What is dyslexia? New animation aims to change what children find online

Made By Dyslexia has launched a new animated film called What is dyslexia?, aiming to change the first thing children and families see when they search for information about dyslexia online.

The short film, voiced by actors including Jeremy Irons and Liv Tyler, is part of a campaign to challenge negative descriptions of dyslexia and present a more balanced picture.

The idea is simple but powerful.

When a child first hears the word “dyslexia”, they may go online to find out what it means.

What they find in that moment matters.

Why the campaign was launched

Made By Dyslexia says many online descriptions of dyslexia focus heavily on what dyslexic people find difficult.

That may be technically accurate in one sense, but it can also be a very bleak first impression for a child or parent who is trying to understand a new diagnosis.

If the first message is only about problems, disorders, struggles and limitations, a child may come away feeling that dyslexia is something to be ashamed of.

The new animation tries to shift that first impression.

Rather than ignoring the challenges, it aims to show dyslexia as a different way of thinking, with both difficulties and strengths.

What the film does

The film follows a child who searches online for information after learning she has dyslexia.

Instead of leaving the story there, the animation moves towards a more hopeful explanation of dyslexic thinking.

Coverage of the campaign describes the film as a way to “reframe” dyslexia and challenge the way it is often presented in search results.

The film was created with Made By Dyslexia, Clemenger BBDO, Finch and Art&Graft, and has been covered by several creative and education outlets.

Why this matters

Dyslexia is often reduced to reading and spelling.

Those things can absolutely be part of it, and the challenges should not be dismissed.

But dyslexia can also affect confidence, school experience, self-esteem, organisation, processing, written work and how a child sees their own ability.

That is why language matters.

A child who is told only what they cannot do may start to believe that dyslexia means they are less capable.

A child who is given a fuller explanation may still understand the challenges, but also see that their brain is not “wrong”.

It is different.

A useful reminder for adults too

This campaign is aimed strongly at children and families, but there is a wider message here for adults as well.

Many dyslexic adults grew up at a time when dyslexia was less well understood, or when support was harder to access.

Some were labelled careless, lazy, messy, slow or not academic.

Some learned to hide how hard they were working.

Some only understood their dyslexia much later in life.

A short animation cannot fix all of that.

But it can help change the tone of the conversation.

And sometimes that matters more than we realise.

Why we picked this

The Neuro Digest mainly covers ADHD and autism, but neurodiversity is wider than that.

Dyslexia is one of the most commonly recognised neurodivergent differences, yet it is still often misunderstood.

This story is a good one to cover because it is not a dry explainer and it is not a policy row.

It is a news story about how dyslexia is being presented to children at the exact moment they may be trying to understand themselves.

That feels important.

Because the first explanation a child hears can shape how they talk about themselves for years.

Key takeaway

Made By Dyslexia’s new animation is trying to change what children and families find when they search “what is dyslexia?” online.

The message is not that dyslexia is always easy.

It is that dyslexia should not be introduced only through difficulty and deficit.

Children deserve an explanation that is honest, balanced and hopeful.

Sources:
https://www.primarytimes.co.uk/news/2026/05/new-animation-challenges-negative-perceptions-of-dyslexia-online
https://www.creativeboom.com/news/what-is-dyslexia-why-artgrafts-hybrid-animation-style-is-this-short-films-most-powerful-argument/
https://campaignbrief.com/made-by-dyslexia-launches-global-film-via-clemenger-bbdo-to-reshape-dyslexia-search-results/
https://lbbonline.com/news/clemenger-bbdo-made-by-dyslexia-film