As a family deeply affected by dyslexia, we understand the struggles that come with this learning difficulty. My husband, our three children, and I all live with dyslexia. We know firsthand how crucial early diagnosis and intervention can be for those living with this condition. 

Unfortunately, many primary schools lack the necessary resources to provide specialised teaching for dyslexic students. This lack of support often results in these children falling behind their peers academically and emotionally. The British Dyslexia Association estimates that 10% of the UK population is dyslexic to some degree, which equates to more than 6 million people.

 80% of children are leaving school undiagnosed thinking they are below their peers. 1 in 5 children struggle with mental health and 75% of schools report to have no access to specialist dyslexia teachers 

Moreover, diagnostic assessments for dyslexia are often prohibitively expensive for many families, starting at £500. This creates an additional barrier to receiving appropriate educational support.

After speaking with schools, boroughs, UCL lecturers, SENCO's, dyslexia charities, education psychologists, child councillors and children themselves. We have set up a nonprofit organisation 1 in 10 Dyslexia and we are lobbying to make this change with similar passionate Dyslexia groups. 

We call upon our education system and government to implement specialist dyslexic teachers in every UK state primary school across the nation and provide free diagnostic assessments for all children suspected of having this learning disability. Early identification coupled with targeted teaching strategies can significantly improve academic outcomes, self-esteem and mental health among these children.

Please join us in advocating for better educational opportunities for all children affected by dyslexia by signing this petition today.

Thank You! 

Charlotte @1in10dyslexia

Please if possible, donate what you can via our website www.1in10.co.uk/donate  so we can pilot in schools. 

Here is our lobbying letter to government; please feel free to share with your local MP. 

We are writing from 1 in 10 Dyslexia Limited, a non profit organisation. We are raising awareness and funding for dyslexia, including assessments, research and specialist teaching, focusing on:

• Diagnostic Dyslexia Assessments
• Specialist Dyslexia Teacher Training

The long term impact of dyslexia, left undiagnosed, can be low self-esteem and poor mental health, behavioural problems, anxiety, isolation by having the inability to read and write with a processing difficulty. Those with dyslexia, find it hard carrying out a sequence of directions and difficulty planning and organisation. This can withhold children reaching their potential, leaving them feeling chronically inadequate and unable to keep up. This potentially can lead to not receiving qualifications, not being able to get a job and possibly leading to crime.

We believe early identification, diagnosis and interventions are key as this can prevent a loss of confidence and an understanding of a sense of self.  

• Identify, Access, Intervene

A specialist dyslexia teacher, will have the specific skills and technical knowledge needed to put into practice the theoretical understanding gained from this training. This will foster language awareness in learners with literacy difficulties such as dyslexia. They will be able to offer thorough diagnosis assessment, tailor support and train classroom teachers. This assessment not only allows the child’s profile to be fully understood but will have a large impact on their outcomes through tailored intervention that can address the child’s strengths and needs.

After discussing within the dyslexic community, including lecturers, SENCO’s well-being officers, headteachers, boroughs, dyslexic charities, assessors, education psychologists, child councillors and children themselves, the consensus is clear. There would be a vast improvement by having a specialist dyslexia teacher, within a schools teaching staff with a minimum of a level 5 (costing £2,250) in each of the 20,778 state-funded UK state primary school’s. Yet 75% of schools report having no access to specialist dyslexia teachers, (Hide and Seek report - 2020) here

“80% of people with dyslexia leave school without a diagnosis or receiving the support they need to succeed” (All Party Parliamentary Group for Dyslexia and other Specific Learning Differences, 2019, Educational Cost of Dyslexia)

Dyslexia is the most common specific learning difficulty in the UK, affecting 1 million children in Education. If we could identify, assess and intervene, that would ensure that every dyslexic child has the opportunity to thrive in an inclusive educational environment and receive the support they need.

We would like to see a mixture of diagnosis, coupled with early years intervention and specialist dyslexic teacher training. Here we can see Professor Maggie Snowling’s success with NELI here

Once a person has been formerly identified as dyslexic, they are considered to have a recognised disability covered by the Equality Act 2010. 

So why isn’t diagnosing free and support readily available? 

One in five school-aged youth (ages 4 to 19) experiences mental health problems (Kessler et al., 2005) with the risk being higher among children with learning disorders such as dyslexia (Francis et al., 2019).

Here explains why diagnosis and early intervention is so important in the Human Cost of Dyslexia report.

We fully agree with Delphi Assessment: Dyslexia Assessment and Practice - page 20 here  “For those children who show persisting difficulties with learning to read and spell (and/or in mathematical learning) there should be access to progressively phased and more comprehensive assessment, establishing clear and accessible pathways to the identification of dyslexia." Supporting this from a parents view is "A Delphi study exploring the barriers to dyslexia diagnosis and support: A parent's perspective", found here

Here is a poignant case study showing how diagnostic assessments can be important, shared with 1 in 10 by IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society:

“J’s mother considers that without the diagnostic assessment and its detailed recommendations of support, the outcome for her son would have been drastically different. It is frustrating for her that the appropriate level of expertise was not available within his primary school to diagnose and support her son’s dyslexia early in his learning. Her regret is that she did not pursue an assessment in primary school; having an insight into his abilities and how they could be enhanced and supported is likely to have made a dramatic difference to years of underperformance and mental anguish for her son”

Below is a quote made to 1 in 10 Dyslexia from ‘MA Specific Learning Difficulties Program at UCL”

"Universal and equitable assessment conducted by trained specialists is crucial for understanding individual learning profiles, highlighting strengths, and quantifying specific areas of need that require support. Assessment is not only important for planning targeted intervention programmes, but also for ongoing monitoring and reviewing- all of which will have the greatest impact on learning outcomes and educational experience.

There is a need to continue training specialist assessors ensuring that practices align with the up-to-date research evidence  provided by recent Delphi study on Dyslexia Assessment and Identification (2024). The MA Specific Learning  Difficulties (dyslexia) programme  at  IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society is a leading programme in the field, taught by research experts, and leads to Approved Teacher Status (ATS), Approved Practitioner Status (APS), and Associate Member of the BDA (AMBDA) and an Assessment Practising Certificate (APC)."

Individuals diagnosed with dyslexia have been found to achieve lower pay rates to non-dyslexic counterparts (de Beer et al., 2014) and slower career progression (Morris & Turnbull, 2007). It is crucial that children receive an efficient and timely diagnosis with support to stop the cascading negative effects of dyslexia.

Of course the broader context of challenges in UK schools, with financial constraints will have implications about the implementations of dyslexia assessments. However the 2022 report for HMIP and Ofsted here should alarm the ‘Ministry of Justice’ and the HMT, as 57% of adult prisoners taking assessments had literacy levels below an 11 year old. More than 50% of prison offenders are dyslexic. If we take a long-term holistic approach, studies have shown that there could be a 186 million per annum saving if these offenders have been identified and helped earlier in their lives here

This could be drastically lowered by investing in specialist teachers for the 20,778 state-funded primary schools in the UK. Education is key and should be the first line of defence in identifying dyslexia. This could also in turn then positively affect the ‘Home Office’ with less crime.

Advocating for dyslexic individuals from an early age, especially during their formative school years, is crucial. By providing support during these critical stages, we pave the way for their success and ensure a future rich with diverse talents.

We would like to discuss the issues with you and would like to request a meeting at your next available surgery please?

We look forward to receiving your response.

Yours Sincerely,

1 in 10 Dyslexia

Organisations in support of this petition;

British Dyslexia Association
Dr Helen Ross -  Helen’s Place Education Consultancy
The Dyslexia Gift - Rachael Wall
Gentles Guidance - Marie Gentles
Fantastic Alternative Brains - Georgina Reoch
The Dyslexia Association - Kay Carter
Creative Minds - Shona O’Callaghan
Headstuff ADHD - Sarah Temperton 
Learn with a difference - Gemma Cox
Dr Sarah Moseley
Dyslexia Matters - Julia Hewerdine
Lucinda Miller - Clinical lead of NatureDoc
Nurtured Neuro Kids - Kate Steer
This is Dyslexia - Laura Gowers 
Professor Julia Carroll