The Dyslexia Association of Ireland is very disappointed with the recommendations set out in the report published yesterday (7th February 2024) by the Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking Community. We are dismayed by the recommendations to abolish or drastically curtail access to the Exemption from Irish for children and young people who are dyslexic.  As a reasonable accommodation that is often transformative for dyslexic children and young people, it is perplexing that the committee have suggested this element of choice with regards to their educ ..read more

Ciarán Ó Rodaigh, is Deputy Principal at Gaelcholáiste Reachrann in Dublin. When were you identified as dyslexic? I was identified as dyslexic last summer. I was always asking my wife to correct my spellings. I find it difficult to visualise how words are spelt. I have always struggled with my reading and writing and I have had the idea of possible dyslexia at the back of my mind. When reading with my son, Laoch, despite his Down syndrome, I noticed he had the same problems reading words as I do compared to my daughter, Féile. Also, my nephew had been recently diagnosed and his reading and s ..read more

The Dyslexia Association of Ireland is delighted to announce it will be hosting an online event on 30th January 2024 at 5pm to celebrate the achievements of Philippa McIntosh.   Philippa is a Transition Year student from Bandon Grammar School who recently won the Best Runner Up Individual Award at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.   Philippa is dyslexic and her fascinating research project investigated readability issues for dyslexic students with the Junior Cycle maths exam papers.   At the event on the 30th January Philippa will present her research findings an ..read more

The Adult Dyslexia Hub is live! Check out the range of useful resources and support for dyslexic adults. The platform has been developed to provide information and learning support for dyslexic adults. It aims to help build confidence, deepen understanding of dyslexia and provide guidance. The platform shares advice to promote understanding of dyslexia and information on dyslexia assessment. It has  advice on accessing accommodations in education and in the workplace. There are resources on structured literacy to support the development of reading and spelling. The platform also showcases ..read more

Here is our list of dyslexia-friendly book suggestions suitable for 10 to 12 year old children to read. Dyslexia-friendly books have clear language and accessible text design which improves readability and accessibility. Perhaps you may buy one for Christmas or borrow one from your local library during the holidays. Audio book versions are also available for most books, and some children may opt to use text to speech. Finding My Voice by Aoife Dooley. This book is a graphic novel with a host of neurodiverse characters at school. The themes of the book are to be yourself and to be kind. The Sma ..read more

  The Dyslexia Association of Ireland (DAI) marked Dyslexia Awareness Week by holding a briefing today (October 4th, 2023) for Oireachtas members to highlight the challenges faced by dyslexic people in Ireland. The briefing was kindly hosted by Senator Tim Lombard. In the meeting we offered solutions to these challenges to improve the experience of being a person with dyslexia. Our focus for this year’s Dyslexia Awareness Month is Dyslexia Rights. Namely the Right to Assessment, the Right to Identity and the Right to Supports for people who have dyslexia. In the briefing Ivanna McMahon, M ..read more

This October, the Dyslexia Association of Ireland will be celebrating Dyslexia Awareness Month, along with dyslexia organisations worldwide. Our focus this year will be on Dyslexia Rights specifically the right to assessment, the right to identity and the right to supports. Right to Assessment – Access to dyslexia assessment remains challenging for both children and adults. We will be campaigning for greater access to assessment in schools, and support for those left but with no option but to seek a private assessment. We are also calling for an increase in postgraduate training places for edu ..read more

How was your experience at school? I went to an Irish-speaking school. When I was six years old I was held back due to my struggles with keeping up at school and reading and writing. I was referred to learning support from then onwards twice a week for the rest of my school education. It was only when I was at college that I realised I was dyslexic. My parents did not want to call me dyslexic and still do not. What were the challenges? I was young and lucky to have learning support for my struggles with reading and writing, which I found really hard. I loved art and sport at school. I played h ..read more

  The Dyslexia Association of Ireland (DAI) works with and for people affected by dyslexia. We work to empower individuals. We do this by providing information, offering support services, engaging in advocacy and awareness raising for people with and affected by dyslexia. Read our 2022 Annual Impact Report. In it you will find information about our vision, mission, values. There are also reflections on past and present and a summary of activities. Also find out about the 2022 key achievements, strategic priorities and the financial report. Highlights of the key achievements include ..read more

On the 13th of June 2023, the Dyslexia Association of Ireland met with officials from the Department of Education’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). During the meeting, we raised and discussed topics relating to: Building school capacity to better support meeting the needs of children with dyslexia, including engaging with parents as partners in their child’s education How Department-issued guidance documents can better support pupils with dyslexia/literacy difficulties. The need for greater recognition and reference to dyslexia in guidance documents issued by the Department ..read more