Coloured paper and coloured overlays are commonly used in schools to help dyslexic children. Current research does not support this practice.

Visual difficulties can co-occur with a range of SEN needs—autism, ADHD as well as SpLd. There is no causal link between visual difficulties and dyslexia. A dyslexic student will not necessarily have visual difficulties that make reading difficult.

Any suggestion of visual difficulty must be investigated by an optometrist prior to an assessment.

Recent guidance (2025) on visual difficulties confirms that diagnostic reports for dyslexia must not recommend visual overlays.