Special Educational Needs and Disability tribunals: Dyslexia, scientific validity and equity

Abstract

This paper examines the operation of the English Special Educational Needs and Disability tribunal system in relation to children who present with a dyslexia diagnosis. It identifies a number of significant weaknesses; in particular, the absence of clear diagnostic criteria capable of differentiating such children from large numbers of other struggling readers. It then explains why it is inappropriate to identify particular cognitive processes as indicating the presence of dyslexia, as distinct from a broader reading difficulty. The paper subsequently explores the erroneous nature of claims about specialised dyslexia teaching and resourcing that, while often asserted with confidence by some privately funded assessors, are not supported by the scientific literature. It is argued that the tribunal system is an inappropriate method for reconciling the competing needs of a diagnosed dyslexic subgroup in relation to the wider population of struggling readers, estimated to be 20% of the school population.