Seven myths about dyslexia all parents should know

Here are the facts about the often misunderstood neurodevelopmental disorder that affects reading and writing skills

What do Richard Branson, Delia Smith and Tom Cruise have in common? And no, this isn’t the start of a bad joke. The uniting link is that they are all dyslexic.
Around 10 per cent of the population are thought to be dyslexic, according to the British Dyslexia Association (BDA.) The condition, which is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder, primarily affects reading and writing skills but it can also impact information processing, memory, coordination and organisational skills. 
Dyslexia is considered a disability under The Equality Act 2010 and as such individuals can expect “reasonable adjustments” in education and the workplace. Here, experts unravel the myths about this condition.
“Individuals with dyslexia or reading impairments are very hard-working,” says Dr Nadine Gaab, an associate professor of education at Harvard University. “But the usual way or intensity used to teach them to learn to read is not sufficient to turn them into a reader.”
For someone with dyslexia, it’s not a case of not wanting to try – it’s a case of having different needs and an alternative way of doing things. “All individuals with dyslexia or reading impairments can learn to read but it requires evidence-based intensive intervention (which varies across individuals) and a dedicated team to reach the same level as typically developing kids,” explains Dr Gaab.
People still seem to think that dyslexia is a sign of low intelligence, says Jemma Zoe Smith, an Oxford graduate, private tutor and education expert. “As someone who holds an undergraduate degree in biochemistry, a masters specialising in human genetics, and a PGCE in secondary science with a scholarship from the Royal Society of Chemistry, I would like to think I prove that misconception wrong.”
Smith wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until her first year at university, and found that a diagnosis helped to put things into perspective. “My tutors pulled me aside to explain that my verbal answers did not match my written work. It was my tutors who recommended I get a dyslexia assessment.
“Looking back, I remembered having to have handwriting lessons in year five and I struggled with writing essays, but since I took three sciences and maths at A-level, the essay writing wasn’t such a big issue.”
“An earlier diagnosis can bring a number of benefits,” says John Gabrieli, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Harvard-MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.
“We know that dyslexia is genetic – it tends to run in families and a few risk genes have been identified. It is, therefore, ideal to screen children for the language difficulties that lead to dyslexia when they start school.
“Here in the United States, nearly all states have, in the past few years, required screening in kindergarten (which starts at age five). This is important because the educational interventions that best help children are known to be effective in the early years, and less so after years three or four.”
Dyslexia can show up in many different ways, from delayed language development, to speech, to issues with listening skills or processing. A few small tweaks to the way dyslexic children learn can make all the difference, notes Dr Stanbridge from the British Psychological Society’s Division of Educational and Child Psychologists (DECP).
“Information which is already available in most classrooms (phonics screening checks, teacher assessments and so on) can help to identify children who are not making progress with their literacy and specifically which aspects of literacy they need support with,” she notes.
Assisted technology, such as speech recognition software, audio players and graphic organisers, can also make a huge difference and help dyslexic students access learning, Dr Stanbridge adds.
“This is a benign myth, although there is evidence that a larger proportion of school students with dyslexia do better at the arts subjects,” explains Dame Uta Frith, an emeritus professor of cognitive development at University College London (UCL.)
“Perhaps that is, however, because they are turned off by the more traditional academic subjects and naturally lean towards and cultivate the ones they are better at.”
“Higher education institutes and universities are actually really well set up for dyslexic students,” says Dr Debbie Gooch, a lecturer in developmental psychology at the University of Surrey. 
“There is actually a huge amount of support for dyslexic students at universities and higher education institutes. Universities usually have a [disability and dyslexia] department on hand and are required to make reasonable adjustments, to make sure the student has all the necessary support in place.”
At the University of Surrey, for example, all students have a personal tutor who can signpost them to the university’s disability and neurodiversity service for assessment and support if necessary.
“There are a number of things that we try to do as standard in our teaching to support all students, including those with dyslexia or other learning needs. For example, lectures are recorded so students can listen back later, and slides, materials and handouts are provided in advance,” Dr Gooch says.
While it is true that having a dyslexia diagnosis can have a number of practical benefits, including access to the Disabled Students Allowance, many of the benefits of having a diagnosis are primarily psychological.
“A diagnosis can help to explain long standing difficulties with a range of tasks. This is often a relief for the individual and can have a positive impact on their self-esteem and confidence. It may also be a huge support for them in terms of understanding their strengths and challenges and give them ideas for support that can make a world of difference,” says Lynn Lovell from the British Dyslexia Association (BDA.)
Alison Davies, a learning difficulties tutor and assessor at Individual Assessments, adds: “Most importantly, for the individuals I work with, including adults, a diagnosis enables them to work at their pace.
“Learning at a rate which ultimately builds confidence and means an individual will be more willing to try new and other things, and have a positive outlook.”
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