Life Insurance With Dyslexia Or Dyspraxia
These are on the list because people ask whether they count, and the honest answer is that they are not conditions in the sense a medical form is built around.
There is no diagnosis date in a GP record for most people, no medication, no monitoring and no progression.
What there often is, is an assessment done at school or university, and that is a different kind of document entirely.
The short answer
Dyslexia and dyspraxia are developmental differences in how the brain processes written language and coordinates movement. They are not illnesses, they do not progress, and there is no treatment to report. What exists instead is usually an educational assessment report, and for most people that is the entirety of what there is to say.
What it is
Dyslexia is a difference in how the brain processes written language, affecting reading accuracy and fluency, spelling and sometimes working memory, independently of general ability.
Dyspraxia, also called developmental coordination disorder, affects the planning and coordination of movement, which can show up in handwriting, balance, driving, sport and fine motor tasks.
Both are lifelong and both are typically identified through educational assessment, usually by an educational psychologist or specialist assessor. Support is practical: extra time in exams, assistive software, occupational therapy in some cases of dyspraxia. Neither is treated with medication.
Why it comes up on an application
- They are not illnesses and they do not progress, so there is nothing to report about severity, treatment or monitoring.
- Assessment is usually educational rather than medical, so the report may not be in your GP record at all.
- If a form asks specifically about learning difficulties or neurodevelopmental conditions, answer it; if it asks about illnesses, treatment and medication, there is usually nothing to put.
- ADHD is a different matter and already has its own page here. It is frequently diagnosed alongside, is a medical diagnosis, and is often treated with medication, so if you have it, that is the substantial entry.
- Dyspraxia has an occupational dimension for work requiring fine coordination, and if it has affected your work, that is a fair thing to mention.
- Any occupational therapy or speech and language therapy is a treatment and worth naming if it happened.
What we would ask you
- Which you have, and whether it was formally assessed
- Whether the assessment was educational or medical
- Whether you have also been assessed for or diagnosed with ADHD
- Whether you have had any therapy, such as occupational therapy
- Whether it has affected your work
- Whether you are currently off work or working reduced hours because of an accident, injury or illness
- Whether you are waiting on any medical tests, appointments or treatment
- Whether you have been diagnosed with or treated for cancer in the last five years
- Whether a parent, brother or sister was diagnosed with cancer, heart disease or a stroke before 65
- Any medication you take
- Whether you smoke, and your date of birth
An Assessment Is Not A Diagnosis Of Illness
This distinction is the whole of why these two are different from everything else on this site.
Most medical questions are built around illness: when was it diagnosed, how is it treated, is it getting worse, who monitors it. None of those questions has a meaningful answer for dyslexia. It was identified, usually by an educational psychologist, it does not change, and there is nothing to treat.
So if a form asks about illnesses, medication and treatment, there is generally nothing to put. If it asks specifically about learning difficulties or neurodevelopmental conditions, say what you have and that it was assessed, with roughly when. That is the complete answer and it is a short one.
ADHD Is The One To Separate Out
This is the part worth attention, because the three are often discussed together and one of them is medically quite different.
ADHD is diagnosed through a clinical assessment, frequently involves medication such as methylphenidate or lisdexamfetamine, and comes with monitoring of blood pressure, heart rate and weight. That is a medical diagnosis with a prescription and a review schedule, and it is a substantial entry.
It is also commonly diagnosed alongside dyslexia or dyspraxia. So if you have ADHD as well, that is the thing to declare properly, and our page on it covers what we would ask. Mentioning only the dyslexia when there is also a stimulant prescription would leave your application materially incomplete.
Which cover is relevant
The usual starting point, and neither of these is a factor in it. Any ADHD diagnosis and its treatment sit in the picture instead.
Pays on diagnosis of a listed serious condition, and neither of these is one. Worth having for the risks it does cover.
Replaces earnings if illness or injury stops you working, which these do not do. Worth having for everything else.
Common questions
Do I need to declare dyslexia on an insurance application?+
If a form asks specifically about learning difficulties or neurodevelopmental conditions, say what you have and roughly when it was assessed. If it asks about illnesses, treatment and medication, there is usually nothing to put, because dyslexia is not treated and does not progress.
Is dyspraxia a medical condition?+
It is a developmental difference in movement planning and coordination, lifelong and not progressive, usually identified by educational assessment. Some people have had occupational therapy, which is worth naming, but there is no medication and no monitoring to report.
My assessment was at university, not by a doctor. Does it count?+
It is worth saying, and worth saying that it was educational rather than medical. That explains why there may be nothing in your GP record, which is a normal situation rather than a gap in your answer.
I have ADHD as well. Is that different?+
Yes, substantially. ADHD is a clinical diagnosis frequently involving medication and ongoing monitoring of blood pressure, heart rate and weight. That is the entry to declare properly, and mentioning only the dyslexia would leave your application incomplete.
Will dyslexia affect my life insurance?+
It is not the sort of entry that usually features, and the decision rests on your whole picture and belongs to the insurer. Any ADHD diagnosis and its treatment are far more likely to matter.
Cover that often goes with this
The gaps we most often find sitting next to this one.