Could My Smart Child REALLY Have Dyslexia?

Have you ever wondered if your smart child could be struggling to read and write because of dyslexia?  

You wouldn’t be alone.  

As many as 1 in 5 kids suffer with dyslexia; some say 1 in 4.  Many go undiagnosed.  But if you know what you are looking for, their common struggles give them away.

A dyslexia diagnosis, whether informal or formal, often comes as a surprise to parents and kids alike because a lot of kids with dyslexia are extremely intelligent.  As they grow up through the preschool years, they often seem curious, talented, innovative, friendly, and plenty smart to begin their schooling.

And then the frustration and difficulties come.  You might notice that your child has trouble learning his or her letters and sounds.  Or struggles to tie his or her shoelaces. Or keep his or her right and left straight.  You might notice that he or she writes letters backwards.  Or that b’s and d’s are constantly reversed.  You might notice that numbers and letters keep getting confused.  Or that your child learns and forgets, learns and forgets.

When reading practice starts, you might notice that your child just doesn’t seem to get it.  Learning to blend sounds together can be extra challenging, and you might hear your child switch sounds and come up with crazy sounding words after seeming to sound out the word properly.

Teaching your child “sight words” might cause tears and frustration, with words getting constantly confused or forgotten.  It might baffle you how he or she could say the word one second and completely forget it the next, as if he or she had never even seen it before.  You might think that you are making progress at times, but then notice that your child mixes up all the sight words when reading and spelling.

Speaking of spelling, you might notice how horrible your child’s handwriting is and how bizarre the letter order seems to be.  You might not even be able to read what your child is writing because the letters just don’t make any sense.

That’s usually around when the nerves, discouragement, and FEAR of learning start to set in.  Your child starts to notice that the people who used to smile and shout encouraging words at him or her are now getting agitated, frustrated, and disappointed by his or her failed attempts.  They seem to look at him or her differently… write him or her off… lose faith in his or her ability to learn.

Self-doubt starts to replace that pre-school confidence and beaming face your child used to have, and you might hear your child say things like, “I’m so dumb!” or “I’m stupid.”  He or she might say, “My brain doesn’t work right.” Or, “I just can’t remember stuff.”

You might see him or her hit his or her head…or start giving up on things more easily.

Your child might start worrying about the challenges he or she will face at school each day, and he or she might start having stomachaches… headaches… and lots of excuses about why he or she can’t go that day.  You might start having to DRAG your child to school, kicking and screaming.  Or you might just notice that your child is simply deflated after a full day at school.

The constant worry and challenges your child must deal with often lead to DESPAIR if no intervention happens and the teaching isn’t clicking with your child. 

Reading and spelling does not “just happen” with dyslexic kids.  They must have explicit, systematic instruction that makes sense to their uniquely wired brains.The longer you wait to get help, the more trauma your child will incur. 

Yes, TRAUMA. 

Being stuck in a classroom and constantly asked to do things that he or she simply can’t understand and/or do at the moment causes TRAUMA.

It also causes FEAR…DISCOURAGEMENT…SELF-DOUBT…ANXIETY…and so much more that starts to peck away at the child you used to know.

The good news is that the obstacles and struggles don’t have to keep your child from learning to read and write.  You simply need to find a teacher who understands how to teach your child.  Someone who understands how to get past the processing, memory, and/or retrieval issues which create the struggle of dyslexia.

Dyslexia doesn’t “go away” when your child learns to read and write, but it often becomes easier to deal with in school once you get over the hurdle of learning to read and write.  The more you understand what brings on your child’s struggle and gets in the way of learning, the more you can help him or her learn to work around his or her weaknesses and find his or her way to success. It might take hard work.  It might take perseverance.  It might take extra doses of discipline.  But it can certainly be done.

If your child is suffering in school and struggling to learn to read and write, get help as soon as possible.  The earlier you identify the problem and solve it, the more successful your child is apt to be during his or her school years.

For more information on how to identify and/or bust through dyslexia, feel free to write me at [email protected]. There’s lots of information on my websites as well.  Go to www.kidscanreadandwrite.com and/or www.kidscanonlineacademy.com to read more.

All the best and much success,

Katy Huller