What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is also called a specific learning disorder with impairment in reading. It's a common learning disability, affecting about 1 in 10 people. Dyslexia makes it challenging for people to read.

People with dyslexia often also have problems with spelling, writing and understanding what they've read.

Dyslexia is a neurological (brain) condition. It isn't due to low intelligence. Dyslexia can have lifelong effects.

Dyslexia isn't caused by problems with your eyesight.

What are the symptoms of dyslexia?

Symptoms of dyslexia can vary from quite mild to more serious.

Pre-school aged children with dyslexia may have problems with:

• delayed speech
• pronouncing some words
• rhyming — in nursery rhymes or songs
• learning the alphabet
• writing their name

Primary school aged children may:

• read slowly and without expression
• try to guess words
• avoid reading — especially out loud
• struggle to understand what they've read
• have school anxiety
• show signs of low-self esteem

Dyslexia is often not picked up in the early years of school. High school aged children may have:

• poor reading fluency
• not always understand what they have read
• a limited vocabulary
• planning and organisation problems
• low self-esteem
• school anxiety

Working memory

Many people with dyslexia also have a weakness with their working memory. Working memory is the skill of holding information in your mind while you work with it. It's important for:

• remembering multi-step instructions
• recalling details from a spoken story
• doing sums in your head

Problems with working memory may get worse as the demands of school increase.

What causes dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a neurological (brain) condition. Studies show that the brains of people with dyslexia work differently to people without dyslexia.

Dyslexia often runs in families. People with dyslexia often have a family member with dyslexia or other reading and spelling problems.

When should I see my doctor?

See your doctor if you are concerned with your child's reading or writing. They may refer you to a paediatrician (specialist children's doctor) or a psychologist.

Before seeing your doctor, you should talk with your child's teacher. They will help identify any areas of concern with your child's learning.

You should also arrange to have your child's hearing and vision checked. This is to rule out problems with their hearing or eyesight. Your doctor or an audiologist can do a hearing check. An optometrist can check your child's eyes.

How is dyslexia diagnosed?

A qualified professional should make the dyslexia diagnosis. Usually, an educational psychologist diagnoses dyslexia.

The psychologist will investigate your child's learning strengths and weaknesses. They will also:

• ask about your child's medical, developmental, education and family history
• consider what their teacher says, as well as test scores supplied by your child's school
• review how your child responds to teaching interventions over a period of at least 6 months

Interventions

If your child is struggling to read, interventions should be put in place as soon as the concerns have been realised. Identifying dyslexia early allows for early support.

Children can make rapid progress with their reading once they receive targeted instruction. This suggests that for some children their difficulties are due to gaps in their knowledge and skills.

If your child continues to struggle despite the interventions, you may want to consider getting them assessed. If your child is already being assessed by a professional, the intervention results will form part of the assessment.

Healthcare professionals, such as occupational therapists and speech therapists, are often involved in supporting and assessing children with learning disabilities.

How is dyslexia treated?

People with dyslexia can improve their reading and spelling skills.

Phonics

Your child with dyslexia needs to practise their reading and spelling. This might be by:

• working with learning support teachers
• working with an experienced tutor
• working with an experienced speech pathologist

Your child with dyslexia will benefit from being taught phonemic awareness and phonics (structured synthetic phonics).

Phonics teaches children the relationship between speech sounds (phonemes) and their alphabet letter (graphemes). 'Synthetic' refers to the practice of blending sounds together.

Structured synthetic phonics programs are evidence-based. This means there is lots of independent research that shows that these programs can improve literacy.

Decodable readers also help children with dyslexia learn to read. These books slowly introduce letter-sound knowledge.

You should make sure that any program you consider for your child is evidence-based. Check that independent reviews support its effectiveness — these should not be reviews provided by the program manufacturer.

With the right intervention, most people's reading will improve. However, this will take a lot of time and work targeting their specific area of weakness.

Appropriate adjustments

People with dyslexia can benefit from appropriate adjustments made at school or in the workplace.

An adjustment is an action that allows you to take part in the same way as other people. At school this might look like:

• using audio books
• using assistive technology — such as speech to text and predictive spelling
• not reading out loud
• having extra time to finish tasks
• not copying from the board

These adjustments can be written in your child's Individual Educational Plan (IEP) or Individual Learning Plan (ILP).

Adjustments are specific to the individual and will change over time.

What doesn't help treat dyslexia?

Coloured glasses, coloured overlays and eye exercises don't treat dyslexia.

Complications of dyslexia

Low self-esteem

There is evidence that children with dyslexia have more chance of developing low self-esteem. Children with low self-esteem for a long period of time are more likely to develop anxiety and depression.

Speak with your doctor or school psychologist if you think your child needs wellbeing support.

Other learning disabilities

People with dyslexia often have other conditions.

• About 4 in 10 people with dyslexia have dyscalculia (impairment in mathematics).
• And about 7 in 10 people with dyslexia have dysgraphia (impairment in writing).
• Between 2 and 4 people out of 10 with dyslexia also have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Can dyslexia be prevented?

You cannot prevent dyslexia.

Resources and support

Auspeld supports children and adults with specific learning disorders in Australia. They have useful resources that include:

• Understanding Learning Difficulties: A practical guide for parents — this has a list of evidence-based programs and resources
• Next Steps Screening Tool

There are a number of state-based SPELD organisations:

• SPELD NSW supports people in New South Wales
• Speld Qld supports people in Queensland
• Specific Learning Difficulties SA supports people in South Australia
• SPELD Victoria supports people in Victoria
• Dyslexia SPELD Foundation supports people in Western Australia

The Australian Dyslexia Association supports the wellbeing, identification and treatment of people with dyslexia.

ReachOut offers wellbeing support and resources for people aged under 25 years and their parents.

Young people, aged from 5 to 25 years, can call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. There is also a WebChat service available.

For further advice you can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.