Supportive Blogs for Dyslexic Learners

As a specialist dyslexia assessor, one of the most common questions parents ask me is: What age should I get my child assessed for dyslexia? After assessing hundreds of children and spending 23 years working in education, my answer is always the same: Age is only part of the picture. The more important question is this: Has your child had the opportunity to learn through good quality teaching and appropriate intervention, yet they are still finding reading, spelling or writte

It’s one of the questions I hear most often from parents. “My child reads well. They passed all their reading tests. Surely they can’t be dyslexic?” The short answer is yes they most certainly can be dyslexic. In fact, some of the children I assess are excellent readers. They achieve good grades, work incredibly hard and, from the outside, appear to be coping perfectly. Yet underneath the surface, they’re putting in far more effort than anyone realises. When good reading hide

The question comes up constantly: is a formal dyslexia assessment really worth £550? It's a fair thing to ask. That's a meaningful sum of money, and without a clear picture of what comes next, it can feel like paying for a label rather than a solution. Here's the honest answer: for most people, the assessment doesn't cost £550 in the long run. It pays for itself, often many times over, through government grants, legal protections, academic accommodations, and workplace adjust

How to Get a Dyslexia Assessment in the UK: A Guide for Children and Adults If you are reading this, you are probably not asking "what is dyslexia?" You already have a feeling. A child who is bright but struggling with reading. An adult who has spent years finding workarounds for tasks that seem effortless for everyone else. The question you are really asking is: is this significant enough to do something about? That is exactly the right question, and a diagnostic assessment

When a child struggles to read despite being clearly bright, curious, and capable, the first question parents ask is: why? The answer, it turns out, is written in the brain. Neuroscience has fundamentally changed how we understand dyslexia. What was once dismissed as laziness, a lack of effort, or a sign of low intelligence is now documented through brain imaging as a genuine neurological difference in how the reading network is wired and activated. This is not a subtle acade

I have some genuinely exciting news to share. This Is Dyslexia has been named the Most Trusted Dyslexia Assessment Company 2026 at the UK Enterprise Awards. It's the kind of recognition that stops you in your tracks. Not because awards are the reason I do this work, but because this one is specifically about trust. And trust, in this field, is everything. When a parent contacts me about their child, or when an adult reaches out after years of quietly wondering whether dyslexi

When a child struggles at school, or an adult finds themselves exhausted by tasks that seem effortless for others, the instinct is to look for a single explanation. A diagnosis. A label that makes everything click into place. But for a significant number of neurodivergent people, the picture is more layered than that. Dyslexia, ADHD, and dyscalculia are three of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in the UK. They are often treated as separate concerns, assessed in i

Why traditional careers advice often gets this wrong. For years, people with dyslexia and ADHD were told to focus on their weaknesses. Be more organised. Try harder. Pay more attention. Work on your spelling. Sit still. Fit the system. After 23 years in education, and working as a dyslexia assessor and coach, I’ve realised something important: Many neurodivergent individuals are not failing because they are incapable. They are struggling because they are in environments that

Quick tip: If you notice several of the signs below, a specialist assessment can give you clarity, a formal diagnosis, and a roadmap for support. Why symptoms matter Dyslexia is a specific learning difference that mainly affects reading, writing and spelling. It does not reflect intelligence. Spotting the early signs helps families, teachers and employers intervene before the challenges become entrenched. Common symptoms across ages Symptom What it looks like Typical age wher

If you've typed "where can I get a dyslexia assessment in Kent" into a search engine recently, you're probably not just curious. You're worried. Maybe your child is struggling at school and nobody has a clear answer. Maybe you're an adult who has spent years wondering why certain things feel harder than they should. Either way, you need practical information, not another list that leaves you more confused than when you started. This guide gives you exactly that: who provides

Getting a dyslexia assessment is one of the most clarifying decisions a family or adult can make. Yet for most people, the path to that decision is tangled with uncertainty: Where do I even start? Who is qualified to assess? What will actually happen on the day? And how do I know if the report I receive will be worth anything? This guide answers all of those questions in plain terms. It covers how to compare providers, how to prepare yourself or your child, and what to expect

Dyslexia assessments around the world Getting a dyslexia assessment for your child is a big decision at any time. When you live outside the UK, it can feel even more daunting. How do you know the assessment will be recognised? Will the process actually work remotely? And will someone on the other side of a screen truly understand what your child is going through? These are the questions families contact This Is Dyslexia with every week, from Dubai, Singapore, Australia, Canad

Online dyslexia assessment Deciding to pursue a dyslexia assessment is a significant step. Once that decision is made, a second question quickly follows: should it happen online or face-to-face, and which provider is actually the right fit? The answer is not the same for everyone. A university student needing a report for Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) has different requirements from a parent booking for a nine-year-old, or an adult seeking clarity about lifelong struggle

Dyslexia support for South East England. Dyslexia affects an estimated one in ten people in the UK. Yet according to the British Dyslexia Association's 2026 report Lost in the System, fewer than 2% of local authorities can say how many dyslexic children live in their area. Around 900,000 children in English schools are thought to have dyslexia, roughly three in every classroom, and the majority will leave without ever receiving a formal diagnosis. The national picture is one

When you need answers quickly and what to do next If you’re searching for a last minute dyslexia assessment, it’s rarely a casual decision. Something has reached a tipping point. An exam is approaching. A deadline has appeared. Support is needed now. Or you’ve realised you can’t keep waiting. Whatever has brought you here, there is a way forward. And in the right circumstances, you can get clarity far sooner than you might expect. Written by Laura Gowers, APC-qualified Dyslex

If your child seems to find reading and writing harder than their peers, you are probably not imagining it. Persistent struggles with literacy can be one of the signs of dyslexia in children, a common learning difference that affects around one in ten people. The British Dyslexia Association estimates that approximately 900,000 children in England are affected, roughly three in every classroom. Most of them are not getting the support they need. This article is not a diagnost

When one child in the family is diagnosed with dyslexia, it rarely takes long for the next question to surface. You're relieved to finally have answers for your child, and then almost immediately, you find yourself thinking about your other children. Could they have it too? Should you be watching for signs? Will they go through the same struggles? These are completely natural questions, and the science has a clear answer: yes, dyslexia does run in families. But understanding

A practical guide to classroom support and assistive technology. If your child has dyslexia, school can sometimes feel harder than it should. Not because they lack ability. Not because they are not trying. But because many classrooms are built around reading speed, written output and working memory. These are areas where dyslexic learners may need support. The good news is that the right accommodations can make an enormous difference. When barriers are removed, dyslexic stude

If you've started noticing reading or spelling difficulties in your thirties, forties, or beyond, it's natural to wonder whether you've somehow developed dyslexia. The short answer is no: dyslexia cannot develop in adulthood. It is a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference, present from birth, rooted in how the brain processes language at a neurological level. But here is what that answer misses: most adults with dyslexia were never identified as children. For many, the diffi

Writing is one of the most demanding tasks any student faces. For those with dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia, or other specific learning difficulties (SpLDs), it can feel particularly overwhelming. Ideas that feel clear in your head can seem impossible to get onto the page. Sentences get tangled. Structure feels out of reach. The good news is that writing is a process, and processes can be broken down into manageable steps. With the right strategies, you can work with how your brai