Is your kid finding it tough to read? He/she may have dyslexia. It’s a lifelong learning disorder that affects spelling, reading, writing, and math (sometimes). So, when dealing with dyslexia in children, check out what to do and what not. Doing this will help you create the best learning environment that focuses on the weaknesses and strengths of an individual. 

When my son “Rohan” was in Grade 2, we noticed he would solemnly drag his feet when it was time to read aloud. He’d sit at the back of the classroom, head down, watching other children finish while he still fidgeted with the simplest sentence. At home he loved stories, but when asked to read them himself he would flip through pages quickly and often mumble, skip words, or say, “I’ll try later.”

Then one afternoon, the teacher called saying: “Your child is bright, but reading takes him so long.” That was the turning point. After an assessment we discovered Rohan had dyslexia. At first I felt guilty — should I have seen this earlier? But once we accepted it, we shifted from wondering “What’s wrong with him?” to asking “How can we help him?”. We found a specialist, adjusted his reading time, celebrated small wins (“You read that whole paragraph!”) and most importantly, told him: “You’re not less smart — you just learn differently.”

Two years later: He’s still working at it, but he now reads short stories independently, uses audio-books when he’s tired, and proudly tells me he wrote a little comic book about a dyslexic superhero. It wasn’t quick. It wasn’t easy. But it was worth it.

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Real-Statistics Table

Here’s a table of key statistics about dyslexia in children

Statistic	Figure	Source
Estimated prevalence of dyslexia in school‐aged children worldwide	~ 5 % to 10 % of children. (ResearchGate)	Wagner et al. (2020) & other prevalence reviews (PMC)
Proportion of children enrolled in special education for a learning disability who have dyslexia	Between ~ 70 % – 85 %. (crossrivertherapy.com)	CrossRiverTherapy / NewDawnABA summary (crossrivertherapy.com)
Gender differential	Dyslexia affects girls and boys approximately equally; earlier assumptions of male predominance are outdated. (ecac-parentcenter.org)	Child Mind Institute guide & peer-reviewed review (ecac-parentcenter.org)
Early identification age	Children at highest risk can often be identified by age 5-6 according to international studies. (publications.parliament.uk)	UK Parliament evidence review “Education and Skills” (publications.parliament.uk)

“Note: Figures reflect international research; prevalence may vary by language, orthography, and region.”

Expert Insights

“Dyslexia is most commonly associated with trouble learning to read. It affects a child’s ability to recognise and manipulate the sounds in language… This causes difficulty with reading, writing and spelling.”
— Child Mind Institute guide. Child Mind Institute

“The home literacy environment serves as a mediator between parenting styles and dyslexia in children.”
— Wen W. et al. (2024) study in Frontiers in Psychology. Frontiers

Bar Chart

Bar chart showing awareness levels among teachers:

Dyslexia in Children: Do’s

Get Help from a Certified Expert

Few psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and clinical educators are highly qualified to find and treat dyslexia. They will offer you and your special child sufficient data and resources associated with the treatment. 

Enroll Your Dyslexic Kid in Special School

Take admission of your kid to a special school that focuses on dyslexia and other learning disorders. It will help him/her to keep up with other kids and prevent bullying. 

Take Action Quickly

Getting evaluation and treatment as soon as possible will help your kid stay current with the classroom work and learn important reading skills. It also helps the dyslexic child overcome the challenges in their life. Remember, kids who find it hard to read in high and middle school are more prone to the risk of behavioral and emotional issues. 

Focus on Strengths

Dyslexic kids have strong problem-solving, visual-spatial, and creativity skills. Therefore, make sure you focus on the strengths of your child. It will help him/her create a positive self-image and feel confident in their abilities. 

Read with Your Kid

Read with your child at home and make it fun. Your support will give him/her a good head start. Let your dyslexic kid see the images and words as you are reading. It will help him/her link words to pictures. 

When you find your kid comfortable with reading whole sentences, let him/her pick own books. With time, your kid will be reading without you. But make sure you stay nearby for assistance. 

Work with the Clinician Near You

To manage dyslexia in children, get in touch with the clinician near you. He/she will be familiar with the unique needs of your dyslexic child and recommend the best assistive technologies and treatment. 

Make Writing Fun

Teach your child handwriting at home. It will help him/her be more aware of what words and letters appear like. With this activity, your kid will begin to regain muscle memory. 

Try to include writing in arts and crafts. You can even work together to create picture books or DIY trading cards. Once you find your kid working on handwriting, introduce him/her to M.S. Word Processors. 

Motivate Your Child to Stay Organized

Make sure you and your kid stay organized. For example, your child must know what to expect when he/she comes home from school. 

• When to practice writing and reading?
• How much time to devote to homework? etc.

It’s worth leaving space for breaks. Also, ensure you have everything you need for scheduled activities.

Offer Emotional Support

Dyslexic kids often feel anxious, frustrated, and low. Thus, it’s worth offering emotional support to them. Doing this will help them feel respected and valued. For example, you can create a supportive learning environment and encourage positive feedback. 

Dyslexia in Children: Don’ts

Don’t Humiliate Your Kid

Avoid treating your child as inferior. It’s because he/she may be facing something that you find as simple. But in reality, it’s not. Furthermore, help your kid with his/her work. But let him/her do it on own. 

Don’t Underestimate Your Kid’s Ability

Children with dyslexia usually have minimal expectations from their peers and teachers. It declines their self-esteem. By providing appropriate resources and support, you can help your child improve their personal and academic life.

Don’t Depend on Your Kid’s School for Treatment

Although teachers are well-trained to identify and help kids with mild reading issues, they fail to diagnose or offer individualized dyslexia treatment. 

Don’t Blame Yourself or Others

This learning disorder is caused by the differences in grouping the circuits of the brain. It’s not by something that someone did or did not do. So, stop blaming yourself or your kid’s babysitters, nanny, grandparent, or teachers. 

Don’t Visit an Optometrist

Most parents take their kids to an optometrist when they find difficulty in reading. But remember dyslexia in children is not a vision issue. Also, there is no research available yet that shows vision therapy can help with dyslexia.  

Don’t Wait for Signs of Progress

Most parents often make the mistake of thinking that their dyslexic kid will show signs of progress with time. However, dyslexia is not a learning delay. Helping your child with dyslexia early will offer you resources to perform well in school. Also, as long as they are ready to do the work, they can catch up to their peers. 

Don’t Depend on Commercial Reading Programs

There are a lot of commercial reading programs designed for kids with reading problems. But they cannot help with the unique brain processing of a dyslexic kid.

Don’t Pressurize Your Kid

Avoid stressing your kid. Dyslexic children require additional assistance and time to deal with the situation. Make your child feel free to take breaks and ask for help if required. 

Don’t Expect Quick Results

It will take some time for dyslexic kids to master language and speech skills at a grade level. On average, the treatment time for most kids is 2 -3 years. With everyday practice and a certified clinician, it’s possible to minimize the treatment time to one year. 

For more information, you can visit the IDA’s parent-guide for dyslexia support”
URL: https://dyslexiaida.org/.

FAQ’s

Define Dyslexia.

Dyslexia meaning in English – It’s a learning disorder that affects their potential to write, read, and spell. This term comes from two Greek words:

• Dys – Difficulty
• Lexis – Language or Word

What Are the Symptoms of Dyslexia in Children?

Symptoms of dyslexia in children can be hard to detect before your kid enters school.

Before Entering School

• Learn new words slowly.
• Issues in creating words correctly.
• Problem in playing rhyming games or learning nursery rhymes.
• Delayed talking.
• Issues in naming or memorizing numbers, colors, or letters. 

School Age

Once your kid reaches school, the signs of dyslexia in children become more clear:

• Issue in noticing differences and similarities in words and letters.
• Difficulty in spelling or remembering things in sequence.
• Reading below the expected age level.
• Not able to pronounce a strange word.
• Difficulty in understanding and processing what’s heard.
• Don’t perform activities that include reading.
• Spend a long time finishing tasks which include writing and reading.

Management of Dyslexia: How to Handle Dyslexia in Children? 

There are numerous interventions and educational programs available that help kids with dyslexia enhance their spelling and reading potential. How much a kid takes advantage of them will reply in different factors like:

• Severity of condition
• Child’s age

In most cases, the signs of dyslexia in children are not considered serious enough for them to get individualized schooling. It means only a few dyslexic kids need a special school that manages this learning issue.  

What Not to Do for Students with Dyslexia?

Here is what you should avoid with Dyslexia students:

• Don’t ask a dyslexic student to imitate things from a text or board.
• Don’t ask him/her to read aloud.
• Don’t pressure him/her to finish work assignments fast. 

What Can’t You Do with Dyslexia?

Those with dyslexia find it difficult to spell, speak or write. It means it’s a language processing disorder that affects every form of language whether it’s written or spoken.