Committee agrees report how to tackle dyslexia in Wales

The Enterprise and Learning Committee has published a report into approaches and treatment of dyslexia in Wales.  

The cross-party Dyslexia Rapporteur Group (Alun Cairns, Jeff Cuthbert, Janet Ryder and Kirsty Williams) has consulted with dyslexia organisations, leading academics and teachers in order to assess approaches currently being used to treat children with dyslexia throughout the country.  The group has now reported back to the Committee, which has agreed with its recommendations.

Alun Cairns AM said: “It has given us the opportunity to see first hand the excellent practice being employed and gain a better overview of where and how we can improve the provision of services to children throughout Wales.  We’ve had the chance to speak not only to academic specialists, but to hear the real experts by learning about the experiences of parents and their children.”

With early identification of the condition identified as key, the report highlights the need to screen for every child in Wales at age 6 or 7 and for these services to be made available in both English and Welsh.  The report also stresses the importance that a consensus on the definition of dyslexia to be reached and accurate data to be collected on the prevalence of dyslexia within the Welsh school population in order to provide greater consistency in screening and services throughout Wales

Further to this, the report recommends independent research to be carried out into different types of programmes currently employed around the country.  The group was particularly impressed by evidence from the British Dyslexia Association’s Dyslexia Friendly Schools scheme, which initiates a whole school approach driven by specially trained teachers.  The group recommends an evaluation of this programme, as well as non conventional forms of treatment such as phonic based reading schemes, the use of tinted lenses and IT programmes.   

Following this encouraging start, the group intend to carry out further consultations with relevant parties, including parents and children, and look at examples of schemes that have been employed internationally, in order to establish the best way forward in tackling dyslexia in Wales.  A final report will be published in April.

Further information on the Rapporteur Group’s report