ABSTRACT
An educational psychologist is permitted to use certain tests and can make a formal diagnosis of dyslexia. Apart from the crippling effects that dyslexia has in the classroom, diminished social and emotional wellbeing are often suffered by people with this condition. Decades of discussion and refinement have led to much agreement on the definition, diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia. Reading difficulties are a possible sign of dyslexia, but it is a bad idea to form a diagnosis on that basis alone. Problems arise when the term dyslexia is used to refer to every struggling or low-progress reader. The aspects of written language that dyslexia affects vary between individuals in their range and severity. The International Dyslexia Association estimates that 15–20% of the population have some dyslexic symptoms, making it difficult for them to achieve success in reading and/or writing in a typical classroom.
