Dyslexia explained, and what help you can ask for

This guide covers England. It is information, not medical advice. Dyslexia varies a lot from person to person, so treat this as a starting point, not a substitute for a proper assessment.

What dyslexia actually is

Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling. It is a specific learning difficulty, which means it affects particular skills used for learning rather than learning as a whole. The single most important thing to understand is this: dyslexia does not affect general intelligence. A child can be dyslexic and highly able at the same time. The NHS estimates that up to one in every ten people in the UK has some degree of dyslexia.

It often shows up as a mismatch. A child understands ideas well when they hear them, but struggles to get them down on paper, reads slowly or inaccurately, muddles similar words, or finds spelling exhausting. Because that mismatch is confusing, dyslexic children are sometimes wrongly seen as not trying, which can knock their confidence hard.

How dyslexia is assessed

This part surprises many parents. The NHS does not usually assess for dyslexia, because it is treated as a learning difficulty rather than a medical condition. So a GP is not normally the route to a dyslexia assessment.

Instead, the SENCO at your child's school may carry out screening or use checklists to understand your child's strengths and difficulties and work out how to support them. A fuller, formal assessment is usually done by a specialist assessor or an educational psychologist. Schools can sometimes arrange this, and some families choose to pay for a private assessment, though a formal report is not needed to start SEN support.

What support a school can put in place

Once the difficulty is recognised, there is a lot a school can do through SEN support. Depending on your child, that might include:

• Targeted teaching of reading and spelling, often in a smaller group
• Extra time and clearer, step-by-step instructions
• Assistive technology, such as text-to-speech or a laptop for longer writing
• Coloured overlays or particular fonts and layouts, where they help
• Marking that recognises ideas and effort, not only spelling
• In some cases, access arrangements in exams, such as extra time, which the school can advise on

Schools also have duties under equality law to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils, and dyslexia can count as a disability. The aim is simple: to remove the barriers, so the child's ability can actually show.

Gather what you are seeing

Before you talk to the school, it helps to bring together what you have noticed. Concrete examples land far better than a general worry.

• Examples of reading or writing that show the difficulty, with dates
• The mismatch between what your child can say and what they can write
• School reports and any comments from teachers
• Anything that already seems to help at home

If the difficulties are more complex

Most dyslexia is supported well through SEN support. If your child's needs are greater than that can meet, perhaps alongside other difficulties, you can ask your local authority to carry out an EHC needs assessment. You do not need a diagnosis to make that request, and if the authority refuses, you can appeal to the SEND Tribunal.

What AI could help with

• Explain terms like specific learning difficulty, screening and access arrangements
• Turn your examples into a clear summary of how reading and writing affect your child
• Draft the questions to ask the SENCO or a private assessor
• Summarise a long assessment report into plain English
• Help you write a calm request for an EHC needs assessment, if you need one

A better way to prompt it

That keeps AI where it is genuinely useful, helping you prepare and explain, while the assessment and the teaching stay with the people qualified to do them.

Where to get proper help

• Your child's SENCO, as a first conversation
• The British Dyslexia Association, for information and assessment routes
• Your local SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)
• IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice), for free advice on support and plans
• EHCP Expert, if your child may need an EHC plan

This guide is general information for England and is not medical or legal advice. Dyslexia varies from person to person, and support processes can change. Get a proper assessment and advice for your own child, and check the current official guidance.