Finding out that your child has dyslexia can answer a lot of questions. But for many parents, it also raises a new one: what support can they actually get at school?
There are a number of dyslexia supports in Ireland available to children and teenager, from additional teaching and assistive technology to accommodations in State examinations.
However, eligibility is not simply based on having a diagnosis of dyslexia. Different supports have different criteria, and in many cases decisions are based on the individual student’s level of need and how those difficulties affect their learning.
Here, we explain some of the main supports parents should know about.
Does my child need a dyslexia diagnosis to get extra help at school?
Not necessarily. Many dyslexia supports in Ireland are based on the individual student’s needs rather than on having a formal diagnosis.
The Department of Education states that children do not need to wait for a medical diagnosis or psychological assessment before receiving Special Education Teaching (SET) support where the school has identified a need.
Schools use what is known as the Continuum of Support to identify needs and decide the appropriate level of help. Support can range from adjustments within the classroom through to targeted small-group or individual intervention for children with more significant or persistent needs.
For parents, this means that if your child is struggling with reading, spelling, writing or another area of learning, you do not necessarily need to wait for a formal assessment before talking to the school about support.
Your child’s class or subject teacher is usually a good place to start. You can also ask to speak to the school’s Special Education Teacher or special educational needs coordinator.
What dyslexia supports are available in Irish schools?
Mainstream schools receive Special Education Teaching resources which they can allocate according to the needs of students in the school.
For a child with persistent literacy difficulties, this may involve additional targeted teaching, adapted classroom approaches or more individualised support.
Schools are advised to record and monitor additional needs through a Student Support File and Student Support Plan. This allows teachers to identify priority needs, set learning targets, record interventions and review whether those interventions are helping.
This is worth asking about if your child has been receiving additional literacy support for some time. Having a clear record of difficulties, interventions and progress can also be important when applying for some other educational accommodations later.
Can a child with dyslexia get an exemption from Irish?
Having dyslexia does not automatically qualify a child for an exemption from studying Irish.
The current Department of Education rules allow an exemption in certain circumstances, including where a student has significant and persistent literacy difficulties that continue to affect learning despite appropriate support over time.
For the literacy-difficulty route, the criteria include a standardised score at or below the 10th percentile in Word Reading, Reading Comprehension or Spelling, alongside evidence of persistent difficulties and interventions provided by the school.
Importantly, the Department has specifically confirmed that a diagnosis of dyslexia is not itself one of the eligibility criteria.
A parent or guardian applies in writing to the school principal. If an application is refused, there is an appeals process through the Irish Exemptions Appeal Committee.
It is also worth considering the possible implications of an Irish exemption for future education or career choices before making a decision.
Department of Education guidance on exemptions from Irish
Is assistive technology available for students with dyslexia?
Technology can make a significant difference for some students with reading and writing difficulties. Depending on the student’s needs, this might include tools that allow them to type rather than handwrite, listen to written text or dictate their own work.
There is also a Department of Education Assistive Technology Grant, which provides funding to schools towards computers and specialist equipment for educational purposes.
However, it is not a general laptop scheme for everyone with dyslexia. The Department describes it as being for children with more complex disabilities who require essential specialist equipment that they do not already have access to through the school’s existing technology. Applications are made by the school and processed through the NCSE and its Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs).
If you think technology would significantly help your child access their learning, it is worth discussing this with their school rather than buying specialist software or equipment immediately.
Department of Education Assistive Technology Grant information
What support is available in the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate exams?
Exam accommodations are another important part of the dyslexia supports available in Ireland, particularly for students approaching Junior Cycle or Leaving Certificate examinations.
The Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (RACE) scheme provides supports to help students with additional needs access State exams and show what they know.
It can include accommodations such as reading assistance, use of a word processor and, where the relevant criteria are met, a waiver from the assessment of spelling, grammar and punctuation in language subjects.
Again, RACE is based on the individual student’s needs rather than diagnosis alone. Applications are normally made by the school, based on evidence of how the student usually works and the support they require.
There has also been an important recent change.
For the 2026 State examinations, eligible students already receiving certain direct RACE accommodations were given an additional 10 minutes for each written examination paper under an interim scheme. The State Examinations Commission is currently carrying out a wider review of RACE and has said that arrangements for 2027 and beyond will be informed by that work.
For that reason, parents of students approaching State examinations should always check the most recent SEC guidance rather than assuming that the arrangements from a previous year still apply.
What about specialist reading classes and schools?
Most children with dyslexia attend mainstream classes with additional support where needed. However, specialist reading classes or reading schools may be an option for a much smaller number of children with significant specific learning difficulties.
The NCSE publishes current lists of special classes in mainstream schools, including provision categorised by type of special educational need.
The application process for specialist reading provision has also changed in recent years, so this is an area where it is particularly important to check the current requirements.
Dyslexia Ireland provides a useful explanation of reading schools and classes and the application process, while the NCSE can advise families about current provision and eligibility.
Dyslexia Ireland information on reading schools and classes
Supporting the move to secondary school
Moving from primary to secondary school can bring additional challenges for a young person with dyslexia.
There are more teachers, more subjects, greater demands on independent organisation and often considerably more reading and written work.
Where a child already receives additional support, good communication between the family and school becomes particularly important. The Department recommends using the Student Support File to maintain continuity of information about a student’s strengths, needs and successful interventions as they progress through school.
Parents may find it useful to speak with the new school’s learning-support or additional-educational-needs team before or soon after their child starts, particularly about strategies and technology that have already proved helpful.
Don’t overlook the emotional impact
Dyslexia isn’t simply about spelling tests or reading speed.
Repeatedly finding schoolwork harder than classmates can sometimes affect a child’s confidence and willingness to participate. A young person may begin avoiding reading aloud, worry about making mistakes or become increasingly anxious about homework and tests.
For some children, difficulties at school can also become part of a wider pattern of school-related anxiety or school avoidance.
This is why support should look beyond academic attainment alone. Helping a child understand their own learning profile, recognising their strengths and making sure they have appropriate support can be important for emotional wellbeing as well as learning.
Where does a psycho-educational assessment fit in?
Although a formal diagnosis is not required to access many school-based supports, a psycho-educational assessment can still be very useful when there are persistent concerns about how a child is learning.
An assessment can help identify a child’s particular pattern of strengths and difficulties, investigate specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia, and provide individual recommendations for home and school.
It can be particularly helpful where it is unclear why a child is struggling, where difficulties are significant or persistent, or where parents and teachers need a fuller understanding of the child’s learning profile.
At BetterCare, our psycho-educational assessments are available for children aged 8+, teenagers and adults and assess for dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia as part of a comprehensive assessment.
If your child has an assessment coming up, you may also find our guide on how to prepare for a psycho-educational assessment helpful.
Learn more about BetterCare psycho-educational assessments
What can parents do next?
If you are concerned that your child may have dyslexia or is not getting the support they need, a useful starting point is to:
- Talk to their class or subject teacher about the difficulties you are seeing.
- Ask what literacy or other supports are currently being provided and how progress is being monitored.
- Ask whether your child has a Student Support Plan.
- Speak to the school’s Special Education Teacher or additional-educational-needs coordinator where appropriate.
- Check the current Department, NCSE and SEC criteria before applying for specific accommodations.
- Consider a psycho-educational assessment if you need a clearer picture of your child’s learning strengths and difficulties.
The right support will not look exactly the same for every child with dyslexia. What matters is understanding where the difficulty is occurring, how much it is affecting learning and what helps that individual child participate and progress.
For additional independent information, Dyslexia Ireland’s Dyslexia Hub has a particularly useful section for parents covering school supports, accommodations, technology and transitions.
