The Dyslexia Delphi Study published in 2025 aimed to establish ‘areas of consensus among a wide range of experts’ and to reduce ‘confusion and misinformation’ about how dyslexia should be defined across all age ranges.
Delphi definition of dyslexia
Dyslexia is a set of processing difficulties that affect the acquisition of reading and spelling.
In dyslexia, some or all aspects of literacy attainment are weak in relation to age, standard teaching and instruction, and level of other attainments.
Across all languages, difficulties in reading fluency and spelling are key markers of dyslexia.
Dyslexic difficulties exist on a continuum and can be experienced to various degrees of severity.
The nature and developmental trajectory of dyslexia depends on multiple genetic and environmental influences.
Dyslexia can affect the acquisition of other skills, such as mathematics, reading comprehension or learning another language.
The most commonly observed cognitive impairment in dyslexia is a difficulty in phonological processing (i.e., in phonological awareness, phonological processing speed or phonological memory). However, phonological difficulties do not fully explain the variability that is observed.
Working memory, processing speed and orthographic skills can contribute to the impact of dyslexia.
Dyslexia frequently co-occurs with one or more other developmental difficulties, including developmental language disorder, dyscalculia, ADHD, and developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
What Do We Mean by Neurodiversity?
Neurodiversity recognises that every human brain is unique. We all think, learn, and process the world differently — and that’s completely natural. Each of us has strengths we shine in and areas that we find really challenging. For some people, those differences are simply more pronounced.
Neurodivergent individuals often experience a mix of abilities: some tasks feel effortless, while others can be incredibly demanding. This contrast can lead to inconsistent performance at school, at work, or in daily life — not because of lack of effort, but because their brains operate differently.
When people are supported to use their strengths rather than constantly working to overcome challenges, neurodiversity becomes a powerful asset. To unlock that potential, we need workplaces and learning environments that reduce unnecessary obstacles and celebrate difference
The diagram highlights common examples of neurodivergence, but every person’s experience is unique, with plenty of overlap and variation.
