# Dyslexia

- Category: chronic
- Review status: reviewed (every claim checked against a document named on this page)
- Sources: Dyslexia - StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf NBK557668) - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557668/ · ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class PS20.03 - condition scope only, no dose · No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care
- Verified date: 2026-08

## Verified against

- No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

## Treatment metadata

- No drug therapy in primary care (Referral & Advice)

## Complete treatment card

```text
DYSLEXIA
Sources: Dyslexia - StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf NBK557668) -
         https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557668/ · ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification
         of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class PS20.03 - condition scope only, no dose · No dose -
         referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care
Review status: REVIEWED against the source listed above  (2026-08)

IS IT THIS? - reference only, to read alongside your own examination
  SYMPTOMS - what the patient reports (6)
    - Preschoolers at risk may struggle to rhyme, confuse similar-sounding words, or have trouble
      learning letter names
    - An inability to learn letters by kindergarten or first grade is a strong predictor of later
      reading trouble
    - By the end of first grade, at-risk children cannot read words and have difficulty spelling
      [reading difficulty]
    - From second grade on, poor school performance and dislike of school may appear  [learning
      difficulty]
    - Physical complaints can appear when it is time to head to school or when work is due
    - Affected children tend to avoid reading, which exposes them to fewer words and deepens the
      deficiency
  SIGNS - what you find (1)
    - The physical exam is otherwise standard, aimed at finding clues to another neurological,
      medical, or genetic cause
  TESTS (6)
    - Suspected dyslexia warrants an initial hearing and vision screen
    - Lab or imaging tests are not usually needed unless the history or exam points to another cause
    - fMRI is used only for research and does not establish the diagnosis
    - Suspected cases are referred to the school system, where reading ability, executive function,
      and IQ are tested
    - Even with a family risk, developing early letter-naming ability markedly lowers the chance of
      dyslexia
    - Weak letter-naming at 4.5 to 5.5 years combined with good phonological awareness also lowers
      the risk
  IF NOT THIS - what else fits (8)
    - Hearing impairment is on the differential
    - Vision impairment is on the differential
    - Educational deficits - reduced exposure, more absences, or poor instruction - are on the
      differential
    - Cognitive impairment is on the differential
    - Learning disabilities are on the differential
    - Toxin exposure such as lead poisoning is on the differential
    - Familial dysfunction is on the differential
    - Emotional illness is on the differential
  Source  StatPearls "Dyslexia" - disease-level clinical article
  Status  traced to the source above

1. NO DRUG THERAPY IN PRIMARY CARE (REFERRAL & ADVICE)    [1st line]
   Adult    A specific learning difficulty causing impaired reading and word decoding despite normal
            vision and intelligence; there is no medication, so the GP's role is recognition and
            referral for educational/psychological assessment and specialist teaching support. -
            Refer, with advice
   Peds     Children follow the same pathway: recognise and refer. No primary-care medicine is
            implied.
   Source   No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care
   Why      A specific learning difficulty causing impaired reading and word decoding despite normal
            vision and intelligence; there is no medication, so the GP's role is recognition and
            referral for educational/psychological assessment and specialist teaching support.
   Caution  No medicine is prescribed for this in primary care - this entry is for recognition and
            referral. Anything given is decided by the service it is referred to.
            RED FLAG - Reading difficulty accompanied by broader developmental or intellectual delay
            needs a wider assessment rather than a diagnosis of dyslexia alone.

Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy.
```

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