Dyslexia Doesn’t End at School: Understanding Dyslexia in the Workplace Dyslexia Awareness Week 2026 | 5–11 October

When we talk about dyslexia, the conversation often begins with school.

We think about children learning to read, spelling tests, written work and extra support in the classroom.

But dyslexia is lifelong.

A child who found reading, writing or processing information difficult at school grows into an adult who may encounter very different demands — job applications, emails, meetings, reports, deadlines, unfamiliar computer systems and increasingly complex workloads.

This is why I particularly like the theme of Dyslexia Awareness Week 2026: “Dyslexia in real life: At work.”

It moves the conversation beyond the classroom and towards something that I think is still too often overlooked: what dyslexia can actually look and feel like in adult working life. 

The British Dyslexia Association is using this year’s campaign to explore areas including recruitment, communication, workplace systems, management and access to adjustments.

“But I’ve managed all these years…”

This is something I hear from adults.

Some people reach their 30s, 40s, 50s or beyond without ever having been assessed for dyslexia.

They may have developed excellent coping strategies over the years. They may be successful academically or professionally. They may also have particular strengths that have helped them compensate for areas they find more difficult.

But coping doesn’t necessarily mean something is easy.

An adult might spend considerably longer than colleagues reading lengthy documents, repeatedly check emails before pressing send, struggle to retain several verbal instructions at once, or find it difficult to organise their thoughts quickly in writing.

Others may find that they understand information perfectly well but need longer to process it, particularly when under pressure.

These experiences alone don’t mean somebody has dyslexia. There are many reasons why a person might experience difficulties with reading, writing, memory or processing information.

But where there is a longstanding pattern, a diagnostic assessment can help to explore why those difficulties are occurring.

Dyslexia is more than spelling

One misconception I still come across is that being dyslexic simply means being poor at spelling.

It doesn’t.

A diagnostic dyslexia assessment looks at a much broader profile. Depending on the individual, this can include reading accuracy and fluency, spelling, writing, phonological processing, memory, rapid naming and other aspects of cognitive processing.

Importantly, it also considers strengths.

The purpose isn’t to produce a list of everything somebody cannot do. It is to understand the pattern across their profile and how this relates to their experiences in education, employment and everyday life.

At WordWise, a full diagnostic assessment explores literacy skills alongside the underlying cognitive processes associated with dyslexia and results in an individualised report and recommendations.

Why might somebody seek an assessment as an adult?

There isn’t one reason.

For some adults, starting a new job or progressing professionally exposes difficulties that were easier to manage in a previous role.

Others return to education or begin professional qualifications and suddenly face a much heavier reading or written workload.

Some begin to recognise their own experiences after their child is identified with dyslexia.

And sometimes an adult simply reaches the point where they would like an explanation for difficulties they have experienced throughout their life.

A diagnostic assessment may also provide evidence that can contribute to discussions around appropriate support. Depending on the individual’s circumstances, a report may be relevant to workplace reasonable adjustments, Access to Work, higher education or professional and vocational examinations.

Understanding your profile can matter

For me, one of the most valuable parts of assessment is being able to put the different pieces together.

It isn’t simply about receiving a diagnosis.

It is about understanding why something that appears straightforward to somebody else might require significantly more effort from you -while also recognising the areas in which you may perform particularly well.

That understanding can inform practical strategies and appropriate adjustments, but it can also change the way somebody understands their own experiences.

And sometimes, after years of thinking “Why does this take me so much longer?”, having an explanation matters enormously.

Dyslexia Awareness Week 2026

To mark Dyslexia Awareness Week, I am offering £50 off a full diagnostic dyslexia assessment for assessments booked between 5 and 11 October 2026.