The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Dyslexia welcomes the Government’s ambition to reform the SEND system and improve inclusion. However, the APPG is concerned that the current proposals do not sufficiently recognise or address the needs of children and young people with dyslexia.
A central concern is the removal of “Cognition and Learning” from the proposed SEND code of practice. The APPG believes this creates a significant gap, as persistent literacy and numeracy difficulties do not map clearly onto the proposed areas of development. Without explicit recognition of cognition and learning needs, there is a serious risk that dyslexia will become less visible within the system, leading to delayed identification, inappropriate intervention and widening inequity.
Too many children continue to rely on schools alone to identify dyslexia because state-funded diagnostic pathways remain extremely limited. Identification is inconsistent, particularly for girls, children with English as an Additional Language, and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. At the same time, many teachers and teaching assistants do not have the knowledge and skills to recognise the early signs of dyslexia and literacy difficulties, SENDCos are frequently overstretched, and there is a serious shortage of specialist teachers and assessors with expertise in dyslexia.
The APPG is also concerned that the accountability framework around Individual Support Plans (ISPs) is too weak to build family confidence that support will be delivered consistently and reviewed meaningfully. In addition, local authorities often lack sufficient understanding of prevalence and need. Recent research from the British Dyslexia Association, found that only two out of 152 councils have been able to identify how many children in their area have dyslexia or literacy difficulties, making it difficult to plan provision, commission services or develop workforce capacity effectively.
Finally, the APPG emphasises the strong relationship between literacy difficulties and wellbeing. Persistent difficulties with reading and writing are closely linked to anxiety, low self-esteem, school avoidance and disengagement from learning. Early identification and effective intervention are therefore essential not only for educational outcomes, but also for mental health and wellbeing.
Recommendations
- retain “Cognition and Learning” within the areas of development
- explicitly recognise dyslexia within national guidance
- introduce universal early screening and stronger early identification pathways
- expand the specialist workforce, including dyslexia specialists and assessors
- strengthen accountability and review mechanisms within Individual Support Plans.
- ensure Inclusion Bases and “Experts at Hand” models include dyslexia specialist teachers as well as literacy and numeracy experts.
- improve national and local data collection on dyslexia and literacy difficulties
- ensure mainstream inclusion is properly resourced and supported by specialist expertise.