Dyslexia South London and East Kent

The British Dyslexia Association's approved definition of dyslexia is: 

• 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.

  Carroll, J., Holden, C., Kirby, P., Snowling, M. J., & Thompson, P.A. (2024)

Dyslexia, best thought of as a continuum, occurs across the range of intellectual abilities and is life-long in its effects. Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in language, motor coordination, mental calculation, sequencing, concentration and personal organisation. Self-esteem and attainment can also suffer if support strategies are not put in place.

People with dyslexia can be very bright and are often creative, ‘big picture’ thinkers. The picture on this page shows just a few of these famously talented dyslexic people. Having a diagnosis of dyslexia, coupled with recommendations to support learning, can help learners succeed and not give up. Talking about difficulties, taking ownership of their learning, and specialist dyslexia interventions can all make a huge difference. Understanding dyslexia can help everyone recognise and develop positive strategies and improve confidence and attainment. Early intervention makes the biggest difference, but it is never too late to start improving our approach to helping someone who has dyslexia.

Dyslexia South London and East Kent  dyslexiasouthlondon@gmail.com   0777 8552998