Children with dyslexia experience learning difficulties with reading, writing, words, comprehension and language. Most kids are not diagnosed with it until they are in school; however, the earlier the intervention, the better it is for your little one.
These are the things you need to look out for with your big kid:
- Confusing letters such as m and w, or d and b
- Problems with reading
- Complaining of dizziness or headaches when reading
- Doesn't like reading and avoids reading aloud
- Problems with handwriting
- Difficulty with retelling stories in the correct order
- Lower than expected reading level
- Writes certain words backwards
- Difficulty learning parts of grammar
Children who have dyslexia have a normal intelligence, they just need support to help them deal with the challenges they face. When your child is diagnosed with dyslexia, you need to explain to them about their condition and that you will deal with it as a family.
It is important you explain to them that they have no reason to hide it, try to tell them that it is a very common condition. Being able to relate to someone in their class might help, so talk to their teacher about introducing your little one to someone else who may have it.
Make sure they understand what dyslexia means and that it is a case of finding reading and writing more difficult than others. The more information your child has, the better prepared they will be to face it.
While they will need to work that little bit harder than anyone else in their class infomr them that you, their teacher and their friends will be there to help support them.
If they are struggling to deal with the diagnosis, discovers strengths within them that are not affected by their dyslexia such as art, swimming, music or sports. Use these to show your little one that they are like other kids.
Always be prepared to discuss the problem with your child more than once. They are not likely to understand all of what you say to start off with so let them know that they can come to you at anytime with any problem.
