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Last week, global public opinion and data company YouGov published some interesting information about the way teaching staff look at dyslexia and dyslexia support.
Dyslexia is perhaps the most common learning difficulty, with around 3% of the British population having received a diagnosis in the past. The number of people who have the condition, however, could in fact be higher. According to YouGov, another 5% of people reported that they suspect that they may have dyslexia but have not been tested for the condition. If these figures are accurate, it brings the number of people with dyslexia to just under a tenth of the UK population.
But as the condition can affect people in different ways, it can be hard to spot. Diagnoses of the condition are traditionally made by trained dyslexia assessors, but it can be picked up at a classroom level by teachers and teaching assistants before this happens. Research published in January by YouGov suggests that teaching staff overwhelmingly believe that they can spot dyslexia in a child.
83% of teachers report that they’re at least somewhat confident they could identify a child that was displaying symptoms of dyslexia. The same data reveals, however, that 14% of teachers reported that they were not confident that they could identify a child with these kinds of literacy difficulties. This is alarming when we consider the average number of children in a classroom who potentially have dyslexia. It also perhaps signposts a need for a better understanding of the condition at a teaching and training level.
The survey also revealed that:
- 71% of teachers feel that their institution supports students with dyslexia ‘well’
- 20% of teachers feel that their institution supports students with dyslexia ‘badly’
These figures become even more interesting when we look at respondents who work in private schools, and those who work in academy schools.
- 24% of staff in academy schools say that their school support for students with dyslexia is of ‘bad’ quality
- 14% of staff in private schools say that their school support for students with dyslexia is of ‘bad’ quality
- 18% of staff in academy schools say that their schools support students with dyslexia ‘very well’
- 32% of staff in private schools say that their schools support students with dyslexia ‘very well’
The research highlights the need for a greater understanding of dyslexia across the board. Growing confidence in staff to pick up on literacy difficulties leads to a larger number of students being diagnosed with dyslexia. This, in turn, leads to people who are struggling with literacy getting the help they need.
The research also points to a gap between private schools and academies when it comes to recognising and supporting students with dyslexia. This is troubling when we consider that private schools make up only 2,600 of the 32,770 schools in Britain today. This could be a result of better funding and smaller class sizes that private schools commonly have compared to academy schools.
It is comforting to know that a majority of teaching staff that believe they can pick up on conditions like dyslexia in their students. What is troubling is that this still means that there are many students in the UK education system today that are likely going under the radar. This means that without a diagnosis, they might not be getting the support they need to succeed. This research once again highlights the need for more school support in helping students with dyslexia overcome literacy difficulties, in order to create an education system with accessible learning for every pupil in its care.
There’s a wealth of information and professional development opportunities available for educators wanting to specialise in dyslexia at the International Dyslexia Association and the British Dyslexia Association. You can also get involved with BDA’s virtual International Conference 2021, where hundreds of researchers, educators and professionals from around the world come together to explore dyslexia and dyscalculia.
