Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that mainly affects the development of literacy and language related skills. It is thought to affect as many as one in ten of the population, though its impact varies.
It is likely to be present at birth and to be life-long in its effects. It is characterised by difficulties with processing written words, working memory and the automatic development of skills, which may not match up to an individual's other cognitive abilities.
Dyscalculia is a condition affecting the ability to acquire arithmetical skills. Those with it may have difficulty understanding number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers and have problems learning number facts and procedures. Even if they produce a correct answer or use a correct method, they may do so mechanically and without confidence.
Between 3 and 6 per cent of the population are thought to have dyscalculia without any other learning disability.
Dyspraxia is an impairment of the organisation of movement and the way that the brain processes information, which results in messages not being properly or fully transmitted.
Dyspraxia affects the planning of what to do and how to do it. It is associated with problems of perception, language and thought.
Dyspraxia is thought to affect up to 10 per cent of the population and up to 2 per cent severely. Men are four times more likely to be affected than women.
Other names for dyspraxia include developmental coordination disorder, perceptuo-motor dysfunction, and motor learning difficulties.
Autism is a lifelong impairment. It is part of the autism spectrum, as is Asperger's syndrome. The word 'spectrum' is used because, while all people with autistic spectrum conditions share three main areas of difficulty, their condition will affect them in very different ways. Some do not appear to have any condition; others need lifetime support.
The three main areas of difficulty that all people with autism spectrum conditions share are:
difficulty with social communication
difficulty with social interaction
difficulty with social imagination
Some people with conditions such as dyspraxia and autism have begun to refer to themselves as `neuro-diverse'. By this, they emphasise that different ways of thinking and managing daily tasks are part of the normal range of what it means to be human and should not be described as an aberration or problem.
Accessible communication for people with dyslexia, dyscalcula, dyspraxia and autistic spectrum conditions
Research shows that all readers access text 25 per cent slower on a computer. This is particularly true for people with some of these conditions and should be taken into account when putting information on the web.
Publications and website design should take account of clear print and plain English guidelines.
Disability equality training for helpline staff should include information on supporting people with these conditions.
Online supporting information should be designed to be as welcoming as possible, with a high priority given to where to get human support so that people have a choice. For example, while people with dyslexia might prefer to speak to someone, someone with Asperger's syndrome might prefer to deal with information and choices online.
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