8. Will the Minister make a statement on the availability of a test to diagnose dyslexia for Welsh-speaking children? OAQ55072

Thank you, Andrew. I am committed to supporting learners with special educational needs, such as dyslexia, within Welsh-medium education. Our additional learning needs reforms aim to create a bilingual system of support for learners. The availability of Welsh-medium resources is being considered as part of our ALN transformation programme.  

Thank you for that answer, Minister. It is a fact that, in most classes, three children will have dyslexia of some shape or form. It is quite alarming, I have to say, to find that whilst there's a screening test, there's not a diagnostic test for children who use the medium of Welsh. I hear that your department is taking some action to understand what the needs are, but can you offer us any comfort that there might well be some assistance in this particular area before this Assembly goes into dissolution next year? Because at the moment, a huge cohort of children the length and breadth of Wales, especially as Welsh-medium education increases, are being disadvantaged and that disadvantage will carry on throughout their lives unless they get the support they need through the education system.

Well, Andrew, as the mother of two dyslexic children who have received their education in the Welsh medium, this is an issue that is really personally important to me. You are correct to say that a dyslexia screening test for learners between six years and six months and 11 years and five months is available in Welsh from Dyslexia Wales, and that particular screening test provides a profile of a learner's strengths and weaknesses that can be used to inform development and support for learners going forward.

A dyslexia screening test for learners between four years and six months and six years and five months has been translated into Welsh, but, again, there are certain constraints and disadvantages to that approach. I can give you my commitment that my officials are working with the sector to be able to identify different ways and better ways and better approaches to ensure both equity and excellence in this regard.