Written by Sophia Chapman, SpLD Asessor
Imagine this: you’re in a meeting and a colleague is furiously jotting down notes, but later they find it hard to make sense of them. Or perhaps you’ve noticed someone in your team has a knack for solving complex problems in creative ways. Could they be one of the 1 in 10 people with dyslexia? As we mark Dyslexia Awareness Week, it’s the perfect time to explore what dyslexia really means, how it’s identified and the incredible strengths it brings to the workplace.
Dyslexia is a neurological processing difference which impacts reading writing and processing information. The definition of dyslexia has recently been updated after a period of consultation and can be found here: The Delphi Study: Implications of A New Definition of Dyslexia
What’s changed in our understanding of dyslexia and how it is identified?
There is a clearer focus on fluency. This is particularly relevant when assessing adults who have often developed literacy skills within the average range but still experience challenges with fluency, in reading, writing and spelling.
Dyslexia is multifactorial, meaning that background information is fundamental to an assessment and understanding what is going on for the individual and what factors might be impacting them.
Another interesting change in focus in our understanding of dyslexia is the inclusion of orthographic processing alongside phonological processing. Some dyslexics may struggle to ‘sound out’ words when reading or spelling (phonological processing), while others find it hard to recognise words by sight or spell them correctly, even if they’ve seen them many times before (orthographic processing). These differences help explain why reading and writing can feel effortful for dyslexics.
What impacts might be evident for a dyslexic individual in the workplace?
It is common for dyslexics to experience challenges with reading and writing particularly when under time pressure. Imagine having to re-read an important email multiple times to fully understand it or spending twice as long writing a report because you’re carefully checking for spelling errors. Or perhaps when processing fast-paced verbal instructions in a meeting and it feels like you’ve been left behind. These are common experiences for dyslexic individuals in the workplace.
What support and adjustments are needed?
The advent of AI, particularly for meeting notes and summaries, has been a game-changer for many dyslexics. Tools like Microsoft’s transcription features allow individuals to focus on the discussion instead of trying to take notes. Similarly, text-to-speech built-in features such as Microsoft’s Immersive Reader can make processing written material more efficient.
This leads on perfectly to considering strengths and talents, with many dyslexics exhibiting creative and problem-solving skills. Have you ever noticed your colleague who has the most creative ideas when it feels like you’ve reached an impasse? Or the colleague that is able to considers a problem from a completely different angle, often shedding light on something that felt unsolvable?
Let’s remember that dyslexia is not a limitation but a difference which brings incredible value to the workplace and as Richard Branson reflected in his recent Made by Dyslexia blog, one in three founders are dyslexic!
This shows that our ability to problem-solve, think creatively, visualise possibilities, communicate clearly and see the bigger picture isn’t just useful - it’s vital.
So this Dyslexia Awareness Week, let’s raise the volume on dyslexia. Take a moment to learn more, reflect on how you can support dyslexic colleagues and celebrate the unique strengths they bring to the workplace. Let’s harness these strengths and create a more supportive and inclusive workplace so that dyslexics can thrive and contribute their talents to the workplace.
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