Dyslexia affects the learning process in relation to reading, writing and speaking, such difficulties being disproportionate to the student’s other academic abilities. Dyslexia is indicated by a mismatch between an individual’s assessed ability and his/her attainments in literacy-related areas. Dyslexia may affect the development of the student’s ability to remember in sequence what is seen or heard, his/her ability to identify sounds in words and his/her ability to put things in order (e.g. information, letters, stories, numbers, the days of the week, the months of the year, etc); it may affect concentration, co-ordination, letter/numeral formation skills and the speed of reading and understanding. In addition students may have problems with directions, map-reading, recognising left and right, spelling, copying words and numbers from a book or a blackboard, recalling the names of words or objects and reading music.

Students’ learning difficulties arising from dyslexia are in a continuum that ranges from mild to severe. Students’ confidence and self-esteem are often affected and they appear to lack motivation. Dyslexia may co-exist with other special educational needs such as dyscalculia, dyspraxia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD). It occurs across all socio-economic groups and affects people differently. Although dyslexia occurs across the lifespan it may be alleviated with appropriate intervention.