A couple of years ago, I came across a post that the mother of an 11^th-grade boy with dyslexia wrote to his new teachers.

She began by telling them of her intention to make them aware of some things they should know about her son.

In it, she listed character traits like his extreme thoughtfulness, helpful attitude, and kindness. Then she specified organizations where he used his strengths, for example being on the tech crew at a theatre and being involved in a Civil Air Patrol unit.

Only then did she talk about his identification as a student with dyslexia and the struggles, as well as improvements he had made since being classified in the 3^rd grade.

She concluded her note with a quick definition of dyslexia.

Her letter was accompanied by one from her son, in which he listed a few behaviors the teacher should expect to witness. Things like –  

• Not being the first to raise his hand to answer a question, because he needs extra time to think.
• Getting confused when given too many steps to follow.
• Incorrect spelling and grammar.

Then he went on to solicit the teacher’s support by asking him to –

• Skip him when students were required to read aloud in class.
• Teach so that he used all his senses.
• Provide assistive technology when needed.

He ended by promising to do his best.

The P.S. was the “knock-out” punch. He asked to be allowed to do the things he enjoyed (recess, sports, art, music, and socializing), explaining that they were essential for him to maintain his positive self-esteem.

This mother’s idea was genius.

Every parent with a dyslexic child should follow her lead. Many teachers will thank them for the pertinent information advance notice.

In parenting your child, would you share one unique action you took?