Frequently Asked Questions

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific 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.

Delphi definition of dyslexia

Dyslexia is 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 all languages, difficulties in reading fluency and spelling are key markers of dyslexia.

Dyslexic difficulties exist on a continuum and can be experienced to various degrees of severity.

The nature and developmental trajectory of dyslexia depends on multiple genetic and environmental influences.

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, processing speed and orthographic skills can contribute to the impact of dyslexia.

Dyslexia frequently co-occurs with one or more other developmental difficulties, including developmental language disorder, dyscalculia, ADHD, and developmental coordination disorder

British Dyslexia Association 2025.

Why have a dyslexia assessment?

The only way to know for sure if you are dyslexic is to have a diagnostic assessment carried out by a specialist teacher / assessor, or an educational psychologist.

The advantage of a formal diagnosis is that dyslexia is covered by the Equality Act 2010. This means that educational institutions and the workplace have a duty to take this into account and therefore make reasonable adjustments to accommodate your difficulties. This can include exam access arrangements, specialist teaching, The Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) if applying to university, workplace needs assessments and adjustments etc.

Many people also find it reassuring to have a formal diagnosis as it helps them to understand the reason behind their difficulties. A further benefit of a Diagnostic Assessment is that the final report details strengths as well as the weaknesses of the individual and can help them to understand how to make the most of their abilities. A report will contain suggestions to support the individual for education, work and more generally.