Dyslexia UK testing, reports and independent advice for both children and adults. Advice for parents about their children's problems with spelling, reading and learning at school, and adults with possible dyslexia.

The word 'dyslexia' comes from the Greek meaning 'difficulty with words'.

Dyslexia is often referred to as a 'specific learning difficulty', usually with spelling, writing and reading, and sometimes with numbers. People who are dyslexic may have problems with spelling, putting things in order, following instructions, and may confuse left and right.

In the school situation, a child may find that he or she is experiencing failure, but is not able to understand why. This frequently results in low self-esteem, frustration and a severe loss of confidence, which can lead to the child being reluctant to go to school. At this stage something has got to be done, and this is when a lot of parents seek specialist help and advice.

The first step is for an accurate diagnosis to be made. This may be undertaken by the school, or by an educational psychologist, and can be quite expensive. Direct Learning provides an affordable, yet highly accurate, test for dyslexia which can be used by parents everywhere. In addition to giving you a detailed and thorough diagnosis, the Report provides educational recommendations for raising your child's level of achievement to the broad average for their age.

There is a lot of research into dyslexia at the moment, but its causes are not fully understood. It is thought to be inherited, as it usually runs in families. A good comparison in understanding dyslexia is to think of it as being like color blindness, which affects people of all abilities.

If it is found that your child is dyslexic, it is important not to feel that he or she is doomed to failure! There are well-developed courses of learning which can be used to bring your child up to the average level for their age in the areas they find difficulty with. Given appropriate help, in most cases a dyslexic child can succeed at school at a level roughly equal to his or her classmates. Moreover, dyslexic children often have talents in other areas, which can boost their self-esteem if they receive lots of praise!

As a dyslexic child's difficulty is not visible - compared, say, to a child in a wheelchair - it often goes unrecognized by teachers. The result can be that the child is labeled as 'lazy' or 'slow' at school. However, an independent report from a dyslexia specialist can make a big difference to the school's attitude, and frequently results in extra understanding and help.

Adults with dyslexia have often suffered from a difficult time at school, where their difficulties were not properly diagnosed. They frequently ended up feeling that they were stupid. The others could do the work, but why was it so difficult for them? They experienced a strong feeling of frustration.

Fear of being asked to read aloud in class may have been really disturbing, when others might laugh at their mistakes. Homework may have taken three times longer than for a non-dyslexic child, and parents may have been visibly anxious for the dyslexic child to catch up with his or her peer-group.

An assessment for dyslexia in an adult can serve many different purposes, depending on what stage you are at. It may provide evidence of dyslexia so that you can receive extra time in examinations if you are a student. It may provide an opportunity for a career review. It may provide you with a battery of strategies that will assist you in managing your difficulties. It may provide an answer to a curiosity about yourself and your difficulties with spelling that has been puzzling you all your life.

Dyslexia is not a 'disease' that someone should or can be cured of. It is a type of mind, like any other, with its own particular strengths and weaknesses. We all have different talents - things we are good at and things we find hard. Dyslexic children, teenagers and adults find spelling and sequencing hard, but also have other areas at which they excel - sometimes creativity, physical co-ordination or lateral thinking. The important thing is to raise people's confidence!

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