Dyslexia is a neurological difference and can have a significant impact during education, in the workplace and in everyday life. As each person is unique, so is everyone's experience of dyslexia. It can range from mild to severe, and it can co-occur with other learning difficulties. It usually runs in families and is a life-long condition. It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently. Many dyslexic people show strengths in areas such as reasoning and in visual and creative fields. (British Dyslexia Association) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFExDAggmQY Nessy (2016)

There are several tools available that can be used to help give an indication of possible dyslexic difficulties. These screening tests and checklists can be a great help in order to ensure support is put in place quickly, but they can't provide a diagnosis. Dyslexia can only be formally diagnosed through a Diagnostic Assessment carried out by a certified assessor. (British Dyslexia Association) https://youtu.be/DNu4WiQaVTI (Understood 2017)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEpBujdee8M (Nessy 2010)

Early Symptoms of Dyslexia: Ages 0-5,https://youtu.be/M-X9gVkjc28

Signs of dyslexia (Primary school age) If a child appears to be struggling with spelling, reading, writing or numeracy, how do you know whether these difficulties are potential indications of dyslexia? There are some obvious signs such as a 'spiky' profile which means that a child has areas of strong ability alongside areas of weakness. You may also have other family members with similar weaknesses. Remember that not all dyslexic children will display the same weaknesses and abilities. General signs to look for are: • Difficulty following instructions • Forgetful with words or unable to recognise words that are familiar to them. • Stronger oral skills than written work • Poor comprehension skills • Disorganised https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkOd0GFu5k0 Understood (2020)

Signs of dyslexia (Secondary school age) Dyslexia is a combination of abilities as well as difficulties. It is the disparity between them that is often the give-away clue. A dyslexic learner, despite certain areas of difficulty, may be orally very able and knowledgeable, creative, artistic, or sporting. Alongside these abilities will be a cluster of difficulties - these will be different for every person. Dyslexia can only be diagnosed through a Diagnostic Assessment. However, there are indicators which can help you to identify a young person who may be dyslexic. Written work • Has a poor standard of written work compared with oral ability • Has poor handwriting with badly formed letters or has neat handwriting, but writes very slowly • Produces badly set out or messy written work, with spellings crossed out several times • Spells the same word differently in one piece of work • Has difficulty with punctuation and/or grammar • Confuses upper and lower case letters • Writes a great deal but 'loses the thread' • Writes very little, but to the point • Has difficulty taking notes in lessons • Has difficulty with organisation of homework • Finds tasks difficult to complete on time • Appears to know more than they can commit to paper Reading • Is hesitant and laboured, especially when reading aloud • Omits, repeats or adds extra words • Reads at a reasonable rate, but has a low level of comprehension • Fails to recognise familiar words • Misses a line or repeats the same line twice • Loses their place easily/uses a finger or marker to keep the place • Has difficulty in pin-pointing the main idea in a passage • Has difficulty using dictionaries, directories, encyclopaedias Numeracy • Has difficulty remembering tables and/or basic number sets • Finds sequencing problematic • Confuses signs such as x for + • Can think at a high level in mathematics, but needs a calculator for simple calculations • Misreads questions that include words • Finds mental arithmetic at speed very difficult • Finds memorising formulae difficult Other areas • Confuses direction - left/right • Has difficulty in learning foreign languages • Has difficulty in finding the name for an object • Has clear difficulties processing information at speed • Misunderstands complicated questions • Finds holding a list of instructions in memory difficult, although can perform all tasks when told individually Behaviour • Is disorganised or forgetful e.g. over sports equipment, lessons, homework, appointments • Is easily distracted. May find it difficult to remain focused on the task • Is often in the wrong place at the wrong time • Is excessively tired, due to the amount of concentration and effort required A cluster of these indicators alongside areas of ability may point to possible dyslexia and further investigation is recommended. Next steps If you suspect that your child may be dyslexic then you should discuss this with your child's teacher or the school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). If a teacher is concerned that a learner may have dyslexia or have any other SpLD, then they should consult the school's SENCo to discuss a plan of action. It is important that appropriate support is put in place as soon as a need is identified, rather than waiting for a formal identification. Under the SEND Code of Practice, if a teacher suspects that a child has special educational needs (SEN) then they must inform a child's parents and include them in discussions about what is the best support for their child. The school must also tell the parents of any special educational provision that is made for their child. (British Dyslexia Association)

https://www.nessy.com/en-gb/dyslexia-explained/understanding-dyslexia/how-to-explain-dyslexia

Everyone's experience of dyslexia will be individual to them but there are common indicators. A cluster of these indicators alongside abilities in other areas could suggest dyslexia, and should be investigated further. Dyslexia Test,https://youtu.be/un5slfccbRk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CXLyA5CrMI

Inside a Dyslexia Intervention | Reading Strategies for Struggling Readers,https://youtu.be/ex3X3IoPqXg What is dyslexia? - Kelli Sandman-Hurley,https://youtu.be/zafiGBrFkRM Nessy Reading and Spelling Program (One of the programs I would highly recommend in helping struggling students experience success in reading. Nessy The world’s favourite phonics program, online and fun.,https://youtu.be/hRcbILp5zvY Structured Synthetic Phonics,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HtdRGzg-xk https://youtu.be/QrF6m1mRsCQ