Dyslexia and SEN support

Dyslexia can affect a child’s ability to access learning; we help families understand available SEN support, EHCPs and local authority decisions to secure appropriate educational provision.

Helping children with dyslexia get the support they need to thrive in education.

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that primarily affects reading, writing and spelling, although it can also affect areas such as processing speed, memory and organisation. The way dyslexia presents and its impact on education can vary significantly between children.

Many children with dyslexia can be supported through SEN Support and appropriate adjustments in school. Where a child’s needs are more significant or cannot be adequately met through ordinarily available provision, an EHCP may be appropriate.

Trusted and nationally recognised special educational needs specialists with decades of experience.
Clear, practical support at every stage, helping families navigate complex SEN processes.

Extensive experience across all SEN appeals, including EHCPs, school placements, and SEND Tribunal proceedings.
Transparent and flexible fee structures, including capped fee options where appropriate.

Why might a child with Dyslexia need an EHCP?

Most children with dyslexia can receive appropriate support through SEN Support in a mainstream school, and having dyslexia alone will not usually mean that an EHCP is necessary.

An EHCP may be appropriate where a child’s needs are more significant or complex and require provision beyond what the school can ordinarily provide. For example, a child may require sustained specialist teaching, significant adaptations to the curriculum, intensive intervention or substantial additional adult support. An EHCP may also be relevant where dyslexia occurs alongside other needs, such as ADHD, speech and language difficulties or other learning difficulties, creating a more complex profile of educational needs.

The important consideration is not simply whether a child has dyslexia, but whether their individual special educational needs require provision through an EHCP.

EHCP support and benefits for children with Dyslexia

An EHCP can provide a clear framework for the special educational provision required to meet a child’s individual needs. Depending on the child’s circumstances, this may include:

Specialist teaching tailored to the child’s specific learning difficulties.
Targeted literacy interventions to support reading, writing and spelling.
Adaptations to teaching and learning materials to make information more accessible.
Assistive technology where appropriate.
Support with processing, memory or organisation where these affect learning.
Additional adult support where necessary to access the curriculum.
Specialist professional input where appropriate.
Clear outcomes and specified provision based on the child’s individual needs.
Regular reviews to ensure provision remains appropriate.

An EHCP should focus on the child’s individual needs and clearly identify the special educational provision required to meet them.

Dyslexia FAQs

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that can affect a child’s ability to read, write and spell. It can also affect the way a child processes and remembers information, with some children experiencing difficulties with working memory, sequencing or processing speed.

Dyslexia is not an indication of a child’s intelligence. Children with dyslexia can have a wide range of strengths and abilities, but may require different approaches to learning to access the curriculum effectively.

A child does not need a formal diagnosis of dyslexia before a school can provide SEN Support. Schools should consider a child’s individual needs and put appropriate support in place where required.

What other needs do children with dyslexia typically have?

Dyslexia can occur alongside other learning or developmental needs. A child may also experience:

Dyscalculia, affecting mathematical understanding and numeracy.
ADHD, which can affect attention, organisation and executive functioning.
Developmental language difficulties, which may affect understanding or using spoken language.
Dyspraxia/DCD, which can affect coordination and aspects of written work.
Working memory or processing difficulties, which can make it harder to retain and apply information.

Where a child has several areas of need, these may interact and increase the level of educational support they require.

What challenges might families face when securing dyslexia support from the local authority?

Parents may face difficulties where there is disagreement about the extent of their child’s needs or the level of support required. This can include:

A refusal to carry out an EHC needs assessment.
A refusal to issue an EHCP because the local authority considers SEN Support sufficient.
Disagreement about the level of specialist support required.
An EHCP that does not properly reflect the child’s needs.
Insufficiently specific educational provision.
Disagreement about the appropriate educational placement.

Where parents believe their child’s needs are not being properly recognised, specialist SEN legal advice can help them understand their options and, where appropriate, challenge the local authority’s decision.

What happens if my child with dyslexia doesn’t have an EHCP?

A child does not need an EHCP to receive SEN Support. Schools should assess a child’s needs, plan appropriate support, put that support in place and review its effectiveness.

Support might include adaptations to teaching, targeted interventions, assistive technology or other reasonable adjustments. For children whose dyslexia amounts to a disability, schools may also have duties to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.

However, where SEN Support is not sufficient to meet a child’s educational needs, a parent or school can request an EHC needs assessment from the local authority.

How do I apply for an EHCP for a child with dyslexia?

Parents and carers have the right to request an Education, Health and Care needs assessment from their local authority.

Our SEN solicitors regularly advise families on making assessment requests, gathering evidence and engaging with local authorities throughout the process.

What can I do if I’m unhappy with my child’s EHCP or the LA’s decision regarding the EHCP?

Parents can challenge certain local authority decisions concerning EHC needs assessments and EHCPs. This can include a refusal to assess, a refusal to issue an EHCP or disagreements about the content of an existing plan, including the special educational provision or named school.

Where a dispute cannot be resolved with the local authority, parents may be able to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). There are specific procedures and deadlines, and in most cases parents must consider mediation before appealing.

Legal advice can help parents understand the decision, identify what needs to be challenged and prepare the evidence needed to support an appeal.

How can solicitors help families and children with dyslexia?

Solicitors can help families understand their child’s SEN rights and secure educational provision that reflects their individual needs. This may include:

Advising on EHC needs assessments and EHCP applications.
Challenging a refusal to assess or issue an EHCP.
Reviewing whether an EHCP properly reflects the child’s learning and educational needs.
Challenging inadequate or insufficient provision.
Advising on educational placement disputes.
Supporting parents with SEND Tribunal appeals where appropriate.

Specialist SEN legal advice can help parents understand their options and ensure their child’s individual needs are properly considered.

Why use our special educational needs solicitors?

Specialist experience in SEN law: Our solicitors have extensive experience advising families on the full range of special educational needs legal processes. Our expertise ensures you receive clear, accurate advice grounded in a detailed understanding of the law and how local authorities apply it in practice.

Focused, practical solutions: We take the time to understand your child’s individual needs and circumstances. Our advice is tailored to help you secure the right support, whether that means strengthening an EHCP, challenging inadequate provision, or appealing a local authority decision.

Supportive and collaborative approach: The SEN process can be overwhelming. We work closely with families, schools, professionals and other advisers to ensure all evidence and communication is aligned and coherent. This collaborative approach helps streamline the process and strengthens your case.

A leading full-service law firm: Boyes Turner is recognised by Chambers UK and The Legal 500 as a leading law firm. As a full-service firm, our specialist teams can support you with related legal needs where required, including Court of Protection, community care, medical negligence and private wealth, ensuring a cohesive and coordinated approach to your care.

Contact us

If you would like advice about a related matter, please complete the form and one of our SEN specialists will be in touch as soon as possible.

Please note we do not offer legal aid. Read about our fees.

Or give us a call:

0118 467 6547

Special educational needs insights

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What our clients say

Tribunal for placement

Laxmi helped with my son tribunal case in regard to section I of his EHCP. Our tribunal got brought forward by 6 months early, not giving us much time to get everything in place. Laxmi was great and said we can do it even with just little time left to get prepared and ready for the Tuesday. As a parent, I didn’t know what we needed to send or do, Laxmi took the time to explain everything to us and what we needed to do to prepare for the tribunal. Laxmi went above and beyond to help us and successfully won getting the school we needed for are son to start in September 2024. I would highly recommend Laxmi to take on the local authority in regard to any EHCP appeals. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.

Natalie

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We were immediately impressed

We were immediately impressed with James and our initial judgment proved correct as we went on to negotiate with Essex a care package for our daughter. Throughout the process, James supported us and was always on hand to give us excellent advice, source and guide an ISW in writing a report for us, and assist with crafting skilfully worded emails to the Authority. More importantly for us, James was always kind and understanding, and brought a wonderful sense of humour to our meetings. We feel most fortunate to have found him and would not hesitate to recommend him

Kitty Carrick

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SEN Tribunal

Laxmi’s exceptional understanding in SEN law combined with her professional, honest and empathic approach gave us the assurance that we had a solicitor who was and would continually do her best on our behalf. We would highly recommend any one seeking a SEN solicitor to use Laxmi.

David Bernstein

What our clients say

Support with the EHCP appeal

We would like to thank the Boyes Turner team, especially Janata Ali, for the exceptional support throughout the process. Just over a year ago we were lost and scared for our child’s future. It is a completely different reality today. Our child is much happier in the new school, with all the support and the quality of teaching, mentoring that he is receiving. It was the right battle to fight. It would not have been possible without Janata’s help, guidance, experience and commitment to our case. We are endlessly grateful, as this means that our child can have a better quality of life now and better prospects in the future.

Boyes Turner Client

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SEN support for EHCP

Janata Ali is an expert in n her field which resulted in us winning our case against the local authority to issue an EHCP for our son. Our son will hopefully now thrive and we will be forever grateful for her help and support with our case.

Boyes Turner Client

What our clients say

I would most definitely recommend

James, Laxmi and Daisy, worked so Patrick’s case, due to his very complex profile we had to go through three tribunals. They all worked so hard to secure our son’s placement. I would most definitely recommend James and Laxmi to anyone wishing to pursue the right provision for their young person.

Cath and Phil

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I’m thankful

I’m thankful that we found James, without him my son would have been abandoned by his Local Authority. Moving on from college is a stressful process for all the family, & Local Authority knows this & uses this to try & push parents to the limit, by ignoring their responsibility hoping that you will give up . In came James, took pressure off me & onto them . Highly recommend. We won , my son now can start his transition to his next chapter. Thank you.

Rebecca Wallace

What our clients say

James was a pleasure to deal with

We contacted Boyes Turner earlier this year after we ran into a dispute with our local authority. This was about a social care matter and learning disability. The case was handled with professionalism and tact. James was a pleasure to deal with. Clear communication, humour and detailed knowledge of the law in this area.

Andrew

What our clients say

James was knowledgeable but at the same time very approachable

The help and support we received from James for our son’s EHC plan has been absolutely invaluable. With his help, we were able to secure an outcome that suits our child. James was knowledgeable but at the same time very approachable and made a very stressful process much more manageable.

Boyes Turner Client

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Guiding us through EHCP and transition

James Pantling-Skeet helped us prepare my daughter’s EHCP to gain a good placement for the future. He was patient, extremely knowledgeable, had brilliant contacts, helped withe emotional upheaval and organised meetings with all parties to keep everything on track. We had the best outcome we could have had due to his professionalism. He was very caring too. He and his team worked tirelessly and answered our queries promptly. I would highly recommend their service.

Boyes Turner Client

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Dyslexia and SEN support

Helping children with dyslexia get the support they need to thrive in education.

Why might a child with Dyslexia need an EHCP?

EHCP support and benefits for children with Dyslexia

Dyslexia FAQs

Why use our special educational needs solicitors?

Contact us

0118 467 6547

Special educational needs insights

Our special educational needs solicitors

Laxmi Patel

James Pantling-Skeet

Rachael Allison

Emma Trevett

Steven Baylis

Janata Ali

Lacie Smith

Rachel Baxter

Daisy Fox-Clarkin

Libby Buxton

Amber Puri

Our SEN case studies

What our clients say

Tribunal for placement

What our clients say

We were immediately impressed

What our clients say

SEN Tribunal

What our clients say

Support with the EHCP appeal

What our clients say

SEN support for EHCP

What our clients say

I would most definitely recommend

What our clients say

I’m thankful

What our clients say

James was a pleasure to deal with

What our clients say

James was knowledgeable but at the same time very approachable

What our clients say

Guiding us through EHCP and transition

Recognised leading UK law firm

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