Supporting your child with dyslexia
Recognising the signs, getting a diagnosis, and accessing support.
If you think your child may have dyslexia, or they already have a diagnosis, you’re not alone – dyslexia affects up to one in ten people in the UK, and many go on to achieve great success in their studies and careers. This guide offers practical advice to help you understand dyslexia, support your child’s education, and plan for their future.
Recognising the signs
When your child was at primary school, they may have found it difficult to learn how to read, form letters, or remember sequences like days of the week. At secondary school, signs of dyslexia may look different. Your child might:
- struggle to read accurately or fluently
- avoid reading aloud
- find it hard to write clearly
- struggle with spelling, even for familiar words
- find it hard to plan and organise written work
- feel anxious about tests or written work
- feel exhausted at the end of a school day
These challenges can sometimes affect confidence, but it’s important to remember that dyslexia does not affect intelligence. Many children with dyslexia show real strengths in creativity, problem solving, and thinking differently.
Taking the first steps
If you have concerns, keep a diary of your child’s challenges and speak with your child’s teacher or the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). They can explain what support is available. Many schools use screening tools to see if someone might be dyslexic. They’re not as accurate as an assessment, but they are a useful starting point.
It also helps to talk openly with your child. Let them know that dyslexia is simply a different way of learning and that with support, they can succeed.
Getting an assessment and diagnosis
A formal assessment can help you and your child understand their learning profile in more detail. Schools sometimes arrange assessments through their SENCo, or you can organise one privately with a qualified specialist teacher or educational psychologist. The NHS explains that while schools may carry out initial checks, a full diagnostic assessment is usually carried out by a trained specialist.
An assessment can confirm whether your child has dyslexia, highlight their strengths, and suggest practical strategies. It can also open the door to support in exams, like extra time or access to assistive technology.
Supporting your child at home
According to the British Dyslexia Association (BDA), the most important thing you can do as the parent of a child with dyslexia is build their self-esteem. The BDA sets out some practical tips for doing this, which we’ve summarised here:
- Encourage your child to try lots of different activities, so you can both discover what they enjoy.
- Once they find something they love, make time for it, support them, and celebrate their progress. The BDA says it’s ‘critically important that a dyslexic child has something they enjoy and feel they are really good at.’
- Give your child plenty of chances to be active – running, climbing, or playing sports – to boost their mood and release frustration.
- Understand that some tasks, like reading and writing, will be challenging and involve sustained effort. Praise their hard work and persistence.
- Teach your child that mistakes help us learn. Encourage them to say, ‘I can’t do it yet’ instead of ‘I can’t do it.’ Show them you believe in their abilities.
- Read with your child and talk about stories, shows, or videos you watch together. Explore books, museums, music, films, games, and audiobooks to build their vocabulary and spark conversations.
- Play fun games to build language skills, like making up stories with toys, rhyming songs, ‘I spy’, or writing shopping lists and notes.
- Keep requests manageable. Avoid pushing too hard or asking them to read ‘just one more page.’ Recognise when your child has had enough and switch to something different.
Working with the school
In the UK, your child has the right to support if they have additional learning needs. Their school’s SENCo should coordinate extra help, which may include:
- small group interventions
- extra time in exams
- coloured overlays or accessible resources
- access to laptops or assistive technology
Stay in regular contact with teachers and the SENCo. Avoid having a quick word with their teacher before or after school; instead, make an appointment with enough time to discuss your concerns properly, agree on some positive actions, and take notes to refer to later.
Applying for college, apprenticeships, or university
As your child thinks about life after secondary school, dyslexia should never hold them back from applying to college, apprenticeships, or university. Many students with dyslexia go on to achieve strong grades in higher education and the workplace.
When applying, your child can choose to disclose their dyslexia. Doing so means they can access extra support, like specialist study skills tuition or assistive technology, right from the start.
‘I was really nervous about telling my university at first, but it was the best decision I made. The support I’ve received has been amazing. I get extra time in exams and one-to-one study skills sessions, which have helped me build my confidence.’
Cambridge University student with dyslexia (watch the full video interview here)
Many UK universities also have a Disability Services team that can guide students through applying for the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). This allowance can fund software, equipment, and support like mentoring.
In the world of work, many employers value the unique strengths that people with dyslexia bring, like creativity, problem solving, three-dimensional thinking, and seeing the bigger picture. When it’s time for your child to research employers or apprenticeship providers, they may want to check if they’re a Disability Confident employer – one that has pledged to create inclusive workplaces for people with disabilities, including those with dyslexia.
Success stories
It may help your child to know that many successful people have dyslexia. Famous names include the actor Keira Knightly, space scientist and presenter Maggie Aderin-Pocock, and Dragons’ Den investor Theo Paphitis. Each of them has spoken openly about their struggles at school but also about how dyslexia gave them resilience and creativity.
Sharing these stories with your child can help them see dyslexia as a difference, not a limitation.
Good stuff from elsewhere
NHS Dyslexia
Clear information on diagnosis and support from the NHS.
British Dyslexia Association (BDA)
Advice, resources, helplines, and accredited specialists.