Misconceptions about dyslexia among professionals lead to children being misdiagnosed

Misconceptions about dyslexia exist among professionals who diagnose children with learning difficulties, according to a new study calling for evidence-based standardized assessments.

The study, led by Durham University, found that almost half of the dyslexia experts surveyed suspected at least one unproven indicator of dyslexia that could lead to misdiagnosis in children.

The most common myth in a survey of 275 dyslexia experts – for which there is no solid evidence – was that dyslexics read letters in reverse order, a view shared by 61% of experts.

Just over 30% of experts also believe that jumping letters is a key feature of dyslexia. However, there is currently no evidence that any of these features are a reliable indicator of dyslexia.

The survey was aimed at a range of UK professionals involved in assessing dyslexia in students, such as dyslexia specialists, peer reviewers and educational psychologists. They were asked about the assessment methods they use, how they make their diagnostic decisions and what they believe are indicators of dyslexia.

Although over 75% of professionals used the assessments recommended by the Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) Assessment Standards Committee (SASC), over 82% of respondents also used additional measures. Participants listed a further 71 different measures, suggesting that professionals use many different tests during the assessment process.

In the UK, there are currently no official guidelines for defining and identifying students with dyslexia or other learning difficulties. Instead, responsibility for developing diagnostic procedures and standards rests largely with various independent professional bodies.

The researchers call for evidence-based knowledge to be incorporated into the evaluation processes and to be guided by government policy.

The study was published in Annals of Dyslexia and participating researchers from Durham University and National Taiwan Normal University.

Lead author Dr Johny Daniel from Durham University’s School of Education said: “Our findings show that there is a need for government policy, based on reliable evidence, on how students with reading difficulties should be assessed. It is also important that dyslexia and psychology associations in the UK ensure that any misunderstandings among professionals are addressed directly in their guidelines so that children are assessed consistently across all areas.”

It is estimated that up to one in ten people in the UK have some degree of dyslexia.

The research found that there was no general consensus among assessors on how to diagnose dyslexia. Many believed that dyslexia was a deficit in the core areas of reading, but some others saw it as a discrepancy between the reading and cognitive abilities of those affected.

The dyslexia specialists in the study also used a number of other unproven dyslexia indicators such as high creativity (17%), motor problems or clumsiness (17%), and difficulty reading words in certain colors (15%) or fonts (12%). Empirical data do not support these indicators as dyslexia indicators.

Dr Daniel added: “Early detection is absolutely crucial so that support can be provided as quickly as possible. However, our study shows that there are significant differences in the methods used to identify reading difficulties such as dyslexia, which can lead to children being misdiagnosed or having the disorder missed altogether.”