My daughter has all the signs and symptoms but the school psychologist and teachers kept saying she just needs to try harder. She graduated from high school and hopes to go on to college. There is no funding, no extra privelledges in class. Just hard work and long hours at the dinner table.

chae braynen, freeport, bahamas

How can you say dyslexia is just kids being lazy and stupid? If this guy had to go back to kindergarten today he most likely COULD NOT DO THE WORK!!!! I am so sick of people saying that the American kids are dumb and behind China and other countries. The answer is not to make work harder it is to give the teachers time to review things like when we were in school and actually understood the material without drugs for ADD and ADHD. Maybe China is smarter than we are after all they are the ones putting lead in our childrens toys!!!! They have linked lead to ADD and ADHD. So I would like this guy to go back to school and deal with the work that kids in grade school have. ( 1st grade is like 3rd grade work) The schools just want to label the kids and collect money for them being called slow. That is why after two years of school I will be HOME SCHOOLING my child this year. American's need to realize we are killing our kids with these meds for ADD etc.Let kids be kids

Tina, moorefield, wv

The idea that being dyslexic is just another way of saying someone is stupid or lazy displays a disgusting amount of ignorence on the part of this doctor. Yes, the diagnosis may be overused, but true dyslexics need to be aware of the existence of the unique way in which we perceive the world so that we are able to navigate tasks such as driving under stressful conditions and walking a steep set of stairs, as well as to ensure that we are aware of just how much harder we are going to have to work to write letters in a readable order during an exam. Dyslexia is not simply a reading disability. In fact, many dyslexics do not even feel reading to be the most compromised of their abilities when stressed. Quite frankly, I wonder whether this doctor's views could possibly have been reported correctly as it is so ridiculously absurd.

Arifi Waked, Yuma, Arizona

To Edwin Webb, london, uk. A couple of problems with your point outlined. 1) Dyslexia was first noted in 1860, 40 years before the APA (American Philosophical Association) came into existence. Therefore I fail to see how it's anything to do with 'american psychobabbly therapy culture'. 2) Dyslexia is not treatable by drugs (there may be a few out there who claim it is, but it is not) so quite how drug companies are anything to do with it escapes me. 3) Dyslexia does not equal low intelligence, much research proving it. look it up and even if it was I fail to see what working mums have got to do with that. 4) Kind of true free stuff probable will make some people be categorised as something, but that's like saying because there are benefit cheats, there's no such person that needs benefits. 5) Males are 4X more likely to be dyslexic. So how women are to blame is another strange idea of yours. .

James, Chelmsford, Essex

To Edwin Webb, london, uk. A couple of problems with your point outlined. 1) Dyslexia was first noted in 1860, 40 years before the APA (American Philosophical Association) came into existence. Therefore I fail to see how it's anything to do with 'american psychobabbly therapy culture'. 2) Dyslexia is not treatable by drugs so quite how drug companies are anything to do with it escapes me. 3) Dyslexia does not equal low intelligence, much research proving it. look it up and even if it was I fail to see what working mums have got to do with that. 4) Kind of true free stuff probable will make some people be categorised as something, but that's like saying because there are benefit cheats, there's no such thing as a person who needs benefits. 5) Males are 4X more likely to be dyslexic. So how women are to blame is another strange idea of yours.

James, Chelmsford, Essex

The obsession with labelling kids as dyslexic is due to several reasons: 1) The american psychobabbly therapy culture which always wants to label and categorise normal human behaviour. Same with ADHD, which does not exist either. Just watch Oprah - 50% of americans have a 'disorder', apparently. 2) The desire of the drugs companies to medicalise normal human behaviour for profit 3) The need for people to make excuses for their or their children's failure or low intelligence - cause by selfish and bad parents, especially working women who should have been there for their children instead of dumping them in childcare and damaging their development. 4) The fact that a label of 'special needs' gets more money, free laptops, more time in exams etc. 5) The feminisation and emotionalisation of the education system - it is noticeable that is it usually men who recognise that dyslexia does not exist; for women it is their religion and should NEVER be questioned. You are a Heretic if you do.

Edwin Webb, london, uk

He's probably right and wrong at the same time. It is likely dyslexia exists, but it is over diagnosed for the reasons he mentions. I find it hard to believe that 10% of children now have the condition. It's probably 0.5%.

Christopher M, Houston, TX

FANTASTIC to see there is a newspaper out there who can see through these reports and who actually cares about those with Dyslexia (which IS only too real) and their familes rather than jumping on the bandwagon of insulting us instead!

I will be getting my husband to change what paper he reads ASAP

Helen, Hillingdon, London, England

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE EXTRA SUPPORT AT UNIVERSITY
The Disabled Students Allowance is a non means tested grant linked to the student finance system. Do a UK Google search for 'DSA student support' or contact the disability support team at your university. There are limits on the amount of money & equipment available. Eligible students have to attend an assessment of need, the aim of which is to establish whether the student has additional costs arising from the affects of disability in relation to their course of study. In other words, dyslexic students do not automatically get laptops and study skill support.
Universities also get funds from the Higher Education Funding Council for England that are used to support disabled students. It is up to each university how this funding is spent.
Students pay good money to attend courses. By law, they should be as accessible as possible. Perhaps some universities in the SE are less accessible than others??

AK, in the south,

I agree with most of the comments, that dyslexia does exist, however, I do not believe for a second that there are as many real dyslexics as there are people 'diagnosed' with dyslexia. I am of high intelligence, but a very slow worker, and always have been, yet I make no excuses for it. It's simply the way I work. I know hundreds of people who claim to be dyslexic, and milk the system for all it's worth, extra time in exams, ipods, laptops, dictaphones, printers, scanners etc all paid for by the government (and therefore the taxpayer). I also know people who, on being assessed for the condition, were told they did not have dyslexia, so, dissatisfied with the result, paid hundreds of pounds to have be reassessed by a different edpsych. It makes me sick that people can fake a real condition simply for their own gain. there would be outrage if hundreds of people pretended to have cancer in order to get free stuff, so why do we tolerate it from so many 'dyslexics'?

S, London, UK

Dyslexia runs in my family. My father, a Managing Director of his own company was severely hampered by the fact that he could not read and write very well, despite having been splendidly educated in the RAF.

I can read well as long as the type is reasonably large, I only have problems with small type in large wodges. I cannot write very well but my typing is fine. I cannot do arithmetic to save my life, I can barely count. However I did manage a degree in IT even though I can't add up my change.

My son is also dyslexic. When he was at primary school the support teacher thought he might be and we gave him a lot of extra help with his reading. But despite every effort he can't do joined up writing and his spelling is often phonetic because he can never remember it. He never writes if he can avoid it. He works as a parts storeman for a motor company but actually he has the ability to be an engineer.

I accept that some people may use "dyslexia" as an excuse but in my case it is not true

andy, Cornwall,

There is overwhelming genetic and biological evidence to support a neurophysiological basis for dyslexia. However we should not deny that dyslexia exists because some people take advantage of the support system for dyslexics. I would however support the view that if you assess how dyslexic readers read , it is not essentially different than other forms of reading difficulty. This is largely because there are only two ways in which to misread- either mistake the visual appearance of a word or decode it incorrectly by sounding out. All learners with reading difficulty should receive support. Literacy figures across Europe suggest that as many 1 in 5 have poor literacy. Lets have an education system which is prepared for this rather than waiting for children to fail before we put support in place. There is plenty evidence that early intervention is effective in minimising the effects of dyslexia and other types of reading problems. Stop arguing about the name and address the problem.

Dr Nadia Northway, Falkirk, Scotland

Dyslexia is a syndrome of symptoms related to having difficulties using the Visual Notation of speech communication system. Man first developed speech and each culture has later developed their ow version of a visual notation of speech, which in our western culture we call text.
The medical problems that can cause some to have problems using this man made communication system existed beforewe even developed speech, but we have only recently developed the technology to diagnose many of these medical conditions.
There are many Theories cocerning the underlying causes of dyslexia such as Auditory Processing Disorder, ther coresponding Visual Processing Disorder as sensory deficits and there are also motor information processing deficits.
The main theories of developmental dyslexia are (i) the phonological theory, (ii) the magnocellular (auditory and visual) theory and (iii) the cerebellar theory.
all are probably correct as there is no one cause of dyslexia.

Graeme Wadlow, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire

We are concerned by any suggestion that the term dyslexia is used as an “excuse” for those who are “lazy, thick or stupid”. We wish to see attitudes to people with dyslexia grounded in a fundamental respect and admiration for the dyslexic thinking style.

That said, Professor Elliott’s principal assertion – that distinctions between dyslexics and others who have difficulty reading are artificial – is of interest. We would agree that as a society we have allowed our interpretation of dyslexia to become over-medicalised, leading to a bizarre situation in which the term “dyslexia”, originally coined to mean “difficulty with reading”, is now applied to some poor readers but not to others. In a civilised society, appropriate help and support should be available to all who are failing to achieve their full potential.

We hope that ensuing discussion will focus on the real needs of people who cannot read and will treat their natural thinking style with the dignity that it deserves.

Richard Whitehead - Davis Learning Foundation, Canterbury, Kent

Why should my child, or any other be called “lazy, thick or stupid”, when they are none of these things? Dyslexics tend to work a lot harder than non-dyslexics, they have to in an effort to keep up, or they give up through frustration at their experience of our school education system. An educational psychologist identified my son as having an IQ which placed him in the top 2%, with literacy difficulties experienced by less than 10% of the population. So he is certainly not thick or stupid. He got A* in Maths GCSE, a year early. Not bad for a child assigned to the bottom maths group in primary school because his teachers didn’t realise he couldn’t read the questions.
Elliott claims there is no evidence for the existence of dyslexia. Is he unaware of the work of Professor John Stein at Oxford University? I attended a talk given by Professor Stein years ago, which demonstrated the neurological basis of dyslexia and MRI scan evidence. This begs the question. What's Elliott's excuse?

Lori, London,

It is with dismay that I heard the words of an influential figure Professor Elliott an educational psychologist at Durham University. I have a 9 year old son who is Dyslexic, as far as the term is used. It is my understanding that very few people especially professionals, who often do not have children with this condition simply do not understand it otherwise they would not make blatantly stupid references to Dyslexia being simply a reading difficulty. If he had studied this subject he would understand that a learning difficulty is a co morbidity of another condition such as Attention Deficit Disorder and that more often these children are bright because they are using their higher brain functioning and that it is a misfiring of neurons and is often an underdevelopment of the cerebellum which can be corrected over time.
I feel that because he is a psychologist he has become cynical to the people who may seek his time for sympathy and not for genuine help!!!

Tina , Cardiff,

My 10 year old son was independantly diagnosed with Dyslexia last summer. Although his IQ was generally higher than his piers he had under achieved for most of his school life. Alarm bells started to ring at home as certain patterns with his reading and writing began to emerge, none of which had been indentified by the school! My concerns were discussed on several occassions with his teachers but unfortunatly i was not taken seriously. Completely frustrated we sort professional advice and finally he was diagnosed. It was suggested that Sam be tested for Harris filters (Dyslexic glasses). The results have been amazing. Since having his new glasses and through Sam's hard work and dedication, his work has improved tenfold. His literacy results have gone up by 6 sub levels and although only in yr5 he has obtained a level 5 in literacy. He is now one of the higher achievers in the class. These kids are not lazy, Dyslexia most certainly does exsist!!

sarah wootton, broadstairs, kent

If we got rid of our obsession with tightly time-limited exams where even non-dyslexics struggle to fit everything in in time, it wouldn't be such a big issue. We could also do with having a better mix of different types of exam, with more vivas.

Sue, Birmingham, UK

As an ex lecturer, I'm glad to see that the truth is out at last. Little Johnnie and Susie have been proud to be labelled dylexic becuse it makes them 'special' as well as providing an excuse for all round poor performance. I often heard a smug "you can't expect me to do that - I'm dyslexic".

Recognising these folks as slow learners who simply need help and more time to complete work is a positive step forward. The key point is that 'dyslexics' need to make MORE effort to achieve rather than doing less because they have an impressive label to protect them from normal expectations.

Terry, Cambridge, UK

Well I'm Dyslexic, and so is my daughter, who is at University now doing fashion. My wife is accredited with The Hornsbury Institute now (dyslexiaaction), so I see a few children with reading and writing problems, whom she assesses and not all of them are dyslexic, but they do have problems. In my day I attended the only school in the UK to my knowledge which treated my problem. Then I just had what was referred to as Remedial English lessons. It was not till the late 70s that I heard the name Dyslexia for the first time. My life changed when I bought a PC in the late 80's, as when typing my letters were back to front! When I had to use a typewriter with carbon sheet, after I had checked the spelling, & I then corrected my 'mistakes', the copy was almost black from the corrections. My daughter was classified as dyslexic, but her IQ is in the top ½ % so it’s not an excuse to get extra help, she really needs it! Sure there are many worried parents who are concerned their children maybe dyslexic, but that’s only natural if your child is not performing. The training they now give the teachers and the teaching assistants is, shall we say, falls far short of what’s required!

Ben Cowell, Glous, UK

This is so unhelpful - Julian Elliot should read Overcoming Dyslexia by Dr SallyShaywitz. Shatwitz is a Yale Professor and she has done extensive scientific work to demonstrate that dyslexia is a physical condition and she has also identified what steps to take to help to overcome it. Can I suggest an independent, non commercial, information portal that people might look at to learn more www.altformat.com.

Noel Duffy, Worcester, UK

What a silly thing for Dr Rack to feel the need to go to prison to see if Dyslexia is not just a middle class phenomenon. Perhaps that was not the real purpose of his investigations. But anyway, dyslexia exists and, as it happens, is something I suffer from, and I feel it's of no real use for Mr Elliot to point out that dyslexics are just slow students as that is clearly axiomatic; does he not wonder why dyslexics get extra time in exams? The label of dyslexic is used for someone of normal or above intelligence who has specific problems with language, The whole education system is set-up not to test for actual intelligence but instead to test how well one conveys their intelligence, mainly by using language. Considering this, it is no surprise that dyslexics are well represented in artistic, design orientated and problem solving professions. Perhaps no-one is stupid, it would be a good notion for an educator to hold in his/her duty to get the best out of their students.

james broughton, Newbury, Berkshire

My son was assesssed by educational psychologists as he had difficulty in reading and writing. The first asessment advised that he was clever but needed motivated, the second that he had no academic ability at all. He was assessed after leaving school by an independent person for Irlen- Mears syndrom. He was given coloured lenses in the most suitable combination for him and could suddenly read much more fluently. From throwing a pencil in the air, from sheer frustration with the lack of ability to put words on paper, he could write his name normally although still slowly and without much confidence. The situation has affected his life adversely but he has now completed two years at college and if he goes no further it has served to help him realise that he has ability, is not stupid and has changed his attitude. Maybe screening could help more children and give a more accurate diagnosis.

Kate, Glasgow,

I do believe that some people truly have dyslexia however I am certain there are many peope who are labelled as dyslexic and therefore get extra time in exams, who do not in any way need it.

I'm currently sitting my AS levels and at least 1/3 of my year have extra time. They've all taken the dyslexia test but does anybody seriously believe they ALL need extra time. I certainly don't.

Sarah, London,

My son has an IQ around 150, & had a ‘reading age’ of 12 at the age of 6 – all properly measured by an educational psychologist. So, not thick, and no reading difficulties - yet his dyslexic spectrum co-ordination problems meant six years of painstaking handwriting practice got us nowhere. Now, at almost 13, he still works slowly, reverses the odd letter when writing, types almost everything, and avoids games requiring co-ordination, but he’s doing very well at a school which recognises his strengths and allows him the accommodations he needs.

Yes, some parents ‘talk up’ difficulties to get accommodations and extra time, but to suggest that dyslexic spectrum problems don't exist is a step back decades. These children are very often highly intelligent and highly creative & can and do achieve huge amounts if allowed the accommodations they need – that a ‘leading educational psychologist’ cannot see this is almost unbelievable in this day & age. Would he like to come & meet meet my son?

Z. Carter, Richmond, UK

This is a good article. Professor Elliott is correct. As a teacher, I see increasing amounts of money being diverted to supporting "dyslexics". This is wasted money which could could be valuably used to improve mainstream teaching. Dyslexia, as a meaningful term, does not exist. Dyslexia means whatever the person who uses the term wants it to mean. It is used to include all kinds of people whose difficulties with reading and writing stem from many different causes. There probably are a small number of people who have a non environmental difficulty in these areas and they may well suffer from some form of clinical brain damage.
Dyslexia, as the term is used in education in Britain today, seems to me to be verging on a kind of scam, or cottage industry. The dyslexic lobby can be extremely intolerant of anyone who raises questions about their remunerative, sacred cow, so Professor Wilson needs to be careful but he is to be congratulated for raising awareness of the issue.
John, London

j keogh, london, uk

I have 2 children with dyslexia. My daughter also has Irlen's Syndrome. Both were very bright with excellent oral skills but had difficulty at school. By using a variety of systems including Tony Buzan's, having understanding teachers and an excellent educational physchologist, both have gone on to university and have successful careers. My son was told by a maths teacher that he had as much chance of gaining a maths GSCE and going to university as a snowball had in hell as he was just lazy and didn't work. After changing school, he gained an A grade in his maths GCSE and then went to university. For years we worked together using audio, oral and spatial skills to learn what other children found easy. Dyslexic children have to learn differently from other children. I disagree totally with this so called academic. Try it mate - it's bloody hard work for these kids and their parents. You haven't a clue.

Suzy Alexander, Townsville, Australia

If the numbers claiming dyslexia are increasing or if students are milking the system, it does not then follow that dyslexia does not exist – that is quite simply, a non-sequitur. For the record, I am not dyslexic and I must confess that I once used to think those who claimed dyslexia used it as an excuse for their slowness; however, this was until I met a senior colleague who is extremely knowledgeable and a maestro in her field. I was later shocked to discover that she was dyslexic.

Annie, Cambridge, UK

Sorry Prof Elliott, my 8 year old daughter definitely has dyslexia but is not "slow" or a low achiever. She is good at maths and science, plays two instruments and is gifted at art.

Finding funding in my experience is like getting blood from a stone. My LEA (Kensington and Chelsea) refused to pay for an assessment for my child as she was "only" six months behind her peer group in reading. We had to scrape together £400 for a private assessment and find £50 a week to pay for her lessons at Dyslexia Action (which are fantastic). She is now 6 months in advance of her peer group after just a few months.

The real scandal is not pushy middle class parents or feckless student but the fact that few people with dyslexia can access the great teaching my daughter has.

Anoushka M., London,

I'm a third year university student, and was told in my first year by my tutors to have a dyslexia test just so I could get a free computer and some more money towards my course. I know I am not dyslexic as my school was excellent at picking up on it, and I refused to milk the system.

Dyslexia exists, I don't believe there is any doubt about that: I have some friends who clearly are dyslexic and get the proper help for it. But it is becoming a word that is being thrown around to cover up for some schools inability to teach children to read or write properly.

MT, Dorset, England,

Dyslexia is very real. It manifests itself in different ways - each affected child's dyslexia-related problems are unique. To deny its very existence of dyslexia is an insult to all the qualified educational psychologists who have done parents of children with learning disabilities such a great service by accurately diagnosing the condition.

My son was diagnosed as dyslexic at seven years old. He is now studying for his Irish Leaving Certificate, and is expected to do well after years of extremely hard work. He gets high grades in maths (high B in his 'mock' exam) but English is torture for him: his spelling and handwriting have not improved much over the years.

I am extremely grateful for the remedial education my son has received as a result of the diagnosis by professionals who recognise dyslexia, and very proud of his achievement of an unconditional offer of a place at University.

Debra, Gorey, Ireland

Some years ago by chance I came across such a situation as described in the Article.In a totally cynical manipulation of the Educational system the parents of a very bright 8/9 year old claimed he was dyslexic.
Without the slighest feeling of shame the mother, herself a teacher, exploited the LEA remorselessly.
As for University graduates. From personal experience I am deeply suspicious of "modern standards" and would not readily commit my future prospects to "former dyslexics"

Peter Bolt, Redditch, UK

Dyslexia is a fuzzy set. Some people can't track words at all, a lot more can but with difficulty. Then the other, unrelated major reason for being poor at reading is poor teaching and too little practise.

Whilst I can easily believe that people who are not at all seriously dyslexic are trying to get the diagnosis, that doesn't mean that the condition doesn't exist. The answer is to reduce the emphasis of examinations so people don't play these silly games.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

I broke my wrist twice, aged 11 and aged 13, whereafter I could never write very quickly.

Should I have been given more time to do exams?

Simon Bee, Wokingham, UK