Specific Learning Difficulties
Learning difficulties including dyslexia (reading and spelling), dyscalculia (maths) and dysgraphia (writing) occur in up to 10% of school-age children. These conditions vary in degree of severity and often occur together. Genes and environment can increase risk of developing these conditions and while we are making progress in research, we are far from understanding causes and developing effective intervention strategies.
We are starting a new multidisciplinary network based in Scotland to bring together researchers with different expertise. The aim is to better coordinate the research agenda for specific learning difficulties. Our first meeting was held in November 2022 in Edinburgh.
Key goals are to increase awareness around specific learning difficulties and to make research useful to the direct beneficiaries. We have launched a survey to gather the voices of those with experience of specific learning difficulties, either those who have a diagnosis themselves or carers of children and young people who do.
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Meet the experts
Michelle Luciano
I am a Reader in Psychology at the University of Edinburgh, having trained in Behavioural Genetics at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia (1999-2002). My research focuses on the genetic and environmental aetiology underlying human...