The majority of parents of children with dyslexia report being unable to access appropriate supports for their children due to lack of funds.
While 76 per cent of parents feel that earlier identification would have helped their child, the Dyslexia Association Ireland’s (DAI) 7th European Conference, held in University College Dublin (UCD) over the weekend, heard that 66 per cent of parents are dissatisfied with the level of support provided by government in relation to assisting families with dyslexia, and a further 22 per cent are unsure what the government provides at all.
According to new Irish research to help drive an Irish case for change, only one quarter (26 per cent) of children with dyslexia in Ireland received a public assessment whereas the majority (74 per cent) had to seek one privately – which places a huge financial strain on parents in Ireland, 66 per cent of whom are already under financial stress.
Rosie Bissett, CEO of (DAI), said “Even after dyslexia is identified, 55% of parents report difficulty in gaining help for their child. This is a staggering statistic, and shows that for many families in Ireland the system is failing them. The average annual family cost associated with dyslexia assessment, tuition and assistive technology is €1,229. For many families it is much higher.”
The conference, which was opened by economist and DAI Ambassador, David McWilliams and featured keynote speakers including Dr. Thérèse McPhillips, Lecturer in Literacy Education, St Patricks College and Carsten Elbro, Professor of Applied Linguistics at the Centre for Reading Research, University of Copenhagen, also heard that 97% of teachers agree that they need and would benefit from training on dyslexia.
