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The iceberg is a great way to visualize dyslexia. Above the water, you see the small visible part. Things like difficulty with reading, spelling, and writing. That’s what most people recognize as dyslexia.
But what’s beneath the surface? A range of cognitive differences affect memory, processing speed, organization, and even self-esteem. These hidden struggles can impact a person’s entire life – not just in school but in work, relationships, and everyday tasks.
As a parent raising a child with dyslexia, it is important to realize that the areas you do not see can impact your child and family daily. If you don’t recognize the areas under the iceberg, you may look up one day and see you have hit the iceberg and not have a boat (or plan) to get out without a Titanic moment.
Hidden Challenges
What are some of these hidden challenges for a child with dyslexia?
🧠 Processing Speed & Working Memory – People with dyslexia often take longer to process information, making it hard to follow fast-paced conversations or instructions. When your child gets home from a long day at school, she/he may be mentally exhausted. As your child gets older, the entire day requires a level of reading and focus that may be difficult most if not every day.
📖 Phonological Awareness – Decoding words takes extra effort and time. If your child has not been remediated, then she/he does not have the tools required to decode words. As your child gets older and the focus changes from learning to read to reading to learn your child will experience challenges and roadblocks. When you know your child is struggling to learn to read, it is imperative that you find a tutor and school curriculum to support your child’s remediation.
✍️ Organization & Time Management – Keeping track of schedules, deadlines, or even remembering where your child left her homework can be a challenge. As parents, we often forget that our child struggles in these areas. It is important to your child’s success and self-esteem that you work with your son/daughter to figure out systems that work best to keep him/her organized.
😟 Emotional Toll – Anxiety, frustration, and low self-esteem often develop due to years of struggling in a system that isn’t built for neurodiversity.
😟 Social Struggles – For children who learn to read later in their school years or still struggling to learn to read, it can take a toll on friendships and how other students see them. For some children, they withdraw socially and do not want to speak up in class.
The Strengths
But here’s the part we don’t talk about enough—what’s also hidden under the water? Your child’s strengths!
🎨 Creativity – Many people with dyslexia are incredibly creative thinkers, excelling in art, music, design, and storytelling. It is how dyslexics think that makes them unique. They see the world through a different lens. As a parent, you have to find opportunities for your child to thrive outside of reading. Ironically, our daughter spends most of her waking hours now in middle school reading. A little over two years ago, she realized that she could enjoy a book.
🔍 Big-Picture Thinking – Instead of getting lost in details, they see connections and patterns others might miss.
💡 Problem-Solving & Innovation – Some of the greatest entrepreneurs, inventors, and visionaries—like Barbara Cochran and Richard Branson are dyslexic.
🗣️ Empathy & Resilience – Overcoming challenges fosters deep empathy for others and an ability to push through adversity. In my work with parents raising children with dyslexia, I have met many parents who have children with high degrees of empathy. As adults with dyslexia, research has proven that the best managers and leaders have strong empathy.
So, how do we change the way we think about dyslexia? It starts with awareness, education, support, and shifting your perspective.
You are not alone. You got this!
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Episode 130: Understanding Your Child’s Dyslexia Workshop
- Subscribe to the Better Together Newletter
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If you are new to the journey of your child learning to read and remediating dyslexia, listen to episode 130: Understanding Your Child’s Dyslexia Workshop (linked in the podcast description and subscribe to the weekly email for more resources and tips at dyslexiamomlife.com (link on top of the page and in podcast description).
You are not alone. You got this!
Remember, You Got This! You are not alone!
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