The NDAF read
This systematic review included 33 studies and extracted 318 factors related to work participation for adults with developmental dyslexia. Influences extended beyond reading and writing to emotions, job access and retention, relationships at work, employer attitudes, working conditions, assistive technology, accommodations, disclosure, and coping strategies.
Why it matters: The review shows that work outcomes are shaped by the interaction between the person, the task, the workplace, available technology, and social support—not by literacy skills alone.
What the researchers studied
The authors systematically reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies about factors that hinder or facilitate work participation among adults with developmental dyslexia. They included 33 studies and classified 318 extracted factors using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.
What they found
- Relevant factors appeared across nearly every domain of functioning.
- Reading, writing, and spelling demands mattered, but they were only part of the picture.
- Employer and coworker attitudes and support could hinder or facilitate participation.
- Assistive technology, accommodations, and working conditions were important environmental factors.
- Disclosure decisions, coping strategies, self-confidence, and emotions about dyslexia also affected work participation.
What this could change in real life
The review makes a systems point: changing the document format, workflow, technology, communication method, or social environment may matter as much as asking the employee to compensate harder.
Useful translation: Use the categories to identify whether the main barrier is the task itself, the format, the environment, available tools, workplace attitudes, or the process for requesting support.
What this paper does not prove
- The review does not show that disclosure is always helpful.
- It does not identify one accommodation package that fits every dyslexic worker.
- The evidence base included varied methods and contexts, so individual factors cannot be ranked with high certainty.