Some thoughts for parents / carers of dyslexic kids

Hi followers, readers and friends

A response I wrote to a concerned dyslexic parent

I am a dyslexic dyslexia and inclusion specialist. I empathise with your frustration and concern. Far to many dyslexic parents are experiencing the same as yourself and you child. Dyslexic kids need to be in class learning with their peers, they need to be learning from their peers and their peers can learn from their dyslexic peers. 

If the support your child is given is not working for that child, for what ever reason, then it has to change. If that support is doing more harm than good then it has to change. If all that support is doing is causing your child to fall further behind their peers it needs to change. If the support is negatively impacting on a child's well being, self esteem, self confidence and mental health then it needs to change. 

Our education system is dyslexia unfriendly, many class teachers don't have the training, resources and the time they need to created an inclusive learning environment. 

You say your chid is spending a lot of time in learning support. This sounds like exclusion rather than inclusion. Is this benefiting your child? She is not even being taught the same things as her in class peers? 

How can this be benefiting her? 

Who benefits from this? 

From what you say its not benefiting your child. In fact its doing the opposite. Its giving her anxiety, it will be impacting on her self esteem and self confidence. If you can get in contact with other parents who have a dyslexic, neuro diverse or disabled child at the school. Get together and see what happening to their children. Use parent power to make change.

Just to add there are some great schools and and fab work with dyslexic kids but they are the exception rather than the rule. That needs to change.

#PeaceLoveGroovyness

Steve McCue