We have reached out to numerous bodies to advise of a clarification endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), authors of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), relating to diagnosis of Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs).

The letter can be viewed here and the statement endorsed by the APA in July 2025 is as follows:

The DSM-5 criterion A for Specific Learning Disorder should not be interpreted as requiring any of the following features, which might serve to delay diagnosis and access to services:

• a requirement for 6 months of specialised intervention above and beyond 6 months of quality schooling that targets the individual’s academic weakness, or
• a requirement for extensive documentation of any interventions provided, or
• a requirement for quantification of non-response.

Criterion A is intended to ensure that clinicians check that difficulties are not due to a deficit in instruction. This does not mean that clinicians are required to make a blanket assumption of a deficit in instruction, and then require an additional 6 months of specialised intervention prior to diagnosis.

To clarify, in practice, for children and adolescents, if a clinician is confident that classroom instruction has been of a nature and quality that has targeted an individual’s weaknesses, and that the individual is not catching up with classmates (based on school reports, curriculum-based measures, and clinical interview), that individual meets diagnostic criterion A, provided 6 months of schooling has passed.

 
Our chair has posted some further thoughts here.