Children learn to read and write at different rates. A dyslexic child generally has persistent and unusual difficulties when tackling words. He/she may struggle with spelling, writing, reading, memory or numbers. He/she may appear to be bright in other areas, but is not progressing as quickly as other children of a similar age and general ability. 

 

The terms ‘mild’ and ‘severe’ dyslexia are used to describe the effect of the difficulty on the child’s learning. Each dyslexic child will have an uneven pattern of strengths and difficulties, and this will change according to the tasks they need to do and the situation they find themselves in. Some children have skills that help compensate for their difficulty and may not show signs of dyslexia until they are older. All this makes dyslexia challenging to pin down. Discovering your child is dyslexic can feel overwhelming, sometimes parents feel they have let their child down. As you gather more information you will be able to advocate for your child and take the path ahead of you one step at a time.  

 

Some people view dyslexia as a negative ‘label’: in our experience it more often comes with a sense of great relief. When dyslexia is well explained, the child will realise that they are not stupid and can learn ways to overcome their difficulty. This may come with the realisation that they can expect to find some things much harder than their classmates.  

 

It can be difficult to explain what dyslexia is to your child. To be positive, often dyslexia can be explained as a 'super power' or famous people with dyslexia are exampled. It is important to be mindful that your child would probably prefer not to be dyslexic and may not be able to see this point of view. Just knowing that it is not their fault, that they are not less clever than their peers but need to work differently and sometimes harder to find a way that works for them can be helpful. The kid's blogs sections can be used to show your child that there are lots of children who are the same as them. 

 

Just the facts - Is my child dyslexic ? click here to read the information leaflet from the International Dyslexia Association 

 

Empowered Parents is a very informative leaflet about dyslexia, Supporting a young person with dyslexia and 

getting the services they are entitled to published for 2019 – 2020 click here to download