Even the best-intended comments can make a child with dyslexia feel discouraged or inadequate. We talked to dyslexia advocate Ben Foss, author of The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan. He shared tips about what words can hurt— and what to say instead.
1. “If you try harder, you’ll read better.”
Imagine asking a student who uses a wheelchair to get himself up a flight of stairs without any help. He makes his way to the top, but naturally he takes longer to do it than his classmates. Would you think he wasn’t trying hard? Of course not. Kids with dyslexia already work harder than their peers just to get to baseline when it comes to reading. If your child is struggling, you might say, “I know it’s tough to always have to work so hard at reading. What can we do to make it less frustrating for you right now?”
2. “Other kids don’t need to know about your dyslexia.”
Dyslexia is an important aspect of your child’s identity— just like sense of humor and hair color. Encouraging kids to hide their dyslexia from other kids tells them it’s something they should be ashamed of. Instead try, “Your friends can see how creative and good you are at so many things. Telling them about your dyslexia might help give them a fuller picture of who you are.”
3. “Maybe we should think about alternatives to college where reading isn’t so important.”
People often lower their expectations for students with learning and thinking differences. But kids with dyslexia (and other challenges) can go on to achieve great things if they’re given the proper supports and play to their strengths. Try instead: “I believe you can achieve anything. If you want to go to college, let’s find a place that provides the support and opportunities that will help you reach your goals.”
Explore more tips for talking to your child about college.
4. “If you don’t learn to read, you’ll never be successful.”
Every child with dyslexia should have the opportunity to learn how to read with the eyes. But if it’s not clicking, it might be time to look at other methods. The message you can share: “There are many different ways to read. Some people read with their eyes. Many blind people use Braille and read with their fingers. You might like reading with your ears— by listening to audiobooks, for example. We’re going to find a way for you to read that suits your strengths.”
5. “Using a spellchecker is cheating.”
Would you tell a person in a wheelchair that using a ramp to get into a building is cheating? No! A key point in this comparison is that both buildings and writing assignments are often poorly designed for certain people. Assistive technology can help people to maximize their potential. Consider saying, “Lots of people use technology to become better learners. Some people use glasses. Some use hearing aids. Some use computers. We’re going to teach you how to use various tools to help you become more independent.”
FAQs
Some dyslexic people experience a visual stress effect when reading, especially if there is glare from black print and a bright white background. This can make the words unclear, distorted or appear to move and can be very tiring.
What makes dyslexia worse? ›
Some dyslexic people experience a visual stress effect when reading, especially if there is glare from black print and a bright white background. This can make the words unclear, distorted or appear to move and can be very tiring.
How to explain dyslexia to a child? ›
Explain what dyslexia means.
What to say: “I know you really struggle with reading sometimes. It seems that the words just don't make sense. This difficulty is called dyslexia — a big word to explain why some kids and adults find it hard to learn to read, write and spell.” “You're just as smart as other kids.
What are the three main symptoms of dyslexia? ›
Symptoms of dyslexia in high school children
- poor reading.
- bad spelling, including different misspellings of the same word in one writing assignment.
- difficulties with writing summaries.
- problems with learning a foreign language.
There are many forms of dyslexia and not everyone diagnosed with it experiences reading this way. But seeing nonexistent movement in words and seeing letters like “d”, “b”, “p”, “q” rotated is common among people with dyslexia.
What improves dyslexia? ›
Teachers may use techniques involving hearing, vision and touch to improve reading skills. Helping a child use several senses to learn — for example, listening to a taped lesson and tracing with a finger the shape of the letters used and the words spoken — can help in processing the information.
What triggers dyslexia? ›
Dyslexia results from individual differences in the parts of the brain that enable reading. It tends to run in families. Dyslexia appears to be linked to certain genes that affect how the brain processes reading and language.
What words do kids with dyslexia struggle with? ›
Words that are hard for dyslexics to spell
- Accommodation.
- Anthropomorphism.
- Appraisal.
- Archaeology.
- Entrepreneurship.
- Exaggeration.
- Hyperventilation.
- Paradoxical.
You can teach a dyslexic child to read by using a specific method called “systematic phonics-based instruction.” Phonics is the name for the process of matching letters to sounds. Kids with dyslexia have a hard time with phonics and need to learn it in a slow, structured way.
Can a child overcome dyslexia? ›
Answer: Good intervention makes a huge difference for kids with dyslexia. But it isn't a “cure.” Dyslexia is a lifelong condition — and it usually impacts more than just basic reading skills. At the heart of it, dyslexia is a brain-based issue with language.
The 4 types of dyslexia include phonological dyslexia, surface dyslexia, rapid naming deficit, and double deficit dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning disorder where the person often has difficulty reading and interpreting what they read. It is neither infectious nor brought on by vaccinations.
What are the 4 D's of dyslexia? ›
Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia and Dyspraxia.
What are strong signs of dyslexia? ›
Signs of dyslexia (adult)
- Confuse visually similar words such as cat and cot.
- Spell erratically.
- Find it hard to scan or skim text.
- Read/write slowly.
- Need to re-read paragraphs to understand them.
- Find it hard to listen and maintain focus.
- Find it hard to concentrate if there are distractions.
Use dark coloured text on a light (not white) background. Avoid green and red/pink, as these colours are difficult for those who have colour vision deficiencies (colour blindness). Consider alternatives to white backgrounds for paper, computer and visual aids such as whiteboards.
Can you be dyslexic but good at reading? ›
Most dyslexic people can learn to read well with the right support, however, spelling appears to be a difficulty that persists throughout life. It's not entirely understood why this is the case. It is known that dyslexia impacts phonological processing and memory.
How do dyslexics read differently? ›
You might mix up the letters in a word — for example, reading the word "now" as "won" or "left" as "felt." Words may also blend together and spaces are lost. You might have trouble remembering what you've read.
What are dyslexics bad at? ›
Because word reading takes more time and focus, the meaning of the word often is lost, and reading comprehension is poor. It's not surprising that people with dyslexia have trouble spelling. They also might have trouble expressing themselves in writing and even speaking.
When does dyslexia get worse? ›
Though dyslexia is present at birth, adults with brain injury, stroke, or dementia may develop the symptoms of dyslexia. Dyslexia may worsen with age.
Does dyslexia worsen with age? ›
Careful neuropsychological testing revealed that most all dyslexic children become dyslexic adults, and the reverse. Aging appears to diminish cerebral and/or interrelated cerebellar functioning, thus explaining both dyslexic and klutzy intensification or creation.
What words do dyslexics struggle with? ›
Words that are hard for dyslexics to spell
- Accommodation.
- Anthropomorphism.
- Appraisal.
- Archaeology.
- Entrepreneurship.
- Exaggeration.
- Hyperventilation.
- Paradoxical.
