Talk To Kids About Dyslexia

Expert / 6 January, 2025 / My Baba

Wondering how to talk to kids about dyslexia? 1 in 5 kids are dyslexic, but 95% of parents feel they lack the skills and knowledge to support their dyslexic child. Helping children to understand their dyslexia in a positive way is crucial for their confidence and development, but it can be tricky for parents to find the right words to help.

Here are some dos and don’ts for parents.

How to talk to kids about dyslexia

DON’T shy away from the label

A common misconception about dyslexia is that the label is a negative thing, but it’s not! Dyslexic brains process information differently, which results in dyslexic children having a unique pattern of both challenges and strengths. These strengths include creativity and problem-solving and lateral thinking.

Because dyslexia is often associated only with challenges in reading and spelling, parents may feel reluctant to use the label out of fear for putting their child ‘in a box’. But dyslexia can be your child’s superpower, and the label is a good thing! That’s because knowing why their brains work differently to others at a young age empowers dyslexics to focus on their Dyslexic Thinking skills, instead of beating themselves up over their challenges. In fact, 4 out of 5 dyslexics say that knowing they were dyslexic helped them develop the perseverance and resilience needed to succeed.

DON’T focus only on their challenges

Focusing only on dyslexic challenges makes dyslexic kids feel like failures, constantly having to “do better” to keep up with their peers. This is common in schools. With education’s emphasis on measuring things that dyslexics find challenging, like reading, writing, spelling and rote learning, it is no surprise that dyslexic children grow up acutely aware of the things they CAN’T do, instead of treasuring the things they CAN do.

Instead, parents must embrace dyslexia as their child’s superpower, and focus on their strengths. These strengths or Dyslexic Thinking skills can be split into 6 categories: visualising, imagining, communicating, reasoning, connecting and exploring. Understanding these strengths will help you to frame your child’s dyslexia as a valuable way of thinking, rather than a difficulty, which is key to them reaching their full potential.

DO help them to nurture their strengths

Once you understand the Dyslexic Thinking skills, and that dyslexia isn’t a weakness, you can help your child to identify their strengths and passions, and encourage them to do lots of it. Every dyslexic child has strengths, which may not be super obvious, but they are there.

Talk to your child about what they love to do and would do for hours. What do they love to watch, play with or learn about? These are usually their Dyslexic Thinking skills. Dyslexic kids become experts in the subjects they love because they are inquisitive and curious and use lots of Dyslexic Thinking skills, like exploring and questioning, to find out all there is to know about it. This is often a great way to spot dyslexia in our kids early.

Spotting your dyslexic child’s strengths is key to their success. It helps them to build self-esteem and often uncovers lifelong passions that they can turn into successful, rewarding careers. This is so important, because my charity Made By Dyslexia’s Intelligence 5.0 report found that Dyslexic Thinking skills are the most in-demand ‘human’ skills in every job, across all sectors, globally TODAY. Nurtured in the right way at a young age, Dyslexic Thinkers have the power to become pioneers of the future.

DO positively praise them

Psychologists from Harvard University found that it takes 5 positive comments to counteract 1 negative comment. As dyslexics at school, our life is filled with negative comments, criticism and failure. There is certainly no 1:5 ratio of positives to balance this out for us because our Dyslexic Thinking skills are rarely celebrated or commented on.

Positive praise is vital for dyslexic children. And even if certain things are challenging, or progress is slow, each small win should be celebrated. It’s vital to acknowledge and highlight your child’s Dyslexic Thinking and their expertise at every opportunity. Dyslexics often don’t realise how good they are at these things, so may not recognise them as their Superpowers. Giving your dyslexic child lots of positive praise is crucial for building their self-esteem and confidence, allowing them to grow their strengths rather than beating themselves up over things they find tricky.

Helping your dyslexic child to go far

If you’re a parent of a dyslexic child, the most transformative thing you can do is to help them spot their dyslexic strengths and value their Dyslexic Thinking skills, instead of being defined by their challenges. Because therein lies the formula for unleashing their Dyslexic Thinking Superpowers.

In fact, 4 in 5 successful people with dyslexia attribute their success to their Dyslexic Thinking. Focusing on things they are naturally good at, instead of what they find tricky, leads Dyslexic Thinkers into jobs they love and lives that are fulfilling.

Kate Griggs is the founder and CEO of the global charity Made By Dyslexia, host of the Lessons in Dyslexic Thinking podcast and the author of Xtraordinary People (a book for young Dyslexic Thinkers) and This is Dyslexia – New Edition (a revised and updated book for adult Dyslexic Thinkers). Discover free training for teachers and parents here.

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