Challenging school-related situations faced by students with dyslexia: a scoping review

Children and young people with dyslexia face a variety of challenges in everyday school life, which can affect their intellectual and emotional development. While the potential consequences of dyslexia are well-documented, little is known about the specific challenging situations in the school context these children face. This scoping review addresses this gap by systematically identifying and categorising school-related stressors experienced by students with dyslexia. A literature search between 2000 and 2025 was conducted via EBSCOhost across five databases in the fields of education and psychology. A total of 30 peer-reviewed studies were included for full-text analysis. The majority of studies (n = 23) were qualitative, complemented by quantitative (n = 4) and mixed-method studies (n = 3). All participants had a formal diagnosis of dyslexia and described their school-related experiences either currently or retrospectively. The reported school-related challenging situations were assigned to two main categories: social environment and student-related stressors. Many typical school routines-such as reading aloud in front of the class, peer comparisons, or public error correction-emerged as particularly distressing. These practices are rarely questioned but can lead to humiliation, anxiety, and fear of failure for students with dyslexia. Recognising the subjective experiences of students with dyslexia offers valuable insights for developing more inclusive educational practices and targeted socio-emotional support.