It’s Dyslexia Awareness Week this month, and you’ll see plenty of posts about famous dyslexic entrepreneurs and “thinking differently”. Those posts are true and they matter. But if you’re the parent of a child who is working twice as hard as everyone else to read a page, you probably want something more practical. You want to know what actually helps, what your child is entitled to, and what nobody has mentioned yet. That’s what this post covers.
First: dyslexia has nothing to do with how bright your child is
This is where every conversation about dyslexia should start, because it’s the thing children most often get wrong about themselves.
The government-commissioned Rose Review put it plainly in 2009: dyslexia “occurs across the range of intellectual abilities”. In 2025, the British Dyslexia Association adopted a new definition, agreed by a large panel of researchers and specialists. It describes dyslexia as “a set of processing difficulties that affect the acquisition of reading and spelling”. The experts on that panel also rejected the old idea that a child has to show a gap between IQ and reading to count as dyslexic.
Two other points from that definition are worth knowing:
- Dyslexia exists on a continuum. It “can be experienced to various degrees of severity”. So it isn’t a yes-or-no label, and a child with milder difficulties still deserves support.
- It often comes with other needs. The definition notes that dyslexia “frequently co-occurs” with developmental language disorder, dyscalculia, ADHD and developmental coordination disorder. If reading support isn’t working, that is often why.
A child who is quick, curious and articulate out loud but whose written work doesn’t match is not lazy and not “just not trying”. There’s a reason, and the reason can be supported.
Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help at school
Many parents believe the school can’t do anything until there’s a formal dyslexia report. That isn’t how the system is meant to work.
6.27
The paragraph of the SEND Code of Practice that says it directly: “The purpose of identification is to work out what action the school needs to take, not to fit a pupil into a category.”
Under SEN Support, schools are expected to respond to the need they can see: a child who is falling behind in reading or spelling despite good teaching. That means following the “assess, plan, do, review” cycle, putting targeted support in place and checking whether it’s working. None of that has to wait for a label.
What it means for you. If you’ve been told “we’ll wait and see” or “we can’t do anything without a diagnosis”, ask the school what the identified need is, what support is in place for it now, and when it will be reviewed. Those are fair questions under the Code of Practice. Dyslexia can also count as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 where its effect on day-to-day life is substantial and long-term. In that case schools have a duty to make reasonable adjustments.
What actually helps
The encouraging part is that we know a lot about what works. None of it is a quick fix, but all of it makes a real difference.
- Structured, systematic teaching of reading and spelling. Sounds, spelling patterns and rules taught explicitly, in a clear order, with lots of revisiting. Children with dyslexia usually need far more practice than their classmates to make learning stick, so the practice has to be planned. It shouldn’t be left to chance.
- Little and often beats long and occasional. Short, regular sessions build fluency better than one long weekly slog, and they’re far kinder on a tired brain.
- Multisensory approaches. Seeing, saying, hearing and handling letters (the magnetic-letters-on-a-whiteboard approach in the picture above) give a child more than one route into the memory.
- Assistive technology. Text-to-speech, dictation software and audiobooks let a child reach the same content and ideas as their peers while their reading catches up. That isn’t cheating. It means a reading difficulty doesn’t hold back everything else they learn.
- Different ways to show what they know. Talking an answer through, using a mind map or recording a response lets a teacher see your child’s real understanding, not just their spelling.
- Protecting confidence. By the time dyslexia is spotted, many children have already decided they’re “stupid”. Telling them what dyslexia is, and that it isn’t about intelligence, can be one of the most powerful things that happens.
Five things most parents aren’t told
- You can ask what the school has already checked. Ask what screening or assessment has been done, what it showed and what support followed. A Year 1 phonics screening check result, for example, can be an early clue worth revisiting.
- The Kent Test has access arrangements, but the school has to ask for them. If your child has a special educational need that affects how they access the test, requests go through the primary school. In the 2026 cycle the deadline was 1 July, and decisions are final and can’t be appealed. If your child is in Year 5 now, talk to the school well before registration opens next summer. The 2027 dates haven’t been published yet.
- GCSE access arrangements depend on history. Under JCQ rules, things like extra time are based on evidence of need and the child’s “normal way of working”. A diagnosis on its own doesn’t guarantee them, and not having one doesn’t rule them out. Support that’s in place from early secondary builds the picture that’s needed later.
- A diagnosis is still worth having for many children. You don’t need one for school support, but a full diagnostic assessment can explain your child’s profile precisely, give specific recommendations, and add weight to access-arrangement or EHCP evidence. Just as importantly, it can give your child a word for what they’ve been experiencing.
- If reading support isn’t working, look wider. Dyslexia often sits alongside attention, language or auditory processing differences. A child can have phonics drilled into them for years and make little progress because something else is getting in the way. Read our guide to Auditory Processing Disorder →
Not sure whether what you’re seeing at home is dyslexia, something else, or both? A free 15-minute call is a good place to start. We’ll talk through what you’re noticing and what a sensible next step might be.
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Education With Lauren
Where Education With Lauren fits in
Our Gap Analysis Assessment looks at the whole child, not just their reading age. It includes attainment against the national curriculum, the precise gaps in English and maths, processing and working memory, and indicators of dyslexia alongside other needs such as ADHD, autism, and speech and language difficulties. You come away with a clear picture of why your child is finding things hard, and what school can do about it now.
Our founder, Lauren, holds a Level 7 qualification in Assessing and Supporting Learners with Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties and is an Associate Member of the British Dyslexia Association.
Depending on what the assessment shows, next steps might include:
- A provision map for school — practical, individual strategies the class teacher and SENCO can put in place straight away.
- Referral for a full diagnostic dyslexia assessment — with Sarah, an independent specialist teacher and dyslexia assessor (PATOSS member, APC holder) whom we’re happy to refer families to. You engage Sarah directly, and you can share her findings with us so we can build them into your child’s wider plan.
- One-to-one teaching — through our sister service, Tuition With Lauren, which provides specialist one-to-one teaching for children with dyslexia and other additional needs.
Education With Lauren does not deliver diagnostic dyslexia assessments and does not accept liability for these independent professional services.
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“Wow! Lauren is amazing. We had our GAP Analysis assessent and not only did she spot things that were constantly being brushed off as “normal” She listened to me as a parent. my child is struggling and Lauren see straight through the mask. I’m nervous about receiving the report but i know with Lauren behind us with her knowledge and experience we have nothing to worry about. Thank You”
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“We feel so lucky to have found Lauren. Our son had a gap analysis done with Lauren and it was the best thing we could have done as now we know the reasons for our son’s constant struggles at school…”
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A child who understands why reading is hard for them, and knows it has nothing to do with how clever they are, is a child who can keep going.
Or read about our referred diagnostic services →
Frequently asked questions
Does my child need a dyslexia diagnosis to get support at school?
No. Under the SEND Code of Practice, schools should identify and respond to a child's needs through SEN Support. A formal diagnosis isn't required first. The Code says the purpose of identification is to work out what action the school needs to take, not to fit a pupil into a category.
Is dyslexia linked to intelligence?
No. Dyslexia occurs across the full range of intellectual abilities. The British Dyslexia Association's current definition describes it as a set of processing difficulties that affect learning to read and spell, and it doesn't depend on a gap between IQ and reading.
What helps a child with dyslexia most?
Structured, systematic teaching of reading and spelling with plenty of planned practice, short regular sessions, multisensory approaches, assistive technology such as text-to-speech and dictation, and other ways for the child to show what they know. Protecting their confidence matters just as much.
Can my child get extra time in the Kent Test?
Access arrangements are available for the Kent Test for children whose special educational needs affect how they access it, but they must be requested by your child's primary school. In the 2026 cycle the deadline was 1 July, and decisions can't be appealed. The 2027 dates haven't been published yet.
Does Education With Lauren diagnose dyslexia?
No. Our Gap Analysis Assessment identifies indicators of dyslexia and other needs alongside a full picture of your child's learning. Where a formal diagnosis would help, we refer families to an independent specialist dyslexia assessor, whom you engage directly.
This article is general information for parents. It is not a diagnosis, and it is not legal advice.
Sources
- Rose, J. (2009). Identifying and Teaching Children and Young People with Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties. Department for Children, Schools and Families
- Carroll, J. et al. (2025). “Toward a consensus on dyslexia: findings from a Delphi study.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry — definition adopted by the British Dyslexia Association
- British Dyslexia Association, “What is dyslexia?”
- Department for Education & Department of Health, SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years (2015), para 6.27
- Equality Act 2010, s.6 (definition of disability)
- JCQ, Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (current edition)
- Kent County Council, Kent Test special arrangements guidance (2026 entry cycle), as published to parents by Kent primary schools