Understanding Dyslexia
A Specific Learning Difference (SpLD)
Dyslexia is a lifelong learning difficulty that primarily affects reading, spelling, and writing. It is not related to intelligence and cannot be explained by a person's age, language background, or the quality of teaching they have received.
Dyslexia affects individuals in different ways and to varying degrees. Every learner has a unique profile and experience. Importantly, many children and adults with dyslexia have strengths and talents that can be recognised and developed.
With the right understanding, support, and teaching approaches, the impact of dyslexia on learning can be reduced, helping children grow in confidence, build on their abilities, and reach their full potential.
The Wider Learning Profile
While dyslexia can help explain literacy difficulties, it is important to consider the wider picture of a child's strengths and learning needs.
A deeper understanding of their individual profile can help identify effective support and remove barriers to learning.
This greater awareness enables families and learners to make informed decisions, advocate with confidence, and realise their potential.
Identifying challenges
People with dyslexia often experience difficulties with phonological processing (working with the sounds in words), memory, and processing speed. These differences can make reading fluently and spelling accurately more challenging.
Some learners may also experience difficulties with reading comprehension, mathematics, or learning a foreign language.
A dyslexia assessment can provide a clearer understanding of an individual's specific needs, alongside evidence-based recommendations to support progress.
Co-occurring needs
It is also common for dyslexia to occur alongside other specific learning differences, such as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), dyscalculia (difficulties with maths), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD, sometimes known as dyspraxia).
A dyslexia assessment considers the wider picture of a child's learning profile and can highlight areas where further investigation may be helpful. Where appropriate, supporting evidence, clear recommendations and referral letters will be provided.
Recognising strengths
While dyslexia can present challenges with literacy, it is important to recognise an individual's strengths. Many people with dyslexia demonstrate abilities in areas such as creativity, problem-solving, verbal reasoning, and big-picture thinking, alongside resilience and determination. Recognising and building on these strengths can help develop confidence, engagement, and success.
A dyslexia assessment can provide valuable insight into a child's learning profile, helping to recognise individual abilities. Tailored recommendations can target meaningful support that enables potential.
All assessments are conducted in line with the 2025 Delphi Definition of Dyslexia, reflecting current research and professional guidance.
The Delphi Definition of Dyslexia
In the UK, the 2025 Delphi Definition of Dyslexia is a research-informed definition developed through expert consensus*. It reflects the latest understanding of dyslexia and highlights four key areas that help explain how dyslexia develops, how it presents, and how it affects learning:
Nature:
The nature and developmental trajectory of dyslexia depends on multiple genetic and environmental influences.
Manifestation:
Dyslexia is a set of processing difficulties that affect the acquisition of reading and spelling.
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, processing speed and orthographic skills can contribute to the impact of dyslexia.
Impact:
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 all languages, difficulties in reading fluency and spelling are key markers of dyslexia.
Dyslexia can affect the acquisition of other skills, such as mathematics, reading comprehension or learning another language.
Variance and Co-occurrence:
Dyslexic difficulties exist on a continuum and can be experienced to various degrees of severity.
Dyslexia frequently co-occurs with one or more other developmental difficulties, including developmental language disorder, dyscalculia, ADHD, and developmental coordination disorder.
*Carroll, J.M., Holden, C., Kirby, P., Thompson, P.A., Snowling, M.J., and the Dyslexia Delphi Panel (2025). Toward a consensus on dyslexia: Findings from a Delphi study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Read the study