Learn how to access support & celebrate your unique way of thinking
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects someone’s ability to process information. While it’s commonly known to affect reading, writing and spelling, it can also affect other parts of someone’s day-to-day, like numeracy and time-keeping skills.
It’s important to remember that having dyslexia isn’t a bad thing, it just means that your brain works differently to others. In fact, it’s a lot more common than you may think – the NHS estimates that one in 10 people in the UK have some level of dyslexia.
It doesn’t affect intelligence, and some of our brightest and most creative minds are thought to have had dyslexia!
What are the symptoms of dyslexia?
Dyslexia affects people differently, so people with dyslexia will have different strengths and weaknesses, and any two people won’t be affected the same way. Because of this, it can be tricky to diagnose or spot signs of dyslexia.
In general, some common ways dyslexia can affect people include:
- Taking longer to read or write
- Have difficulty spelling
- Taking longer to process information
- Have difficulty with numbers
Dyslexia can manifest in lots of different ways, and this can change as you get older.
In primary school, people might:
- Take longer to learn how to read and write
- Find it difficult to process information and follow instructions
- Be easily distracted and struggle to concentrate
- Struggle with motor skills, including knowing their left and right
- Find it difficult to tell the time, or understand concepts like today, yesterday or tomorrow
- Seem excessively tired because it takes them more energy to concentrate
- Have inconsistent spelling and will spell the same word differently in one piece of work
These can continue into secondary school, alongside:
- Struggling with quick and simple mental maths but excelling at understanding difficult calculations
- Having difficulty learning foreign languages
- Struggling to write long pieces of work, or ‘losing the thread’ after a while
- Having difficulty remembering a list of instructions, but being able to do the work when given instructions one at a time
Dyslexia is a lifelong condition, so it continues into adulthood and the symptoms can stay the same but the impact can change at different stages of a person’s life. However, with the right support, symptoms can be managed so they’re less of an interference.
What are the positives about having dyslexia?
It’s important to remember that dyslexia doesn’t just make things difficult. Because dyslexia means that your brain works differently, you may also find that it gives you some strengths.
Someone with dyslexia might excel at:
- Problem-solving and finding patterns
- Being creative and thinking outside of the box
- Being observant
- Having high levels of empathy
- Having an excellent imagination
How can you get diagnosed with dyslexia?
Dyslexia can only be diagnosed through a Diagnostic Assessment, which would be carried out by a certified assessor.
Because the symptoms are not always obvious and can change from person to person, it can be difficult to get diagnosed. Normally, other possible health conditions that can affect reading, writing or school performance need to be ruled out first, like sight or hearing difficulties, before dyslexia is considered.
If you think your child is struggling and may have dyslexia, you should talk to their teacher first. Then, you can speak to your GP to help rule out any underlying health problems.
Your child can be assessed for dyslexia through their school. The earlier a child is diagnosed, the more effective help at school can be – however, you or your child should still get appropriate support even if dyslexia hasn’t been formally identified yet.
If you’re a student, most university wellbeing services have dyslexia support and assessment services available.
Adults can access dyslexia assessments through services like British Dyslexia Association and The Dyslexia Association.
How can you get support for dyslexia?
If you have dyslexia, your school, university or workplace should make reasonable adjustments for you to help manage your symptoms.
These will differ from person to person, but could include:
- Extra time in exams
- Being allowed to type, instead of writing by hand, in exams
- Having a second computer monitor
- Using different coloured paper
Dyslexia isn’t something to feel embarrassed about – it just means that you think differently to others, and with the right support, your symptoms of dyslexia can be managed.
Instead, it’s something that we should celebrate; after all, the world would be a boring place without people that think outside of the box.
FAQs
We don’t yet know what causes dyslexia, but research is ongoing.
The cause of dyslexia is unknown, but it often seems to run in families.
Yes, dyslexia is a form of neurodiversity.
Neurodiversity means that someone’s brain works differently to others. Other conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism are also forms of neurodiversity.
Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with a neurodiversity – however, there’s evidence to suggest that due to societal norms, girls learn how to ‘mask’ neurodiverse behaviours more than boys, so we’re not entirely sure if these statistics are accurate.
No, dyslexia is a learning difficulty, not disability. This is because it doesn’t affect someone’s intelligence.
However, once a person is formally diagnosed with dyslexia, they are considered to have a recognised disability, which is covered by the Equality Act 2010. This means they are entitled to certain legal rights and support to ensure they are treated fairly at school, university or work.
It’s up to you if you want to get diagnosed for dyslexia – but getting a diagnosis will help you get any support you need at school, university or in the workplace. Some support measures, like different exam arrangements at school, need a formal diagnosis to be approved.
