Dyslexia: What you need to know
Dyslexia is a common learning difference that can cause long term problems with reading, writing and spelling.
It affects around 1 in 10 people in the UK and can impact children and adults of all intellectual abilities, so it’s not related to a person’s intelligence. In fact, those with dyslexia are often skilled in other areas such as creativity.
Depending on the severity of dyslexia, those affected can find it difficult to match letters to sounds, spell certain words and might even see letters moving around when they’re reading.
Everyone is affected differently by dyslexia, other difficulties can include:
- Reading or writing very slowly
- Having trouble telling left from right
- Remembering complex instructions or sequences
- Requiring lots of thinking time to remember words
- Finding it hard to write by hand, for example they may write letters such as “b” and “d” the wrong way round
- Issues with organisation and planning
Getting support
If you think your child may have dyslexia, speak to their school, who will be able to offer them additional support if required. If they are still struggling following extra support in school, then the school may be able to request an additional assessment from a specialist teacher or educational psychologist.
Charities such as the British Dyslexia Association can offer support and resources for those affected, there may even be a local dyslexia association near you.
Take a look at this video about dyslexia from the British Dyslexia Association:
This video was not produced by Health for Kids: Grownups and may contain adverts.
