Dyslexia: what do paediatricians need to know?

Forty per cent of a child’s waking life is spent in school and one of the most intrusive impacts on the success or otherwise of this experience is that of reading difficulties. Developmental dyslexia has a high genetic contribution affecting 50% of children with dyslexic parents. The paediatrician may be consulted for a child with dyslexia to advocate, interpret predisposing factors in the child’s developmental and medical history and offer scientific interpretation of the vast range of theories and interventions proposed for dyslexia. The purpose of this article is to orientate the paediatrician to what they need to know, so that they can maximize their contribution in the care of children with developmental dyslexia within a multidisciplinary team. It will cover the epidemiology and definition, the underlying hypotheses and underpinnings as well as the clinical diagnosis and examination, the longer-term prospects for affected children and the role of interventions.