Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty affecting reading and spelling. It is not a mental health condition, and does not affect intelligence. The British Dyslexia Association says ten per cent of the population are believed to be dyslexic.
Key points
- Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty affecting reading and spelling. It is not a mental health condition, and does not affect intelligence.
- The British Dyslexia Association says ten per cent of the population are believed to be dyslexic.
- Signs differ by age, and many adults are identified late or never.
- Assessments are done by specialist teachers or psychologists, not doctors, and most must be paid for.
- It is supported, not treated: teaching methods, adjustments, access arrangements, Disabled Students' Allowance and Access to Work.
Symptoms
- Primary age: reading below the level expected, slow and hesitant aloud, messy written work, difficulty with sequences.
- Secondary age and adults: reading and writing take much longer than for peers, difficulty taking notes, spelling the same word several ways.
- Adults: avoiding reading aloud, slow writing, heavy reliance on spellcheck or dictation, worry about being found out at work.
Causes and risk factors
- Difficulties often appear in more than one family member; the difficulty sits at the level of phonological processing.
- Not caused by low intelligence, laziness or poor parenting; teaching quality changes how much a child struggles, but does not create dyslexia.
Treatment
- Structured teaching, small group or one-to-one; assistive technology such as text-to-speech and speech-to-text.
- Exam access arrangements: extra time, a computer reader or a scribe, agreed from evidence of need.
- Disabled Students' Allowance covers study-related costs at university; Access to Work grants cover equipment and support at work.
When to speak to a professional
- Reading, writing or spelling is behind what you expect for a child, or if hearing or vision could be part of the picture for anyone.
- Written work is affecting your studies or job, or anxiety and low confidence about it has lasted more than two weeks.
If you need help now: Samaritans, call 116 123, free, 24/7. Shout, text SHOUT to 85258. NHS 111, then choose the mental health option. Call 999 if anyone is in immediate danger.