Professor Julia Carroll
Towards an updated definition of dyslexia: findings from a Delphi study of dyslexia experts
School of Education, University of Birmingham, England
Despite the long history of dyslexia in research and practice, there remain significant debates about use of the term and how dyslexia should be defined. Some have argued that the term lacks a scientific basis, while others argue that the term has significantly broadened. We used a Delphi study to establish areas of consensus in the field. This presentation will discuss the results of this Delphi study and the implications for research and practice.
We carried out a Delphi study of dyslexia with professionals working in the field of dyslexia, with a range of disciplinary backgrounds including education, research, psychology and occupational support. We presented 55 statements about dyslexia and, after two rounds of review, achieved consensus on 41 statements. These statements are used as the basis for an updated definition of dyslexia which takes account of recent research findings. This definition highlights that while phonological deficits are most commonly reported, dyslexia often occurs as a result of multiple underlying deficits. A focus on phonological deficits alone is too narrow and we advocate a holistic assessment approach.
The statements indicate considerable consensus about the nature of dyslexia; experiences of dyslexia; initial identification and what to assess, and this consensus should be emphasised. This consensus indicates the validity of the term dyslexia. However, there are some remaining areas of controversy which would benefit from further research.
Professor Julia M Carroll is a Professor of Psychology in Education at the University of Birmingham School of Education, having joined in September 2024. Previously she worked at the Global Education and Learning Centre at Coventry University. Professor Carroll’s research interests focus on different aspects of dyslexia and literacy development, including the role of linguistic knowledge in literacy and the role of socio-emotional wellbeing in dyslexia. She has worked closely with the British Dyslexia Association, having chaired their international conference in 2014 and receiving the lifetime achievement award from them in 2018. She is now a trustee of the Professional Association of Teachers of Students with SpLDs (PATOSS).
Professor Giacomo Stella
Dyslexia in a regular orthography. What are we at?: Definition and assessment The case of Italian is useful for other orthographic systems?
University of San Marino, San Marino
Since 2010, the year of the promulgation of the law in favor of students with DSA, scientific and clinical reflection on dyslexia and the main neurodevelopmental disorders has been increasinglyactive in Italy, with periodic reviews that concern consensus on many topics: diagnostic criteria, assessment procedures, diagnosis in bilingual subjects, dyslexia in adults and its impact on the world of work, early identification, etc.
In the first part of the presentation, some key points emerging from the last update panel (2022) willbe exposed which concern the criteria to diagnosis, changes in expressiveness of dyslexia duringdevelopment and the changes in learning processes introduced by the evolution of information technology. In the second part, some aspects related to the nature of the different spellings and theirsignificant impact on learning processes will be discussed, especially in the early school years. However, it is highlighted how information technology has contributed to reducing thesedifferences throughout development.
Giacomo Stella was a full professor of Clinical Psychology at the Department of Education and Human Sciences of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia until 2020. His academic and clinical activity always addressed knowledge of learning and neurodevelopmental disorders.
In 1997 he founded the Italian Dyslexia Association (AID). He is currently the scientific director ofthe national network of clinical and rehabilitation services SOS DYSLEXIA which also promotestraining and scientific dissemination in Learning Disorders. He has published numerous articles in national and international scientific journals and volumes on education topics.
Professor Gerd Schulte-Körne
University of Munich, Germany
Info to come
Research interests
• Depression in childhood and adolescents
• Dyslexia and dyscalculia
• Intervention studies
• Neurophysiology and neuroimaging
