About Dyslexia

SASC (the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee) promotes an agreed formal definition of dyslexia. See here.

Dyslexia is a specific learning difference that primarily affects the development of reading, spelling, and written language skills. It is recognised as a lifelong condition, although with appropriate support and effective strategies, individuals with dyslexia can achieve great success in education, employment, and everyday life.

Nature

Research suggests that dyslexia arises from a combination of genetic and environmental influences. It is not caused by poor teaching, lack of effort, low motivation, or low intelligence.

Dyslexia affects the way the brain processes certain types of information involved in reading, spelling, and written language. As a result, people with dyslexia often need to work harder than their peers to develop these skills.

Manifestation

Dyslexia is characterised by a range of processing difficulties that affect the acquisition of reading and spelling skills.

The most commonly observed difficulty is in phonological processing – the ability to recognise, remember, and manipulate the sounds within words. However, dyslexia presents differently in different individuals, and phonological difficulties alone do not explain all cases.

Other factors that may contribute to dyslexic difficulties include:

  • Working memory
  • Processing speed
  • Orthographic skills (the ability to recognise and remember written word patterns)

Impact

Individuals with dyslexia often experience literacy skills that are weaker than would be expected for their age, educational opportunities, and overall level of ability.

Across different ages and languages, difficulties with reading fluency and spelling are among the most common indicators of dyslexia.

Dyslexia can also affect other areas of learning, including reading comprehension, mathematics, organisation, and learning additional languages.

Variability and Co-occurring Difficulties

Dyslexia exists on a continuum and can affect individuals to varying degrees. No two dyslexic people have exactly the same profile of strengths and difficulties.

Dyslexia frequently occurs alongside other neurodevelopmental differences and learning difficulties, including:

  • Dyscalculia
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
  • Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD or dyspraxia)

Living with Dyslexia

Although dyslexia is considered lifelong, understanding an individual's learning profile can be extremely valuable. A diagnostic assessment helps identify both strengths and areas of difficulty, enabling appropriate support and strategies to be put in place.

With the right support, many people with dyslexia develop effective ways of learning, build confidence, and go on to achieve highly in education, employment, and professional life.

 

The SASC definition

The following is the current, updated version following the SASC (the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee, the standard-setting body in the UK) presentation on the new definition of dyslexia on 15th May 2024:

  • Dyslexia is primarily a set of processing difficulties that affect the acquisition of reading and spelling.
  • 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 languages and age groups, difficulties in reading and spelling fluency are a key marker of dyslexia.
  • The nature and developmental trajectory of dyslexia depends on multiple genetic and environmental influences.
  •  Dyslexic difficulties exist on a continuum and can be experienced to various degrees of severity.
  • Dyslexia can affect the acquisition of other skills, such as mathematics, reading comprehension or learning another language.
  • 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, orthographic skills and processing speed problems can contribute to the impact of dyslexia and therefore should be assessed.
  • Dyslexia frequently co-occurs with one or more other developmental difficulty, including developmental language disorder, dyscalculia, ADHD, and developmental coordination disorder.