What is Dyslexia?

Boy sits on chair reading book next to guitar
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in the acquisition of accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. It means someone's brain processes information in a way that makes these skills more challenging. It's not about how clever someone is or how hard they try.
Professor Maggie Snowling defines dyslexia as “A difficulty in learning to read and spell and to do so fluently. It is a lifelong and persistent condition which affects educational attainment.”
Two children sit at a table reading a book. One looks confused and is holding a pen

Dyslexia is a neurodiverse condition which often runs in families and exists on a spectrum, meaning its effects vary from person to person. Each person's experience of dyslexia will be unique and determined by the way their brain processes information.

While dyslexia often makes it hard to use the sounds in words for reading and spelling, it can also affect areas like working memory and the speed at which someone processes information.

A learner with dyslexia will experience challenges in some or all of these areas:

Phonological Awareness

Difficulties with developing and remembering phonics knowledge and / or applying it to read and spell single words.

Phonological Memory and Processing

Difficulty in holding and manipulating sound-based information in working memory and/or slower processing speed of information related to letters and sounds.

Reading

Difficulty learning to read fluently, accurately and at an appropriate speed. Difficulties with reading comprehension and avoiding reading aloud.

Spelling

Inconsistent spelling, difficulty remembering spelling rules, irregular words and many spelling mistakes.

Working Memory

Problems remembering sequences like days of the week or the alphabet and forgetting lists of verbal instructions.

Processing Speed

Difficulty processing information quickly, especially spoken and written language.

Writing

Slow writing speed, avoiding writing tasks and difficulty in focussing on all the elements of writing at the same time.

Speaking and Language

Difficulty finding the right words, trouble with word order, mispronouncing words, and potentially difficulties with understanding and using grammar.

Organisation

Difficulty keeping track of belongings, managing time, following instructions and following routines.

Maths

They may have difficulty with mental maths, memorising number facts, sequences and solving word problems.

It's important to note that having these challenges doesn't automatically mean someone has dyslexia.

Child sitting on a sofa reading a red book.
  • Dyslexia is not a measure of intelligence.
  • Early identification and support are crucial.
  • Many effective ways help learners with dyslexia succeed.
  • Dyslexia often co-occurs with other neurodevelopmental differences.
  • Reading accuracy, fluency, and spelling are key markers.