Your brain learns and works with words and language in a different way. 

You might find reading, spelling or writing harder than some other children. Words can take longer to read, spelling can be tricky, and sometimes you might know exactly what you want to say but find it hard to get your ideas onto paper.

This has nothing to do with how clever you are. Your brain simply works with words and language differently.

Everyone with dyslexia is different. You will have things you find difficult and things you are good at. You might enjoy solving problems, creating things, seeing pictures in your mind, telling stories, helping people, or something completely different. Your strengths and interests are part of what makes you, you.  

Sometimes learning can feel frustrating, especially when other people don’t understand why something is difficult for you. You deserve teachers and grown-ups who understand how you learn and help you find ways that work for you.

Dyslexia will always be part of the way you learn, but that doesn’t mean learning will always feel as hard as it does today. With good teaching, support, practice and helpful tools, you can become a stronger and more confident learner.

Dyslexia is one part of you.

• You have your own challenges.
• You have your own strengths.
• You have your own interests and dreams.

You learn differently. And at DAS, we think that’s something to understand, support and embrace.

Dyslexia is a lifelong learning difference that mainly affects reading, spelling and writing. It is linked to differences in how the brain processes language, which can make learning to read accurately and fluently, remembering spelling and expressing ideas in writing more difficult.

Dyslexia often runs in families. If a parent, sibling or other close family member has dyslexia or has experienced similar difficulties with reading and spelling, a child may be more likely to have dyslexia too. Recognising the signs early is important because early identification and appropriate intervention can make a significant difference to a child’s learning and longer-term development.

Every child with dyslexia is different. Your child will have their own pattern of strengths and challenges, and the way dyslexia affects them may change as they grow and the demands of school, further education and eventually work change.

Dyslexia is not caused by low intelligence, lack of effort or poor motivation. Children with dyslexia may continue to experience some difficulties even when they have received effective reading instruction. With structured, evidence-based teaching, appropriate support and encouragement, they can develop their skills and become successful learners.

The experience of dyslexia can extend beyond reading and writing. When learning feels persistently difficult, particularly when those difficulties are misunderstood, it can affect a child’s confidence, motivation, self-esteem and sense of belonging. Parents and teachers can make an enormous difference by helping a child understand their dyslexia, recognising their progress and creating an environment in which they feel supported rather than defined by what they find difficult.

Your child’s strengths matter too. Children with dyslexia have their own individual strengths, interests and abilities. Some may show strengths in areas such as creativity, problem-solving, visual and spatial thinking or seeing the bigger picture, while others may have strengths in completely different areas. There is no single “dyslexic strength”. Taking the time to discover and nurture your child’s individual strengths, interests and passions can help build confidence and open opportunities as they grow.

Parents can play an important role in this journey. As children move through school, the subjects they choose, the activities they explore and eventually the education, training and careers they consider can provide opportunities to build on what they enjoy and do well. Encouraging children to explore their strengths and interests can help them see possibilities for their future beyond the areas they find difficult.

Dyslexia will remain part of the way your child learns, but it does not determine what they can achieve. Every child with dyslexia deserves to be understood and to receive the support they need to learn, develop their strengths and build confidence. With early and appropriate intervention, ongoing understanding and encouragement, children with dyslexia can learn successfully and thrive at school and beyond. 

At DAS, we believe dyslexia should be understood, supported and embraced as part of a different kind of mind.

Dyslexia is a lifelong learning difference that mainly affects the development of accurate and fluent reading, spelling and writing. Difficulties with reading can also affect comprehension, particularly when reading is slow or effortful. It is linked to differences in how the brain processes language and can occur across a wide range of abilities.

Students with dyslexia learn differently. They may need more time, explicit and structured teaching, repeated practice, and different ways to access or demonstrate learning. Their difficulties can persist even with effective reading instruction and are not due to low effort or motivation.

Every student with dyslexia is different. Some students may also experience difficulties in areas such as automaticity, working memory, processing speed or organisation. These vary between individuals and may form part of a student’s broader learning profile, reflect co-occurring developmental differences such as ADHD, Developmental Language Disorder, Dyscalculia or Developmental Coordination Disorder, or become more apparent in learning environments that place greater demands on these areas. 

The experience of dyslexia can also affect confidence, motivation, self-esteem and a student’s sense of belonging, particularly when their difficulties are misunderstood or inadequately supported. Students who learn differently deserve teachers who understand and embrace learning differently. Awareness and understanding can make an important difference to how students experience school, how they see themselves as learners and whether they feel able to succeed. Teachers can support this by recognising individual strengths and challenges, providing appropriate evidence-based support, and creating learning environments in which students feel understood and valued. 

Students with dyslexia may also demonstrate individual strengths, interests and ways of thinking in areas such as creativity, visual and spatial reasoning, problem-solving and big-picture thinking. These strengths vary from person to person and should be recognised as part of each student’s individual learning profile.

At DAS, we believe dyslexia should be understood, supported and embraced as part of a different kind of mind.

Dyslexia is a lifelong learning difference that primarily affects reading, spelling and writing. It is neurodevelopmental, which means the challenges associated with dyslexia begin as the brain develops, even if dyslexia is only recognised much later in life.

Some adults discover they may have dyslexia only after years of finding certain tasks more difficult or time-consuming than expected. You may have developed strategies that helped you manage these difficulties at school, university, work or in everyday life, without realising why you needed them and thinking that this is the normal experience for everyone.

As an adult, dyslexia may affect more than reading and spelling. You may notice that you need more time to process written information, organise your thoughts in writing, remember sequences or instructions, take notes, proofread your work or complete tasks quickly and automatically. Every person with dyslexia is different, and the things you find challenging may also change depending on the demands of your work, study and everyday life.

Dyslexia occurs across different levels of intelligence and is not caused by low effort or motivation. You may have developed considerable knowledge, skills and successful ways of working while continuing to experience difficulties associated with dyslexia.

Your dyslexia is also only one part of your individual profile. You will have your own combination of strengths, challenges, interests and abilities. Understanding how dyslexia affects you can help you recognise the strategies that work for you, explain your needs to others and make informed choices about support, adjustments or further assessment.

Why am I only recognising this now?

Dyslexia can be recognised at any age. Some people reach adulthood without their dyslexia being identified. They may have found ways to compensate for difficulties, normalised their experiences, chosen activities that played to their strengths, received informal support, or simply worked much harder to manage particular tasks. Changes in work, study or life can also introduce new demands that make previously manageable difficulties more noticeable.

A checklist cannot tell you whether you have dyslexia

Recognising several characteristics of dyslexia may help you understand patterns you have experienced throughout your life, but a checklist is not a diagnosis. A formal assessment by a qualified professional can provide a fuller understanding of your profile and ascertain if you have dyslexia.

• Dyslexia is a lifelong learning difference that primarily affects reading, spelling and writing.
• It is brain-based and often runs in families. It reflects differences in how the brain develops and processes language and information.
• Dyslexia is different for everyone. It exists on a continuum, with each person having their own profile of strengths and challenges.
• Early signs can appear before a child learns to read. Recognising these signs early can support timely identification and access to appropriate intervention and support.
• Dyslexia occurs across all languages and may present differently depending on the language and writing system.
• Dyslexia occurs across a wide range of intellectual abilities. A person’s difficulties with reading, spelling and writing are not caused by low effort or motivation and can persist despite effective teaching.
• Dyslexia can occur alongside other developmental differences, including ADHD, DLD, Dyscalculia, DCD and Autism.
• Its impact can extend beyond learning. When difficulties are misunderstood or inadequately supported, they may affect confidence, self-esteem, motivation, wellbeing and a person’s sense of belonging.
• The right support matters. People with dyslexia deserve access to appropriate, evidence-based teaching and support that responds to their individual needs and helps them learn successfully and thrive.
• Dyslexia is also a different way of thinking. Many people with dyslexia demonstrate strengths in areas such as visual and spatial reasoning, creativity, problem-solving, and big-picture thinking.
• At DAS, we believe dyslexia should be understood, valued and embraced as part of a different kind of mind.