The Dyslexia Association of Ireland (DAI) defines dyslexia as a ‘specific learning difficulty affecting the acquisition of fluent and accurate reading and spelling skills’.

Difficulties range from mild to severe and affect about 10% of the population. The effort involved in learning to read can cause stress and anxiety for children who struggle, and it is crucial that the social and emotional impact and needs are considered and addressed in a sensitive manner.

Some Indicators of Dyslexia

• Continued difficulty reading text aloud or silently
• Reading level below expectation
• Confuses letter sequences
• Spelling may be inconsistent and sometimes bizarre
• May avoid reading tasks
• Finds learning tables by rote difficult
• Confuses left and right
• Other family members may have similar difficulties
• Takes longer than average to complete written tasks
• Mispronounces longer words
• Uses avoidance tactics around reading tasks