DECLARING children dyslexic may harm their wellbeing and development, a conference heard today (Thursday, January 8).

Simon Gibbs, from Newcastle University, said such labels may reduce teachers’ belief in their ability to help such children and be “ultimately unhelpful to the children’s wellbeing and educational progress”.

Dr Gibbs presented his research, conducted with Professor Julian Elliott of Durham University, at the annual conference of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Education and Child Psychology at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Durham City.

The study involved sending two questionnaires about children to primary school teachers – one using the term ‘dyslexia’ and the other preferring ‘reading difficulties’.

Dr Gibbs found teachers viewed dyslexia as a fixed disability, while they could help children with reading difficulties.

“These findings challenge the value of labels like dyslexia, which may be used as shorthand descriptors for the difficulties some children experience.

“These labels may be of illusory benefit because they reduce teachers’ belief in their ability to help the children,” he said.