Misconceptions about dyslexia among professionals put children at risk of being misdiagnosed

Misconceptions about dyslexia are held by professionals who assess children for learning difficulties, according to a new study that calls for evidence-based standardized assessment procedures.

Research led by Durham University found that nearly half of dyslexia experts in the study believed in an unproven indicator for dyslexia, which could lead to children being misdiagnosed.

In a survey of 275 dyslexia experts, the most common myth—which is not supported by solid evidence—is that people with dyslexia read letters in reverse order, which is believed by 61% of experts.

More than 30% of professionals believed that skipping letters was a key feature of dyslexia. However, there is currently no evidence to show that either of these are reliable indicators of dyslexia.

The survey was targeted at a range of UK professionals involved in assessing students for dyslexia, such as dyslexia specialists, specialist assessors and educational psychologists. They were asked about the assessments they used, how they made decisions about the diagnosis, and what they believed to be indicators of dyslexia.

Although 75% of professionals used assessments recommended by the Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) Assessment Standards Committee (SASC), more than 82% of respondents used additional measures. A further 71 different measures were listed by participants, indicating that a variety of tests are used by experts during the assessment process.

In England, there is currently no official policy guidance on defining and identifying pupils with dyslexia or other learning difficulties. Instead, responsibility for developing diagnostic procedures and standards rests heavily on various independent professional organizations.

The researchers call for evidence-based knowledge to be built into assessment practices and for this to be guided by government policy.

The thesis has been published Annals of Dyslexia and includes researchers from Durham University and National Taiwan Normal University.

Lead author from Durham University’s School of Education Dr. Jonny Daniel said, „Our findings show that there is a need for government policy to guide how students with reading disabilities should be assessed, based on reliable evidence. The Dyslexia and Psychological Associations in the UK ensure that any misconceptions between professionals are addressed directly in their guidelines, so that there is consistency across groups of children. are evaluated methodically.”

It is estimated that one in 10 people in the UK has some degree of dyslexia.

Research has revealed a general lack of consensus among raters in the process of identifying someone with dyslexia. Many viewed dyslexia as deficits in key areas of reading, but many saw it as a discrepancy between individuals’ reading and cognitive abilities.

Dyslexia experts in the study also used several unsubstantiated dyslexia indicators, such as high levels of creativity (17%), motor skills problems or clumsiness (17%), and difficulty reading words in certain colors (15%) or fonts. (12%). Empirical data do not support these as indicators of dyslexia.

Dr. Daniel added, „Early identification is critical so support can be put in place quickly. However, there is significant variation in the methods used to identify reading disabilities such as dyslexia, which can lead to children being misdiagnosed or missed entirely.”