dyslexia

Dyslexia

• Dyslexia is primarily a set of processing difficulties that affect the acquisition of reading and spelling.
• In dyslexia, some or all aspects of literacy attainment are weak in relation to age, standard teaching and instruction, and level of other attainments.
• Across languages and age groups, difficulties in reading and spelling fluency are a key marker of dyslexia. The nature and developmental trajectory of dyslexia depends on multiple genetic and environmental influences.
• Dyslexic difficulties exist on a continuum and can be experienced to various degrees of severity.
• Dyslexia can affect the acquisition of other skills, such as mathematics, reading comprehension, or learning another language.
• The most commonly observed cognitive impairment in dyslexia is a difficulty in phonological processing (i.e., in phonological awareness, phonological processing speed, or phonological memory). However, phonological difficulties do not fully explain the variability that is observed.
• Working memory, orthographic skills, and processing speed problems can contribute to the impact of dyslexia and therefore should be assessed.
• Dyslexia frequently co-occurs with one or more other developmental difficulties, including developmental language disorder, dyscalculia, ADHD, and developmental coordination disorder.

New Delphi Definition SASC 2025

Not all dyslexic learners are affected in the same way. Some may have mild problems, while others have more profound difficulties across more than one area. Difficulties can be exacerbated depending on the task and external factors. A dyslexic learner’s performance is often variable, as they can have good days and bad days. Their difficulties can include:

Phonological difficulties

• Dyslexic children with phonological difficulties can lack automaticity with sound/letter correspondence, which is needed for decoding and pronouncing words for reading and encoding for spelling.

Memory difficulties

• Dyslexic individuals often have difficulty holding information in their short-term memory and also with retrieving it from their working memory.

Visual difficulties

• Dyslexic individuals can often have difficulty with tracking accurately; they may experience glare from reading black on white, or blur from certain fonts.

Dyslexic learners may show strengths in the following areas:

• Creativity;
• The ability to visualise things;
• Practical and problem-solving skills;
• Lateral thinking skills;
• Being able to see the big picture (global thinkers) in terms of strategies and problem-solving;
• Good visual-spatial awareness;
• Good verbal communication skills;
• High levels of motivation and persistence.

Around 1 in 10 of the population are thought to be dyslexic.

Checklists

A simple list of questions that give indicators of dyslexia.

Screening tests

Commercially available tests (paper-based or online) that can be administered by a non-specialist, although the tester should be trained and confident to interpret the results appropriately.

Qualified Specialist Teacher/Assessor Diagnostic Assessment

The assessor should have a Level 7 Specialist qualification for diagnosing dyslexia (e.g., AMBDA). A battery of tests is conducted to assess intellectual capacity, cognitive development, and levels of literacy attainment. A profile of strengths and weaknesses is produced in a report with recommendations.

Educational Psychologist Assessment

The psychologist should be HCPC registered. They select appropriate tests, including closed tests only available to psychologists, to diagnose any underlying difficulties and produce a report with conclusions and recommendations.