The Dyslexia Association Ireland (DAI) has released the findings of its first ever research survey into dyslexia in Ireland to mark Dyslexia Awareness Week – a week-long public awareness campaign focused on World Dyslexia Day, Thursday October 8th.

Key findings of the 'Small Change – Big Impact' research include :

· 76% of parents feel that earlier identification would help their child

· 97% of teachers agree that they need and would benefit from training on dyslexia

· 93% of teachers agree that earlier identification helps them to better support learning needs

· 92% teachers report that their pre-service dyslexia training did not prepare them for the classroom


Ireland’s first ever Dyslexia Awareness Week carries the message of Small Change – Big Impact for 2015, to signify and drive awareness of the small changes, in practice and policy, that could have a big impact for people living with dyslexia in Ireland. With early identification and the right supports, Irish children with dyslexia can succeed with reading and spelling skills and learn to manage their dyslexia confidently.

Equitable access to identification and intervention is the clear message outlined from research findings, as over three quarters of parents with a dyslexic child felt that earlier identification would have helped their child’s dyslexia. 93% of teachers agree that early identification of dyslexia would help them to better support a child’s learning needs and corroborating with this, 60% of students (under 18) with dyslexia are not confident that their teachers understand their dyslexia and know how to help them.

Rosie Bissett, CEO of DAI, said,
“Families in Ireland are forced to seek private assessment and supports as the education system is simply not meeting their needs. And what about the countless families who can’t afford private services? Resource allocation is linked strongly with diagnostic assessment of need – without equitable access to assessment children are not able to access supports which they need and are entitled to. Our survey also shows that even after dyslexia is identified, 55% of parents report ongoing difficulty in gaining help for their child.

Research has long shown the benefits of early identification and targeted intervention – we should not wait for these children to fail. Our education system must be built on principles of fairness and equitable access.”

The research’s most startling statistic highlighted that only 30% of teachers reported receiving any pre-service training on dyslexia or special learning difficulties, which explains why over 90% of teachers felt they were not adequately prepared for the classroom.

With two thirds of parents dissatisfied with the level of government support provided to assist families dealing with dyslexia, and a further 22% unsure of what the government actually provides there is a lot of work to be done by the Government in assisting families and the Irish public with learning needs.

Donald Ewing, Head of Psychological and Educational Services of DAI, added,
“Without a significant commitment to improve teacher training on dyslexia, there is a real risk that dyslexic children’s needs will continue to be unidentified and unmet. Every class teacher needs some knowledge on dyslexia identification and support strategies. Specialist teachers need advanced training to enable them to assess for dyslexia, and to support the school-wide provision of evidence-based teaching interventions.”

The survey, with 787 respondents, includes opinions from students, teachers, parents and adults living with dyslexia and can be found on dyslexia.ie, alongside detail of fundraising activities for the week.  For more information see www.dyslexia.ie

Source: Press Release Dyslexia.ie

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