Q: Who can ‘diagnose’ or identify that a person has dyslexia?   
A: It will be a Specialist Dyslexia Teacher or Educational Psychologist who will identify Dyslexia formally.  

Q: Why use the term dyslexia instead of specific learning difficulties (SpLD)?   
A: Dyslexia is the term used by current DfES/DCFS guidance and is in common usage in the general population.  Specific Learning Difficulties is an umbrella term for a variety of learning differences including dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia etc.  

Q:  How soon can I know whether a child has dyslexia?   
A:  There may well be early indicators of dyslexia in preschool and Key Stage 1 children.   However, children develop at very different rates and there could be many other factors influencing children’s learning in the early years.   It is unlikely that the term dyslexia could be used with confidence during the Foundation Stage or Key Stage 1 because of the amount of literacy teaching, additional support and assessment needed over time.  However, there will be some children who could be considered ‘at risk’, and appropriate early intervention and action should be taken. 

Q:  Can a child have dyslexia and be on the Able, Gifted and Talented register?   
A:  Yes, Dyslexia affects children of all abilities. There are many examples of famous people with dyslexia who are gifted and/or talented in the areas of the Arts, Sciences and Sports.
Many dyslexics, who have great talents because of their dyslexia (in the way they learn and think differently), often consider their dyslexia to be a gift, rather than a difficulty.       

Q: Is there a ‘cure’ for dyslexia?   
A:  Successful interventions will alleviate particular aspects of dyslexia such as reading, spelling, visual difficulties or organisational skills. Most children should make excellent progress with the right support and early intervention.  Different programmes of tuition and intervention can have a very positive effect initially, but children will often ‘plateau’ and then need a different kind of support.

Q: Does dyslexia run in families?   
A: There is substantial evidence that dyslexia is evident in generations of families, though many years ago it may not have been identified as anything other than a reading difficulty or lack of ability. Dyslexia can often be traced through generations and may often skip a generation or be present in the extended family such as uncles or cousins, as well as siblings.