Are you worried that your child might have signs of dyslexia, or other learning difficulties?
Learning to read seems simple enough. After all, how hard can it be to interpret those symbols on the page?
For many, however, classroom reading instruction is the beginning of a lifetime of struggle, anxiety, embarrassment, shame and poor self esteem.
Those who find reading difficult are often diagnosed as dyslexic.
A diagnosis may provide useful information, but it doesn’t tell us everything about the child.
More than Just Reading
My experience shows that children who struggle with reading often face challenges in other areas too.
These difficulties may include :
- maths
- spelling
- handwriting
- memory
- listening and following spoken instructions
- clumsy or uncoordinated
- organisational skills
- study skills
The ability to read is connected to sensory and motor development, particularly the senses of balance, vision and hearing, as well as movement and muscle tone.
Intense tutoring and more instruction may not always help. Often, the classroom struggles that we see may only be the “tip of the iceberg”.
It doesn’t take long for children to realise that others are finding the learning much easier.
“Smart but feeling dumb”, is the expression one of my students used to described herself.
Behaviour as an Adaptive Response to a Perception of Threat
While many parents prefer to seek a diagnosis when their child is struggling at school, not everyone chooses to go down this path
I suggest an alternative view, based on addressing the root cause, looking for what lies beneath the behaviour.
What is their behaviour trying to tell us?
Could they be saying:
“I don’t feel comfortable enough in the classroom to learn?”
We can’t learn when we are feeling unsafe, pressured or overwhelmed.
Children need to feel safe in order to learn. For many, the classroom doesn’t feel safe.
Not surprisingly, many children are able to read perfectly well when given individual support in a more peaceful environment.
Looking beyond the label – addressing the whole Child
Since 2005 I have been offering a developmental approach to support children with signs of dyslexia, and other learning difficulties.
Rather than labelling or diagnosing your child, I prefer to look beneath the behaviours, to address the cause.
As an holistic therapist I’m more interested in the person in front of me, than any label they may or may not carry. I see their behaviour as a symptom of something deeper.
Many of these children have not felt comfortable in traditional classrooms, openly saying they did not enjoy being at school.
Rather than trying to “fix” the child, using a traditional approach of managing symptoms, an holistic view sees the behaviour as part of a bigger picture.
Your child does not exist in isolation. They are also part of a community and their behaviour is also influenced by mnay things, including their environment and the pressures of life in today’s world.
Children develop in natural, pre-determined stages. Each new stage is built on the foundations of the earlier ones, a bit like building blocks. When one stage has been missed or is incomplete, the “stack” becomes unsteady, and your child will likely struggle to learn.
We can support a child’s learning by addressing developmental immaturities, or filling in the gaps. The aim is to build the foundations for later learning in all areas – social, emotional, behavioural and physical, as well as in the classroom.
Is My Child Ready to Learn to Read?
Reading ability is built on a strong foundation of early sensory and motor development.
Skills that can help your child’s reading readiness include:
- Feeling safe supports relaxation, and concentration
- Balance and coordination helps them to sit still and concentrate
- Being able to move both eyes together smoothly across a page.
- Listening – processing the sounds they are hearing
- Having the strength and coordination to sit comfortably and focus.
- Memory – link together a series of sounds to form words
Read more:
The Good News
The good news is that it’s never too late to help your child. Addressing underlying issues can help with much more than just reading and writing. Without the frustration of trying to keep up, they are able to relax in the classroom.
Consequently, you may find anxiety decreases, social and emotional learning develops and friendships become easier. Your child may have fewer meltdowns, and family relationships become closer.
This invites the question:
“Is it the diagnosis that’s important, or is it how you deal with it that matters?”
The First Step
The first step is to make an appointment for an . This is a time set aside just for you, a safe place for you to share your concerns. We can talk about strategies and support for your family.
It’s never too late to help your child, but is is much easier when they are younger, before secondary issues of poor self esteem, anxiety, anger and frustration start to creep in.
We all want our children to be happy and successful.
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