Dyslexia and related specific learning differences affect reading fluency, spelling, working memory, and processing speed. They are not linked to intelligence or effort, and should never be treated as if they were — a slow reader is not a less capable one.
Presentation varies considerably: some students mainly struggle with reading speed, others primarily with spelling and written expression, others with sequencing and organising multi-stage work. A single description or a single accommodation rarely covers the full range.
Because these differences are so easily hidden through years of compensation, they can go unrecognised by staff for an entire term, or longer, until a specific task — one that removes the workaround the student has relied on — brings the difficulty into view.
Common assumptions to avoid: that slow reading or spelling errors reflect low ability or carelessness; that a student who writes well in one format will manage equally well under time pressure; that support needs stop once a student reaches university, since school-level scaffolding often disappears at exactly this point, leaving a gap that was previously invisible.