Being a parent of a dyslexic child is incredibly rewarding but also at times rather frustrating. The rewards are seeing my daughter overcome challenges and develop skills and strengths that have helped her succeed. My daughter is an avid reader, she loves books, she also enjoys writing and would one day like to publish a book. She succeeded at GCSE, is continuing to do so at A Level and is determined to go on to university, to travel the world and to make a difference. In many ways her success has not been despite of her dyslexia but because of it.
The frustrations have largely been the result of people’s attitudes towards dyslexia, primarily because of their lack of understanding or unwillingness to really engage in supporting a dyslexic learner. Probably the greatest challenges that my daughter has faced has been the attitudes others towards her dyslexia, dealing with snide comments from her classmates, accusations that she is using her dyslexia as an excuse or not wishing to work with her because maybe her spelling is not as good as theirs. This of course has has an impact on her confidence and self-belief, so I suppose the challenge for her has been overcoming those put downs and having faith herself and her ability to succeed.
Surprisingly it is not only classmates that have undermined her confidence at times but also her teachers: comments like “what’s wrong with Anna?” or the result of extra random word spelling tests, as if this will somehow miraculously improve her spelling without actually giving her the tools to be able to do so. What has frustrated her and me often is the assumption that because she is dyslexic that she can’t or won’t achieve, therefore not believing she is prepared for challenge or at worse treating her as if she is incapable.
As is the case for everyone, self-belief is probably one of the most powerful tools a dyslexic can have to ensure that they succeed: That self-belief comes from those teachers, classmates and parents who are willing to embrace diversity and the benefits it brings to society as a whole.