A new study conducted by Durham University has revealed that many professionals assessing children for dyslexia are holding onto outdated and inaccurate beliefs about the condition. This can lead to misdiagnoses and inappropriate interventions.
The research found that nearly half of the dyslexia professionals surveyed believed at least one unproven indicator of dyslexia. The study emphasizes the need for standardized, evidence-based assessment procedures to ensure accurate diagnosis and appropriate support for children with dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a learning disorder that primarily affects reading and writing skills. Individuals with dyslexia often have difficulty recognizing words, sounding out letters, and understanding the meaning of text. While it can be challenging, dyslexia is not a sign of low intelligence.
The researchers conducted a survey of 275 dyslexia professionals, the most common myth – which is not backed up by solid evidence – was that people with dyslexia read letters in reverse order, believed by 61% of specialists.
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Just over 30% of professionals also believed that letters jumping around is a key feature of dyslexia. However, there is currently no evidence to show that either of these are reliable indicators of dyslexia.
The study, funded by the British Educational Research Association (BERA), is published in Annals of Dyslexia and involved researchers from Durham University and National Taiwan Normal University.
“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,” said lead author, Dr Johny Daniel from the School of Education at Durham University. “It’s also important that dyslexia and psychological associations in the UK ensure that any misconceptions amongst professionals are directly addressed in their guidelines so that children are assessed in a consistent way across the board.”
The dyslexia specialists surveyed also employed several unsubstantiated indicators of dyslexia, including claims that individuals with dyslexia are more likely to be highly creative (17%), have motor skills issues or clumsiness (17%), or experience difficulty reading words in certain colors (15%) or fonts (12%). However, there is no empirical evidence to support these as reliable indicators of dyslexia.
