Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution, Diagnostic Labelling, and the Unintended Cost to Self-Esteem
- CHAMBERS
- Jun 18
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 27
The Channel 4 documentary Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution has reignited critical discussions around education, neurodiversity, and inclusion. But alongside calls for systemic reform, there remains an uncomfortable reality we cannot ignore: diagnostic labelling, while well-intentioned, often carries unintended, long-term psychological consequences for the very children we seek to support.
Indeed, an increasing body of academic research demonstrates that once labelled, many children internalise perceptions that they are inherently less capable than their peers; a misconception that undermines their self-esteem, academic identity, and future aspirations.
The 2025 study by Kashikar, Lüke and Grosche found that diagnostic terms such as “Learning Disability” significantly lower teachers’ expectations, while subtly shaping children’s own perceptions of their potential. This can result in pupils believing that success is inherently out of reach, even when their abilities remain unchanged.
Crucially, the research also highlights that teachers, often unconsciously, may adjust their teaching strategies in response to a child’s diagnosis. Compared to peers without a label, diagnosed children are sometimes shielded from academic challenges, not pushed to achieve their maximum potential, or subtly excluded from enrichment opportunities. While intended to offer support or protection, these lowered expectations can reinforce feelings of inadequacy, ultimately stifling growth and ambition.
Other scholars have reported similar findings. Glazzard (2010) and Cutting (2020) both document how labels like dyslexia or Asperger’s, intended to unlock support, can instead generate stigma, isolation, and enduring feelings of inadequacy.
But what if the issue lies not with the children, but with the framing?
There is a compelling counter-narrative: that many of the world’s most successful individuals including Albert Einstein, Richard Branson, Steven Spielberg, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, and countless others, thrived precisely because their minds worked differently. Historically, before widespread diagnostic labelling, children with dyslexia or other learning differences often adjusted, developed coping mechanisms, and succeeded — without the associated psychological burden of labels suggesting deficit or disorder.
Increasingly, experts argue that the human brain is evolving. Neurodivergent conditions may not represent disabilities at all, but rather natural cognitive variation - diverse, creative, and at times, misunderstood.
Jamie Oliver’s advocacy exemplifies this. His call for inclusive teaching methods, designed for neurodivergent learners but benefiting entire classrooms, is both pragmatic and rooted in lived experience. Yet, we must ensure that as we evolve support systems, we do not inadvertently reduce children’s sense of worth through outdated, deficit-based terminology or inadvertently cap their potential by treating them differently in the classroom.
True inclusion requires more than access to resources. It requires careful, evidence-based reflection on the language we use, the expectations we set, and the opportunities we offer. Empowering children starts with ensuring they see themselves not as limited, but as capable — perhaps different, but never less.
Further Reading and Evidence Below
References — Diagnostic Labelling and Self-Esteem
Cutting, C., 2020. What right do we have to label? Understanding the impact of Asperger’s syndrome on self-identity, anxiety, depression and self-esteem. [online] University of Huddersfield. Available at: https://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/35350/1/FINAL%20THESIS%20-%20Cutting.pdf
Gibby-Leversuch, R., 2018. Dyslexia or literacy difficulties: What difference does a label make? Exploring the perceptions and experiences of young people. [online] University of Southampton. Available at: https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/899yq
Glazzard, J., 2010. The impact of dyslexia on pupils’ self-esteem. Support for Learning, 25(2), pp.63–69. Available at: https://nasenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9604.2010.01442.x
Kashikar, L., Lüke, T. and Grosche, M., 2025. Effects of Diagnostic Labels for Students With Learning Problems on Teachers’ Stereotypes and Performance Expectations. Journal of Learning Disabilities. [pdf] Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/00222194251315187
Lithari, E., 2019. Fractured academic identities: Dyslexia, secondary education, self-esteem and school experiences. International Journal of Inclusive Education. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13603116.2018.1433242
Moses, T., 2009. Self-labelling and its effects among adolescents diagnosed with mental disorders. Social Science & Medicine, 68(3), pp.570–578. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953608005790
Sowards, A.K., 2015. Labeling: Student self-esteem and the stigma of a label. [online] Marshall University. Available at: https://mds.marshall.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1981&context=etd
Taylor, L.M., Hume, I.R. and Welsh, N., 2010. Labelling and self‐esteem: The impact of using specific vs. generic labels. Educational Psychology, 30(2), pp.191–202. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01443410903494478
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