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What is dyslexia?

In 2009, Sir Jim Rose’s Report, ‘Identifying and Teaching Children and Young People with Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties’ gave the following description of dyslexia, which was adopted by the British Dyslexia Association Management Board.

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.

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What are the signs of dyslexia?

The route to identification often starts with a parent sensing that academic development isn’t progressing quite as expected. There can be a feeling that the young person is bright and good verbally, but that reading and written expression are not developing quite as expected. Sometimes, spelling can appear to be an area of challenge.

Later on, a young person might be reading fluently but not seem to absorb what they read. They might be slow to complete written work or struggle to follow instructions.

It is very common for other members of the family to have difficulties with literacy, with attention, with motor skills or perhaps social communication, even if these are undiagnosed.