"Dyslexia is not a limitation, but a different way of thinking. With the right support, every child can thrive."

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty which primarily affects reading and writing skills. However, it does not only affect these skills. Dyslexia is actually about information processing. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact on other areas such as organisational skills. 

It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently. Many dyslexic people show strengths in areas such as reasoning and in visual and creative fields.

From the British Dyslexia Association website: 

https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexia/about-dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia

• 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.

From the PATOSS wesbite:

https://www.patoss-dyslexia.org/news/introducing-a-new-definition-of-dyslexia

A formal diagnosis of dyslexia can only be made through a Diagnostic Assessment by a certified Dyslexia Assessor. This will determine whether your child is dyslexic and provide a detailed report highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and cognitive profile, along with recommendations for support.

The assessment aims to:

• Identify your child’s unique learning style and what works best for them
• Assess reading, spelling, and writing skills
• Determine any gap between general ability and reading/writing achievement
• Consider other factors affecting learning
• Recommend necessary adjustments to help your child access the curriculum and exams.