We help parents decode the language of learning. Through personalized guidance and evidence-based strategies, you’ll learn how to support your child’s growth at home and advocate effectively at school.

Parents learn to:

• Recognize signs of dyslexia and related learning differences

• Advocate for appropriate instructional practices and use Structured Word Inquiry at home

• Support your child’s confidence through curiosity and connection

Updated definition of dyslexia from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), as adopted October 22, 2025:

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability characterized by difficulties in word reading and/or spelling that involve accuracy, speed, or both and vary depending on the orthography.

These difficulties occur along a continuum of severity and persist even with instruction that is effective for the individual’s peers.

The causes of dyslexia are complex and involve combinations of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental influences that interact throughout development.

Underlying difficulties with phonological and morphological processing are common but not universal, and early oral language weaknesses often foreshadow literacy challenges.

Secondary consequences include reading comprehension problems and reduced reading and writing experience that can impede growth in language, knowledge, written expression, and overall academic achievement.

Psychological well-being and employment opportunities also may be affected.

Although identification and targeted instruction are important at any age, language and literacy support before and during the early years of education is particularly effective.

What’s New or Clarified in the IDA’s 2025 Revision:

One notable shift: the 2025 definition removes language from the 2002 version that described dyslexia as “unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities,” broadening recognition that individuals with dyslexia may or may not show a marked discrepancy between “intelligence” and reading ability.

Why the Update Matters

Implications for Teaching, Assessment, and Advocacy:

• More inclusive and nuanced: By acknowledging a continuum of severity and variable cognitive profiles, the definition better reflects real-world diversity among people with dyslexia.

• Supports early identification & intervention: Emphasis on early oral-language weaknesses and persistence despite effective instruction underscores the importance of early screening and support, before reading failure has cascading effects.

• Aligns with multiple languages/orthographies: The phrase “varies depending on the orthography” recognizes that dyslexia may look different in different writing systems, critical for multilingual or non-English contexts.

• Broadens support beyond reading alone: By naming spelling and later consequences (academic, social, employment), the definition helps justify comprehensive, lifespan-oriented support.

• Removes outdated cognitive-ability (IQ) requirement: This shifts focus away from IQ-discrepancy models and toward instructional response, making diagnosis and support more equitable.

• Consistent with Structured Literacy approaches: Because the definition emphasizes accurate and/or fluent word reading, spelling, and underlying processing, this aligns well with the comprehensive, explicit, structured approach promoted by Structured Literacy, including morphology, phonology, and orthography.