Dyslexia

Introduction – what is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty which affects reading and writing skills, although children and young people with dyslexia may have difficulties processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning.

Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty; it is estimated that up to 10% of people in the UK have some degree of dyslexia.

Watch this video ‘What is dyslexia?’ from the British Dyslexia Association: https://youtu.be/11r7CFlK2sc

What are the signs of Dyslexia?

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) lists some signs of dyslexia. These can include:

Early Years

Difficulty in learning to sing or reciting the alphabet
Muddling words e.g.,’flutterby’
Problems expressing themselves using spoken language e.g., unable to remember the right word to use

Primary Age

Problems learning the names and sounds of letters
Confusing the order of letters in words
Slow writing speed
Hesitant reading, especially when reading aloud

Secondary Age

Difficulty taking notes or copying
Poor spelling
Poor standard of written work compared to oral
Misses a line or repeats the same line twice when reading

For more detail about signs of dyslexia check out the BDA website here: Signs of dyslexia - British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk)

Diagnosis

If you are worried about your child’s progress in reading and writing and/or worried they may be dyslexic:

Talk to your child’s teacher. School may carry out some assessment and monitor aspects of your child’s progress in reading and writing for a period of time. Your child may also receive additional teaching or support in the areas they are struggling with

If there is an ongoing concern, talk to your GP as there are health issues that could be affecting their ability to read and write such as vision or hearing difficulties

If concerns remain about your child’s reading and writing, more specific dyslexia screening could be helpful. These can give an indicator of whether a child may have dyslexic difficulties, but do not provide a diagnosis.

Dyslexia checklist – this is a tool to help understanding of whether there is a likelihood of dyslexia

Dyslexia screening – this is likely to be carried out by a teacher or SENCO in school and may give a more detailed profile of a child’s strengths and weaknesses. There are some sample checklists on the BDA website: Dyslexia checklists - British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk)

Dyslexia diagnostic assessment – this is an assessment to determine whether a child has dyslexia or not. It will give a clear picture of their strengths or weaknesses and will make recommendations about how best to support them. The assessment is carried out by a certified person and there is often a cost. There are organisations that offer this locally (see details in Additional Support section at the end of this document).

Support for children with Dyslexia

Once your child has been diagnosed with dyslexia, they can be supported to make progress through effective teaching techniques and support in school and at home.

School

There are a variety of ways in which school can support a child with dyslexia. The dyslexia diagnostic assessment will detail the child’s strengths and difficulties and make suggestions to support the child, for school to follow. For example:

Putting specific interventions in place to target areas of difficulty in reading and writing

Making referrals for more specialist support such as Leeds Special Educational Needs Inclusion Team (SENIT) or an Educational Psychologist

Making reasonable adjustments in the classroom such as offering alternatives to writing as a key method of recording or breaking information and instructions into smaller ’chunks’

Applying for exam access arrangements for those taking exams who may need a scribe or extra time due to their dyslexia

What you can do

Talk to your child’s school about their diagnosis of dyslexia and what they are going to put in place to support them

You can help at home by reading to and with your child, helping them with homework or helping them with organising their study time

Additional support from Leeds Mencap

Speak to other parents with children with SEN and disabilities on our closed Facebook group.

Check out the rest of our Family Support offer. We have:

Weekly Chats and Tots coffee morning
Family Support workers who can offer advice, signposting and support
Lots of tips and resources on our website

Additional support and Resources:

This information is not affiliated with Leeds Mencap

For private diagnostic assessment of dyslexia:

Assessments for Children | Yorkshire Dyslexia | Leeds

Our services (leedsdyslexiaservices.co.uk)

Specific dyslexia charities/ organisations that offer advice and support:

Dyslexia - Leeds and Bradford Dyslexia Association (labda.org.uk)

Home

Dyslexia - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Watch a video about Dyslexia – Guide for Parents: