What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty which primarily affects reading and writing skills. However, it does not only affect these skills. Dyslexia is actually about information processing. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact on other areas such as organisational skills.

It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently. Many dyslexic people show strengths in areas such as reasoning and in visual and creative fields.

Definition of dyslexia

The BDA has adopted the Rose (2009) definition of dyslexia:

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.

Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed.

Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities. It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there are no clear cut-off points.

Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, but these are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia.

A good indication of the severity and persistence of dyslexic difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds or has responded to well-founded intervention.

In addition to these characteristics:

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) acknowledges the visual and auditory processing difficulties that some individuals with dyslexia can experience, and points out that dyslexic readers can show a combination of abilities and difficulties that affect the learning process. Some also have strengths in other areas, such as design, problem solving, creative skills, interactive skills and oral skills.

BDA (2010)

Signs of dyslexia

There is a misconception that dyslexia just affects the ability to read and write. If this were true, it would be much easier to identify. In fact dyslexia can have an affect on areas such as coordination, organisation and memory.

Each person with dyslexia will experience the condition in a way that is unique to them and as such, each will have their own set of abilities and difficulties.

However, if you know what to look for, there common signs that can help you to identify whether the difficulties being experienced could be indicative of dyslexia and would suggest that further investigation could be beneficial.

To find out more about the signs of dyslexia visit the relevant section:

Signs of dyslexia (Early Years)

The following indicators may suggest that your child has a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) such as dyslexia. Many young children will display these behaviours and make these mistakes. It is the severity of the behaviour and the length of time it persists which give vital clues to identifying a difficulty such as dyslexia.

Indicators

• Difficulty learning nursery rhymes
• Difficulty paying attention, sitting still, listening to stories
• Likes listening to stories but shows no interest in letters or words
• Difficulty learning to sing or recite the alphabet
• A history of slow speech development
• Muddles words e.g. cubumber, flutterby
• Difficulty keeping simple rhythm
• Finds it hard to carry out two or more instructions at one time, (e.g. put the toys in the box, then put it on the shelf) but is fine if tasks are presented in smaller units
• Forgets names of friends, teacher, colours etc.
• Poor auditory discrimination
• Confusion between directional words e.g. up/down
• Family history of dyslexia/reading difficulties
• Difficulty with sequencing e.g. coloured beads, classroom routines
• Substitutes words e.g. "lampshade" for "lamppost"
• Appears not to be listening or paying attention
• Obvious 'good' and 'bad' days for no apparent reason

Next steps

There is a large body of research linking speech and language difficulties in early childhood to later literacy problems.

Identifying potential speech and language problems as early as possible is really important as much can be done before a child starts school to develop their language skills. This will then support their reading development at school.

If you are worried about your child's speech and language development, speak to your GP or health visitor. If you think your child may be dyslexic, discuss your concerns with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) in your child's early years setting. Early help is vital to reduce the chance of loss of confidence and low self-esteem. A child can only be diagnosed with dyslexia through a Diagnostic Assessment but these are usually only carried out from 7 years old.

Signs of dyslexia (Primary school age)

If a child appears to be struggling with spelling, reading, writing or numeracy, how do you know whether these difficulties are potential indications of dyslexia?

There are some obvious signs such as a 'spiky' profile which means that a child has areas of strong ability alongside areas of weakness. You may also have other family members with similar weaknesses. Remember that not all dyslexic children will display the same weaknesses and abilities.

General signs to look for are:

• Speed of processing: slow spoken and/or written language
• Poor concentration
• Difficulty following instructions
• Forgetting words

Written work

• Poor standard of written work compared with oral ability
• Produces messy work with many crossings out and words tried several times, e.g. wippe, wype, wiep, wipe
• Confused by letters which look similar, particularly b/d, p/g, p/q, n/u, m/w
• Poor handwriting with many ‘reversals’ and badly formed letters
• Spells a word several different ways in one piece of writing
• Makes anagrams of words, e.g. tired for tried, bread for beard
• Produces badly set-out written work, doesn’t stay close to the margin
• Poor pencil grip
• Produces phonetic and bizarre spelling: not age/ability appropriate
• Uses unusual sequencing of letters or words

Reading

• Slow reading progress
• Finds it difficult to blend letters together
• Has difficulty in establishing syllable division or knowing the beginnings and endings of words
• Unusual pronunciation of words
• No expression in reading, and poor comprehension
• Hesitant and laboured reading, especially when reading aloud
• Misses out words when reading, or adds extra words
• Fails to recognise familiar words
• Loses the point of a story being read or written
• Has difficulty in picking out the most important points from a passage

Numeracy

• Confusion with place value e.g. units, tens, hundreds
• Confused by symbols such as + and x signs
• Difficulty remembering anything in a sequential order, e.g. tables, days of the week, the alphabet

Time

• Has difficulty learning to tell the time
• Poor time keeping
• Poor personal organisation
• Difficulty remembering what day of the week it is, their birth date, seasons of the year, months of the year
• Difficulty with concepts – yesterday, today, tomorrow

Skills

• Poor motor skills, leading to weaknesses in speed, control and accuracy of the pencil
• Memory difficulties e.g. for daily routines, self-organisation, rote learning
• Confused by the difference between left and right, up and down, east and west
• Indeterminate hand preference
• Performs unevenly from day to day

Behaviour

• Uses work avoidance tactics, such as sharpening pencils and looking for books
• Seems ‘dreamy’, does not seem to listen
• Easily distracted
• Is the class clown or is disruptive or withdrawn
• Is excessively tired due to amount of concentration and effort required

A cluster of these indicators alongside areas of ability may suggest dyslexia and further investigation may be required.

Next steps

If you suspect that your child may be dyslexic then you should discuss your concerns with your child's teacher, or the school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo).

A teacher should consult the school’s SENCo to discuss the next steps and appropriate support. The SEND Code of Practice states that if a teacher suspects that a learner has special educational needs (SEN) then they must inform the child's parents and include them in discussions about what is the best support for their child. They must also tell parents about any special educational provision that is made for their child.

It is advised that appropriate support is put in place as soon as a need is identified.

A Diagnostic Assessment is not needed in order for SEN Support to be provided.

However, dyslexia can only be formally identified through a Diagnostic Assessment.

To find out more about assessments visit the BDA Diagnostic Assessment webpage.

Signs of dyslexia (Secondary school age)

Dyslexia is a combination of abilities as well as difficulties. It is the disparity between them that is often the give-away clue. A dyslexic learner, despite certain areas of difficulty, may be orally very able and knowledgeable, creative, artistic, or sporting. Alongside these abilities will be a cluster of difficulties - these will be different for every person.

Dyslexia can only be diagnosed through a Diagnostic Assessment. However, there are indicators which can help you to identify a young person who may be dyslexic.

Written work

• Has a poor standard of written work compared with oral ability
• Has poor handwriting with badly formed letters or has neat handwriting, but writes very slowly
• Produces badly set out or messy written work, with spellings crossed out several times
• Spells the same word differently in one piece of work
• Has difficulty with punctuation and/or grammar
• Confuses upper and lower case letters
• Writes a great deal but 'loses the thread'
• Writes very little, but to the point
• Has difficulty taking notes in lessons
• Has difficulty with organisation of homework
• Finds tasks difficult to complete on time
• Appears to know more than they can commit to paper

Reading

• Is hesitant and laboured, especially when reading aloud
• Omits, repeats or adds extra words
• Reads at a reasonable rate, but has a low level of comprehension
• Fails to recognise familiar words
• Misses a line or repeats the same line twice
• Loses their place easily/uses a finger or marker to keep the place
• Has difficulty in pin-pointing the main idea in a passage
• Has difficulty using dictionaries, directories, encyclopaedias

Numeracy

• Has difficulty remembering tables and/or basic number sets
• Finds sequencing problematic
• Confuses signs such as x for +
• Can think at a high level in mathematics, but needs a calculator for simple calculations
• Misreads questions that include words
• Finds mental arithmetic at speed very difficult
• Finds memorising formulae difficult

Other areas

• Confuses direction - left/right
• Has difficulty in learning foreign languages
• Has difficulty in finding the name for an object
  
• Has clear difficulties processing information at speed
• Misunderstands complicated questions
• Finds holding a list of instructions in memory difficult, although can perform all tasks when told individually

Behaviour

• Is disorganised or forgetful e.g. over sports equipment, lessons, homework, appointments
• Is easily distracted. May find it difficult to remain focused on the task
• Is often in the wrong place at the wrong time
• Is excessively tired, due to the amount of concentration and effort required

A cluster of these indicators alongside areas of ability may point to possible dyslexia and further investigation is recommended.

Next steps

If you suspect that your child may be dyslexic then you should discuss this with your child's teacher or the school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo).

If a teacher is concerned that a learner may have dyslexia or have any other SpLD, then they should consult the school's SENCo to discuss a plan of action. It is important that appropriate support is put in place as soon as a need is identified, rather than waiting for a formal identification.

Under the SEND Code of Practice, if a teacher suspects that a child has special educational needs (SEN) then they must inform a child's parents and include them in discussions about what is the best support for their child. The school must also tell the parents of any special educational provision that is made for their child.

Dyslexia can only be formally identified through a Diagnostic Assessment but this is not needed in order for the young person to receive support. You can find out more about Diagnostic Assessments on the BDA Assessment webpage.

How is dyslexia diagnosed?

There are several tools available that can be used to help give an indication of possible dyslexic difficulties. These screening tests and checklists can be a great help in order to ensure support is put in place quickly, but they can't provide a diagnosis.

Dyslexia can only be formally diagnosed through a Diagnostic Assessment carried out by a certified assessor.

Dyslexia screening

Screening tests are designed to give an indication of possible dyslexic difficulties. They are not a diagnosis.

There are many different types of screening tests; in an education setting some are delivered by computer, others need to be administered by a teacher/SENCo. Some just give an estimate as to whether the child/person is likely to have dyslexic difficulties. A few offer a more detailed profile of strengths and weaknesses, which help inform an appropriate teaching strategy.

Where any screening test indicates a moderate or high probability of dyslexic difficulties, the best course of action is to follow up with a full diagnostic assessment. This would determine the precise nature of dyslexia and related difficulties.

Find out more about Diagnostic Assessments on the BDA Assessment webpage.

Online screening tools

There are lots of online screening tools available.

Dyslexia checklists

A checklist cannot tell you if someone is dyslexic. It is a tool used to help understand whether there is a likelihood of dyslexia, and whether further investigation should take place.

Dyslexia can only be diagnosed through a formal Diagnostic Assessment. Find out more on the BDA Assessment webpage.

Checklists for learners

Checklists can't tell you whether a learner is dyslexic. They are useful because they outline your learner's strengths and weaknesses, and can help to inform a supportive teaching strategy.

• Foundation Stage Checklist
• Primary School Checklist
• Secondary School Checklist

Understanding Neurodiversity: A Guide to SpLD (2nd edition)

Appropriate support should be put in place as soon as a need is identified.

A formal diagnosis is not required for support in the classroom. However, a formal diagnosis would help to give a clearer picture of your learner's areas of strength and weakness.

Dyslexia Diagnostic Assessment

A Diagnostic Assessment is intended to confirm whether an individual has dyslexia or not. It provides a confirmed diagnosis of dyslexia, as well as a clearer picture of the person’s strengths and weaknesses and their individual cognitive profile.

The Diagnostic Assessment will be followed by a written report. This report will provide evidence of the individual’s dyslexic profile (if the individual has been confirmed as having dyslexia), signposting to other organisations or further assessments for specific learning difficulties (if required), and will include some recommendations about how to support the individual in the context of their study and/or day-to-day life.

We cannot assess for any other Specific Learning Difficulties such as Dyscalculia.

A Diagnostic Assessment can only be carried out by a certified person qualified to assess, such as a:

• A psychologist specialising in specific learning difficulties (SpLD) registered with the Health Care Practitioners Council (HCPC)
• Specialist teacher/assessor with AMBDA and/or an Assessment Practising Certificate (APC)

Why have a Diagnostic Assessment for Dyslexia?

There are many reasons why you may decide to have a Diagnostic Assessment to find out whether you, or your child, is dyslexic. Some of the most common are that:

• It can help parents to understand their child’s difficulties and know how best to help them at home, or be able to ask for more targeted support within the education system.

• It can be used to support an application for Exam Access Arrangements (this should be discussed with the school/college first as assessors cannot complete a Form 8 without the school completing part A in advance)

• Students in higher education will need an assessment in order to apply for Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)

• Some Employers find an assessment useful in order to make appropriate reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

Once a person has been formally identified as dyslexic then they are considered to have a recognised disability covered by the Equality Act 2010.

Assessments can take time, so an educational setting/workplace shouldn't wait for a formal identification of dyslexia before putting additional support in place.

To find out more, or to book a Diagnostic Assessment visit the BDA Assessments webpage.