You have watched your child work hard to sound out words. Some nights it clicks, and some nights it does not. Maybe you were told it is all about sounds. In October 2025, the International Dyslexia Association rewrote its definition of dyslexia. It names a mix of causes, not one broken part.
Parents have fair questions about the 2025 dyslexia definition. Here are plain answers.
Common questions
What is the new IDA definition of dyslexia?
Does my child still need phonics?
Does dyslexia go away with the right teaching?
Will a free screener tell me if my child has dyslexia?
Dyslexia is not always about sounds. The 2025 IDA definition calls trouble with the sounds and parts of words “common but not universal.” Here is what that means for your child.
What is happening this Dyslexia Awareness Week?
The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) runs Dyslexia Awareness Week. This year it runs from October 5 to 11. The theme is “Dyslexia in real life: At work.” It is about adults and their jobs.
The BDA also published a plan earlier this year. It came out on June 2, 2026, and runs from 2026 to 2030. The plan is called “Unlocking dyslexic potential.” It aims for “a world that unlocks the full potential of dyslexic people.”
The plan is about support and fairness. In the BDA’s words, “Too many dyslexic people are held back by systems, attitudes and barriers that should not exist.” It also says, “Families can be left fighting systems that should be helping them.” Maybe you know that fight. The plan has four goals. Help people and their families. Train teachers and employers. Change systems that do not work. Build public understanding.
Although identification and targeted instruction are important at any age, language and literacy support before and during the early years of education is particularly effective.
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Is dyslexia always about sounds?
The BDA plan does not talk about what causes dyslexia. For that, we turn to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). The BDA plan and the IDA definition do not mention each other. Putting them side by side is our choice. The IDA adopted a new definition of dyslexia on October 22, 2025. It was the first rewrite since 2002.
One line matters most for parents: “Underlying difficulties with phonological and morphological processing are common but not universal.” In plain words, trouble with the sounds and parts of words is common. But it is not there in every case. The definition also says dyslexia runs “along a continuum of severity.” So it looks different from one child to the next. On causes, the IDA says, “The causes of dyslexia are complex and involve combinations of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental influences that interact throughout development.” Genes, the brain and the environment all play a part. Our guide What Causes Dyslexia? goes deeper.
The IDA does not say the struggle goes away. It says the difficulties “persist even with instruction that is effective for the individual’s peers.” To us, that is the key line. Teaching that works for classmates is not enough. Your child needs teaching aimed at what is hard for your child. Phonics is necessary. It was never sufficient.
Key takeaways
- Not one broken part: The 2025 IDA definition names genetic, neurobiological and environmental influences as causes.
- Common, not universal: Trouble with the sounds and parts of words is common, but not in every case.
- Teaching built for your child: The definition says difficulties persist with teaching that works for classmates.
What does this mean for your child?
A diagnosis describes where your child is today. It is a name for a pattern, not a verdict. For some families, a name brings relief. It also opens the door to support at school.
So ask what your child’s reading plan covers. Does it teach the sounds of words directly? Keep that. Does it also work on the parts of words, like endings? Does it fit how hard reading is for your child? None of this means less phonics. It means phonics is one part of the plan.
There are tradeoffs. A wider look takes more time and more questions. The definition does not pick tests or teaching methods. Its authors leave that to “the professional community.” Does your child need an IEP or 504 plan? Only a professional evaluation gets that. The authors also call the definition “a living document.” The science will keep moving. You do not have to wait for it. Waiting has never taught a child to read. Teaching does.
With the right support and understanding, dyslexic people can thrive.
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
You saw it first. Trust that. We reject the idea that dyslexia is a broken part teaching cannot reach. When reading is hard, we look at more than reading. The sounds, the page, holding words in mind. Our free Dyslexia Screener asks about all of them.
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Why we use AI, plainly: it writes from a knowledge base our team maintains and audits. We work through it line by line and pull anything the evidence stops supporting. The roadmap you get on Tuesday reflects what we corrected on Monday, and a human still reads it before you do.
Your school district must evaluate your child free of charge if you ask in writing, whatever your income and whatever the outcome (US, 34 CFR 300.111 and 300.301(b)). That route takes time and answers a different question than you do. This one starts today, from what you already know.
Your answers stay yours. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not hand identifiable assessment data to outside AI companies to train their models.
A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too. That is the only route to those supports.
References
- International Dyslexia Association (2025): Definition of Dyslexia
- British Dyslexia Association (June 2, 2026): Unlocking dyslexic potential: our new strategy for 2026 to 2030
- British Dyslexia Association: Dyslexia Awareness Week 2026
- Catts, H. W., Haynes, C. W., & Joshi, R. M. (2026), Annals of Dyslexia: Defining dyslexia: 2025 revision
- improvingliteracy.org (NCIL): Understanding the New IDA Dyslexia Definition
- Learning Disabilities Resources Foundation of America: New IDA Dyslexia Definition
