My Child Was Just Diagnosed with Dyslexia. What Should I Do?

For many parents, the moment their child is diagnosed with dyslexia is a moment of relief. Their child has been struggling in school for months, or even years, and the process of unlocking the cause was replete with pain and heartache. In many cases, the child is adept at certain intellectual exercises, but not others, and has been accused of laziness or lack of focus.

In fact, they have a learning difference that makes reading difficult, and the dyslexia diagnosis is the welcome beginning of the road to a solution. It is important to understand that dyslexia is not a disease or disability: it is a lifelong, genetic learning difference that can be overcome with a proven learning system;
patient, expert teachers; and hard work. Roughly 10% of the population has dyslexia, including many famous and accomplished individuals, including Albert Einstein, Steven Spielberg and Ludvig von Beethoven.  Individuals with dyslexia may see the letters indistinctly, unfocused, and out of order. The letters may appear to shift positions on the page, requiring intense concentration to make out the words. Because reading is fundamental to learning, this affects almost everything in school and beyond.

Support Your Child With Dyslexia

The first thing all parents must do upon receiving a dyslexia diagnosis for their child is to reassure them that they are not bad, or wrong or at fault, that they are not “stupid, and that, with dedication and commitment to success, they can overcome this condition. Dyslexia can be frustrating and embarrassing, but there is no more shame in having dyslexia than in having Type 1 diabetes or asthma.

Educate Yourself About Dyslexia

Dyslexia is the single most common learning disorder, and it affects much more than just reading. Children may have trouble composing or remembering rhymes, distinguishing left from right, telling time, reading, writing and spelling. Dyslexia often has a social component, because kids with word-finding problems may feel ill at-ease, avoid social situations and suffer low self-esteem. Children with learning differences are accorded a host of accommodations by law, and it is important to know what those are
and when they apply.

Prepare to Act for Your Dyslexic Child

The first thing parents must do when they learn their child has dyslexia is recognize that there is a path to success and put the child on it. Experience tells us that the earlier intervention begins, the better for the child.

There are three routes parents can take for their dyslexic children.

1. Public School IEP -- The first is school intervention. Public schools are required to provide an Individualized Education Program, or IEP, for every child who needs one. Many schools are resistant or ill-prepared to deal with children who have learning differences, while others are experienced and employ teachers who specialize in teaching children with conditions like dyslexia. For children with mild cases of dyslexia, in-school intervention may be sufficient. Only you and your child’s teachers can
determine that. If your child’s school erects roadblocks or appears reticent to provide the education
your child needs, you must advocate for them, knowing that the law is on your side. For more information about advocacy and IEPs, see www.wrightslaw.com. Children with dyslexia may receive a host of accommodations in school, including extra time on tests, permission to record lectures and exemption from reading aloud in class.

Private schools in some states, including South Carolina, are not required to provide IEPs for students with learning differences; indeed, they are not even required to accept such children into their schools. If your child attends a private school that does not provide adequate services, you may need to find a new school or hire outside assistance.

2. Seek professional help – Whether your child is in a school that offers special educational services or not, you may decide that he or she requires more intensive intervention. Many tutors specialize in providing these services, but the additional education is only as good as the experience, expertise and competence of the teacher. Make sure you are hiring an experienced tutor certified in the gold standard for dyslexia education – the Orton-Gillingham approach -- then check their references. You want to
ensure that the significant investment in your child’s education is paying dividends.

3. Enroll your child in a school that has expertise in the Orton-Gillingham approach – The most effective, and most expensive intervention on behalf of your child is to enroll them in a private school for students with learning disabilities that helps them catch up to their peers using the Orton-Gillingham teaching approach. At Trident Academy in Mt. Pleasant, SC, all the teachers are trained Orton-Gillingham teachers who spend the entire school day teaching children with learning differences like dyslexia, ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, often in very small group settings. Children in specialized schools learn in a stigma-free environment because they are surrounded by children with similar issues.

One hallmark of excellence in a specialized school for children with learning differences is its ability to transition students back into the regular school system. Most children at Trident Academy, for example, learn to read at grade level or beyond and “graduate” back into more traditional learning environments where they can earn their diplomas from public or private high schools alongside their friends and neighbors.

Join a Dyslexia Parents Community

How does a parent learn about dyslexia?

By asking other parents of children with the condition. Dyslexia parents communities abound online, on social media and in-person in nearly every metropolitan area in the United States. Because children with dyslexia are as common as left-handed children, there are literally millions of people in possession of the information you need. Nothing is more empowering than connecting with other parents who have experienced the same highs and lows, and who can offer tips and tricks to optimize your child’s experience – and yours too.

Steel Yourself for the Experience

Educating a child with dyslexia is a long, difficult, and ultimately rewarding journey if you follow these steps. Prepare yourself and your family to be patient but determined for all that lies ahead.