Webinar
The Zoom lecture, Understanding Dyslexia: The Impact of Definition on Teaching and Diagnosis in Iceland, will be streamed live on Tuesday 17 March from 15:00 to 17:00.
The lecture is part of the University of Iceland School of Education's lecture series, Top of the Agenda and prepared in collaboration with the Research and Education Centre on the development, literacy and well-being of children and young people.
In this lecture, Dr. Hugh Catts and Dr. Charles Haynes will discuss a new definition of dyslexia. In October 2025, a revised definition of dyslexia was published by the International Dyslexia Association. The status of reading analysis in Iceland is unclear and it is important that the latest research is taken into account when dealing with reading problems.
The talk will discuss the formulation of the new definition, the reasons why the older one was revised and what scientific data is used as a basis. The impact of the definition on teaching and analysis will also be discussed.
Agenda:
Moderator: Auður Soffía Björgvinsdóttir
15:00 - Opening remarks
Kolbrún Th. Pálsdóttir, Dean of the School of Education, University of Iceland
15:05 - 16:30 - Discussion of a new definition of dyslexia (dyslexia)
Dr. Hugh Catts and Dr. Charles Haynes
16:30 - 17:00 - Q&A via Zoom
Dr. Catts works in the School of Communication Science and Disorders at Florida State University. His research focuses on early diagnosis and prevention of reading problems, as well as assessment of reading comprehension difficulties. He has previously served on the board of the International Dyslexia Association and has also served on the board and president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading. He has received the Samuel T. Orton Award from the International Dyslexia Association and an honorary recognition from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for his contributions.
Dr. Haynes is Professor Emeritus at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston. He was a pioneer in the development of teaching methods for children with dyslexia and language difficulties. His research focuses on the relationship between spoken and written language and the factors that affect literacy and literacy learning in different languages. In 2014 he received the Margaret Byrd Rawson Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Dyslexia Association for his contributions to dyslexia studies, and in 2025 he received the Legacy Award from the organization for having established and built their global network (Global Partners).
The lecture will be streamed live. Link to the live stream here
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Buses 14, 1, 6, 3 and 12 stop at the University of Iceland in Vatnsmýri. Buses 11 and 15 also stop nearby. Let's travel in an ecological way!