Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects how people learn to read and spell. It may appear as slower or less accurate reading and spelling than expected for someone’s age or education. However, an individual may have good strategies to manage their difficulties, meaning that their reading and spelling may not appear to be as severely impacted as one may expect. Sometimes, there is a mismatch between how a dyslexic individual expresses their ideas verbally when compared with their ability to record them in writing.

Dyslexia can vary in severity and may also affect learning in other areas, like math, understanding what you read, or learning new languages.

The most common issue in dyslexia is with phonological processing—how we hear and work with sounds in words. But other challenges, like working memory, processing speed, and recognising word patterns, can also play a part.

Dyslexia often occurs alongside other conditions like ADHD, language disorders, or dyscalculia (difficulty with math).