The Dyslexia Myth (2005) Channel 4 Dispatches

The Dyslexia Myth

Dispatches exposes the myths and misconceptions that surround a condition said to affect 10 per cent of the population. The Dyslexia Myth argues that the common understanding of dyslexia is not only false but makes it more difficult to provide the reading help that hundreds of thousands of children desperately need.

Drawing on years of intensive academic research on both sides of the Atlantic, Dispatches challenges the existence of dyslexia as a separate condition; but in doing so, reveals the scale and pain of true reading disability. The programme examines the chasm between evidence and educational practice and shows that, after hundreds of millions of pounds of investment in the teaching of reading, the number of children encountering serious problems has hardly changed.

Find out more about the programme in our feature on The Dyslexia Myth written by the producer of the programme, David Mills. We've also got some practical advice for parents, plus questions to ask your child, which they may find challenging. You can find out more by visiting our Get Active pages which detail organisations, websites and books that offer help and information.

David Mills also took part in a webchat after the programme – check out the transcript.

Source: Channel 4