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Devon’s SEND Local Offer

Dyslexia

What is dyslexia?

The word ‘dyslexia’ comes from the Greek ‘dys’ meaning ‘difficulty with’ and ‘lexis’ meaning ‘word’ or ‘language’. So ‘dyslexia’ means literally ‘difficulty with words’.

  • The Delphi definition of Dyslexia
    • Dyslexia is a set of processing difficulties that affect the acquisition of reading and spelling.
    • In dyslexia, some or all aspects of literacy attainment are weak in relation to age, standard teaching and instruction, and level of other attainments.
    • Across languages and age groups, difficulties in reading fluency and spelling are a key marker of dyslexia.
    • Dyslexic difficulties exist on a continuum and can be experienced to various degrees of severity.
    • The nature and developmental trajectory of dyslexia depends on multiple genetic and environmental influences.
    • Dyslexia can affect the acquisition of other skills, such as mathematics, reading comprehension or learning another language.
    • The most commonly observed cognitive impairment in dyslexia is a difficulty in phonological processing (i.e. in phonological awareness, phonological processing speed or phonological memory). However, phonological difficulties do not fully explain the variability that is observed.
    • Working memory, processing speed and orthographic skills can contribute to the impact of dyslexia.
    • Dyslexia frequently co-occurs with one or more other developmental difficulties, including developmental language disorder, dyscalculia, ADHD, and developmental coordination disorder.

    Caroll, J. M., Holden, C., Kirby, P., Thompson, P. A. Snowling, M.J., & Dyslexia Delphi Panel (2025) Towards a Consensus on Dyslexia: findings of a Delphi Study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 0(0). 1-12.

Devon SpLD (Dyslexia) Service

The Devon SpLD (Dyslexia) Service is a team of qualified and experienced specialist SpLD (Dyslexia) teachers, who work in partnership with schools, staff, individual children and their families across Devon.

They offer assessments and consultations to support, advise and guide schools and parents to support children and young people with severe and persistent specific literacy difficulties. They also offer training for all staff in Devon schools.

If you feel that a child or young person would benefit from help from the Devon SpLD (Dyslexia) Service please ask their school if they can request support.

For further information about the Service (courses/Network meetings/resources/referrals etc), please see the link:  Devon SpLD (Dyslexia) Service.

Dyslexia guides for parents

The Devon SpLD (Dyslexia) Service have created a series of guides, including these one specifically to support parents:

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