In the first 30 years of my dyslexia research, what saddened me the most was the suffering caused to so many children and adults because the nature of their dyslexia was not understood.
Dyslexics need to be taught letter-sound correspondences in a structured, multisensory way. The diagnostic label covers much more than literacy skills, which is one reason why it has been misunderstood. If parents and teachers know a child is dyslexic, this tells them what to expect - missed appointments, forgotten messages and much more.
I can assure Professor Elliott that this pattern is obvious to those who know what to look for. If he would like to visit our dyslexia unit in Bangor, I would be happy to listen to his worries about the concept and exchange ideas with him.
Professor Tim Miles. Tros-y-Fenai, Lon Las Menai Bridge, Anglesey
