Towards a social reality of dyslexia

Accessible summary In recent years, some academics have dismissed the legitimacy of dyslexia. This approach implies that diagnoses cannot distinguish between general reading difficulties and dyslexia and educational support is the same for both groups. The article confronts this ‘anti‐labelling approach’ by reflecting on life experiences of people with dyslexia. By doing this it confronts certain stereotypes associated with dyslexia to develop a meaningful response to the label of learning difficulties. Summary Despite recent advances in understanding dyslexia as a neurological condition, a number of academics in both the United Kingdom and United States have dismissed the validity of this impairment. The key thinking behind this approach is twofold. Firstly, individuals labelled as having dyslexia cannot be separated from individuals with general reading difficulties. Secondly, educational ‘treatment’ of dyslexia is consistent with educational support for children labelled as having general reading difficulties. Rather than expand on a psycho‐cognitive approach, this article endeavours to reflect on individual subjectivities. This is to analyse the social aspects of dyslexia and its symptoms. By discussing the life stories of people diagnosed with dyslexia, the article confronts certain stereotypes associated with this syndrome. In doing so, the study concludes by developing a meaningful response to the label of learning difficulties.