What Parents Need to Know About the IDA’s 2025 Update
If you’re the parent of a struggling reader, you already know how confusing, emotional, and overwhelming it can be to figure out what’s really going on with your child. For more than two decades, schools and specialists relied on the International Dyslexia Association’s (IDA) 2002 description of dyslexia to guide evaluations, shape interventions, and even influence how state laws were written. While that definition moved the field forward in meaningful ways, it had limitations.
Now, the IDA has released a new definition of dyslexia for 2025—and it marks a major step forward. This updated definition reflects what science has uncovered over the last twenty years and what parents have known in their hearts all along: dyslexia is real, it is complex, and with the right support, children can flourish academically and emotionally.
Below, you’ll find a clear breakdown of what changed, why it matters, and how it can help you advocate for your child with confidence.
1. Why a New Definition Was Needed
Understanding the Shift From “Unexpected” to Accurate
For years, dyslexia was defined as an “unexpected” difficulty in learning to read, meaning that a child who was otherwise bright, engaged, and well-taught suddenly struggled with reading skills. At first glance, this seemed helpful. However, over time, parents and educators began to notice the flaws in that language.
To begin with, describing dyslexia as “unexpected” indirectly tied it to intelligence. The implication was that only children with average or above-average IQ could be dyslexic, creating a narrow and harmful stereotype. As a result, some students—especially those whose strengths weren’t easily measured—were denied services because their struggles weren’t considered “unexpected enough.”
Parents saw the consequences firsthand. Children who desperately needed support were told they didn’t qualify because they didn’t fit a particular profile. Meanwhile, frustration, shame, and self-doubt began to take root.
Recognizing these issues, the new definition of dyslexia shifts away from what a child’s reading difficulty shouldn’t be and instead emphasizes what dyslexia is: a specific difference in how the brain processes written language. This reframing opens doors for more children to be identified accurately and earlier.
2. A More Complete Picture of the Brain
Moving Beyond Only Phonology
For a long time, educators and researchers focused almost exclusively on phonological processing—the ability to identify, manipulate, and work with the sounds inside spoken words. While phonological processing remains a key component of dyslexia, science has now revealed a more layered picture.
Many children with dyslexia also struggle with morphological processing, which involves understanding the meaningful parts of words—prefixes, suffixes, root words, and other word-building pieces. Skills like recognizing un-, pre-, auto-, or -ing play a significant role in reading fluency, spelling accuracy, and vocabulary development, especially as children progress into higher grades.
The updated definition now incorporates both phonological and morphological processing, offering a fuller and more accurate understanding of what’s happening in a child’s brain.
This change also helps explain why dyslexia presents differently across languages.
For instance:
In languages with consistent spelling rules, like Spanish or Italian, children may struggle more with reading speed.
In languages with unpredictable spelling patterns, like English or French, children may struggle more with accuracy.
By acknowledging these patterns, the new definition aligns with global research and reflects the experiences of families worldwide.
3. Dyslexia Is Multifactorial—Not Fixed
Why Environment and Instruction Matter More Than You Think
One of the most parent-empowering changes in the new definition is the recognition that dyslexia is multifactorial. In other words, yes—genetics and brain development play a role. But no—they do not determine a child’s destiny.
Your environment influences your outcomes. This includes:
early exposure to language
access to books and conversation
effective, evidence-based instruction
supportive relationships
emotional safety and encouragement
Two children with identical genetic risks may have completely different reading experiences depending on their educational environment and home support.
This perspective brings hope, not fear. It reinforces what many parents have already observed: a nurturing environment and the right kind of teaching can significantly change a child’s reading journey. Dyslexia isn’t about effort or motivation—it’s about having the right tools, at the right time, in the right way.
4. What the New Definition Means for Identification
Clearer Criteria Lead to Clearer Answers
The updated definition helps professionals identify dyslexia more accurately by highlighting the key signs that matter most. Rather than relying on outdated models that required a child to be “bright enough” or “struggling long enough,” the new definition focuses on what truly indicates dyslexia:
persistent difficulty with accurate or fluent reading
signs of weak phonological or morphological processing
lack of expected progress, even when instruction is effective and appropriate
This final point is critical. If a child isn’t responding to reading instructions that work for most other children, that’s a powerful sign of dyslexia—not a sign of laziness, stubbornness, or lack of intelligence. This shift in framing helps families move away from harmful labels and toward solutions that work.
Additionally, children no longer need to fail for years before getting help. Early identification is not only possible—it’s prioritized. And earlier intervention consistently leads to better outcomes.
5. What This Means for Your Child’s Future
New Definition, New Possibilities
If you’re reading this as the parent of a struggling reader, here’s what you need to take away from the new definition:
1. Your child’s struggles are valid.
Dyslexia exists on a continuum, and it looks different from child to child. No single profile defines it. The updated definition acknowledges this variability and validates your child’s unique experience.
2. Intelligence has nothing to do with dyslexia.
The outdated idea that dyslexia is “unexpected” for smart kids created unnecessary barriers. The new definition removes that obstacle completely.
3. Evidence-based instruction works.
Targeted intervention—especially structured literacy—can improve reading skills at any age. Early intervention is ideal, but improvement is always possible.
4. You play an essential role.
You can’t change genetics, but you can absolutely impact your child’s environment. Your advocacy, encouragement, and partnership with educators make a measurable difference.
5. Dyslexic children can succeed.
With the right support, dyslexic learners thrive in school and in life. Many excel in creativity, problem-solving, visual reasoning, and big-picture thinking.
The new definition doesn’t just clarify what dyslexia is. It shines a light on what’s possible.
6. Why This Updated Definition Matters for Parents
A Clearer Path Forward
At its core, this new definition offers families something they’ve long needed: clarity.
Because of it:
Evaluators can identify dyslexia earlier and more accurately.
Schools can align instruction with what science actually supports.
Parents can advocate confidently, armed with clearer language and stronger research.
Children can receive help sooner and with more precision.
Most importantly, the updated definition delivers a compassionate message: your child is not broken, not behind, and not alone. They learn differently—and that difference comes with strengths as well as challenges.
As understanding grows, so does hope. And with clearer definitions come clearer paths to better identification, more effective instruction, and brighter futures for kids who think and learn differently.
