SG Dyslexia
Mallorca SPECIAL LEARNING DIFFERENCES

What is Dyslexia?

Many parents and teachers believe that dyslexia is a type of word blindness that is often linked to letter reversals. There is much more to dyslexia than this, and it can affect many areas of spoken and written language.

According to the Delphi definition of dyslexia (2024), dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects reading and spelling, often showing up as slow or inaccurate reading and poor spelling skills compared to others of the same age. It varies in severity and can impact other areas like maths, reading comprehension, or learning new languages. Dyslexia is influenced by both genetic factors and environmental influences and usually involves problems with phonological processing such as recognizing and remembering sounds in words. However, other factors like working memory, processing speed, and visual word recognition also play a role. It commonly occurs alongside other developmental challenges like ADHD, dyscalculia, language disorders, or coordination difficulties.

What are indicators of Dyslexia?

  • Difficulty decoding words and reading text fluently.
  • Orally strong but difficulties putting ideas down on paper.
  • Persistent spelling difficulties, even with common words.
  • Problems with reading comprehension due to poor decoding and slow reading speed.
  • Difficulty copying from the board or textbook.
  • Poor handwriting, poor presentation.
  • Knows the rules of punctuation but does not apply them.
  • Struggles with organizing written work or following a sequence of instructions.
  • A tendency to avoid reading or writing.
  • Fatigue, poor attention.
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    What is Dyscalculia?

    The Specific Learning Difficulty Assessment Standards Committee (SASC) has developed a new definition of a Specific Learning Difficulty in Mathematics (2025).

    Dyscalculia is a learning difficulty that makes it hard to understand numbers and maths. People with dyscalculia will struggle with ‘number sense’ in tasks like naming, comparing, or ordering numbers, estimating amounts, and understanding place value. These challenges can be caused by problems with how the brain processes numbers, but other issues, like trouble with language, memory, attention, or visual-spatial skills, can also make learning maths difficult. Not everyone with maths difficulties has dyscalculia, but the impact can be just as strong. Maths anxiety commonly co-occurs with a Specific Learning Difficulty in mathematics but is not an indicator in itself.

    A Specific Learning Difficulty in mathematics frequently co-occurs with one or more of the following: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, developmental language disorder (DLD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD).

    What are indicators of Dyscalculia?

  • Poor sense of number; difficulty understanding quantities and the magnitude of numbers.
  • Difficulties learning and recalling times tables.
  • Confusion with maths symbols and mathematical vocabulary.
  • Inability to estimate: struggling to judge if a number is correct or nearly right, which hinders checking calculations.
  • Difficulty with place value: Problems understanding the role of zero and how numbers like 10, 100, and 1000 relate to each other.
  • Difficulties with solving worded problems.
  • Finds sequencing challenging, including counting forwards and backwards reliably.
  • Marked delay in learning to tell the time and problems using money.
  • Difficulties with both short term and long-term memory.
  • Difficulties with visual and spatial awareness.
  • High levels of anxiety, and fear related to maths.
  • Lack of confidence in mathematical ability.
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    What is Dysgraphia?

    Dysgraphia is a learning disability that makes writing hard for children. It affects how clearly they write, how they spell, and how they organize their thoughts on paper. Some children are born with it, while others may develop it later due to injury or illness.

    What are the indicators of Dysgraphia?

  • Poor letter formation, making handwriting difficult to read.
  • Use of irregular letter shapes, sizes and mix of upper and lower cases.
  • Struggling to use the lines on paper to guide writing; not suing the margin as a start point and words not sitting on the line.
  • Spelling errors.
  • Difficulty copying from the board or textbook.
  • Refusal or avoidance to complete writing or drawing tasks.
  • Pain in the hand or arms when writing.
  • A much higher level of understanding when expressed verbally than in written work.
  • Difficulties with visual and spatial awareness.
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