“The laws governing inheritance are quite unknown; no one can say why the same peculiarity in different individuals of the same species… is sometimes inherited and sometimes not so…” ~ Charles Darwin

Suzy’s Dilemma

Suzy was excited to be starting school. When she walked into her kindergarten class, she loved the pretty colors and pictures all over the room.

The teacher was welcoming, and the children were friendly. The day went well.

But soon, her struggles started. Her mom would show her spelling words on a flashcard at home and all she saw were wiggles and meaningless shapes.

For each lesson, she tried to figure out a strategy to understand the work the teacher was instructing them about, but it didn’t work for the next lesson.

She loved stories and “big words” so when people saw her with her thick glasses, they assumed she was very academic. Once the opportunity arose for her to read aloud or do classwork, however, they were amazed that she wasn’t.

Some of her teachers meant well and tried to encourage her, but others were downright nasty and said things to embarrass her frequently.

Her 3^rd grade teacher called her “lazy” and showed her “horrible” work to the entire class.

Her mother decided to homeschool her but had to send her back to regular school when she got to high school.

The principal and her teachers there were disappointed that she appeared so “brilliant” but failed exam after exam.

She told wonderful stories but spelled like an infant, could figure out the most difficult math problems but flunked the easy ones.

When she was 21 and trying to get into college, she was finally tested and identified with dyslexia.

Her grandfather had similar difficulties in school, but he just quit school and started working at an early age. No one had associated her challenges in school with those of her grandfather.

Dyslexia and Heredity

In a study printed in the American Journal of Human Genetics, researchers found a substantial genetic component that predisposed children to dyslexia.

They have found that about 40 percent of siblings of children with dyslexia also have reading issues. And as many as 49 percent of their parents do, too.

The exact way genetics lead to dyslexia is still not well understood. And despite years of study, determining the root cause has been difficult.

Genetics isn’t the only factor that determines a child’s ability to read, however. Environment also plays a role.

Quality of reading instruction can have a huge impact on all children. But it’s especially true for those children who are more likely to have dyslexia. They need high-quality instruction early on.

Studies on twins have shown that reading disorder is 60 to 70 percent due to genes and about 30 percent due to environment.

Environment plays an even larger role in kids who grow up in poverty or with parents who are less educated.

In my experience, I have found that children with dyslexia have not developed or are delayed in some foundational skills needed before reading instruction is given.

Most schools expect students to come ready to read and learn and are not equipped to teach those deficient skills.

What Can You Do to Help?

When children with dyslexia are unsupported, they lose motivation and become frustrated at trying to learn. They do not understand why they are different from others when they are trying so hard.

While most boys begin to act out and become behavior problems at school, girls tend to withdraw and get overlooked.

1. Enlist the Help of Your Nucleus Family
   • The first thing a parent must do once their child is identified with dyslexia is to enlist the cooperation of family members at home.
   • Each member should be encouraged to become a participant in the supportive system that is set up to help the child with dyslexia.
2. Build a Supportive Community Outside the Home
   • Relatives and friends must be informed and educated about dyslexia, then enlisted in the supportive network to assist your child on their journey from struggle to success.
   • Become a member of the Decoding Dyslexia movement in your state. It is a movement that seeks to raise dyslexia awareness and empower families to support their children with dyslexia.
   • Join Headstrong Nation, an online organization that aims to create a movement in which dyslexics thrive.
   • If you live in the UK, you can access the British Dyslexia Association’s website.
   • There is also the International Dyslexia Association, which will provide information you can use, wherever you live.

Closing thoughts

Many students are not identified with dyslexia until high school, at which point treatments are less effective, and negative social and emotional feelings have already been internalized.

Dyslexia can create problems for children by negatively affecting every sense except the sense of taste.

So, if your child has difficulty in school, is not responding to the school’s efforts to remediate, elementary school homework is taking hours instead of the 20 minutes or so the teacher suggests, and the pediatrician tells you to wait and see, or that s/he will grow out of it, be proactive and get your child tested for dyslexia.

Through lots of research and trial and error, I was able to help my daughter eliminate the disability aspects of dyslexia, and I’m passionate about teaching other parents to do the same.

Do you have a school-age child who is struggling because of dyslexia or know a parent who does?

Comment below to be informed about my upcoming course for parents… the program I wish I had when I worked with my daughter during her school days.