Dyslexia is a learning difference that causes difficulties with reading, writing, and spelling. It’s also been shown to cause issues with attention span, comprehension skills, and memory.

Despite these difficulties, many children with dyslexia are extremely intelligent, but due to their different-ability, they get frustrated when reading and writing.

This frustration can lead them to tell lies in various ways.

One of the most frustrating things for parents is when their child lies to them. But they need to understand that this is a common occurrence among children with dyslexia.

Many people think kids with dyslexia are just lazy or don’t want to learn, however, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

These 3 reasons show why your child might tell lies:

Exaggeration

Suzy’s teacher gives the class an assignment and tells them that they can go to recess when they finish it. She always finishes written work last, so she sighs and plods on.

By the time she finishes, only 10 minutes of recess is left.

Everyone else is on a team and playing a game. No one wants her to join them.

So, she goes off to a corner of the playground and plays by herself. She creates a fantastic fantasy world and imagines incredible scenes in which she is the star and accomplishes amazing feats.

When Suzy gets home and mom asked her how her day was, instead of relating how she was forced to play alone because she finished her work last… again, she relates her imaginary story.

Children with dyslexia are gifted with powerful imaginations. Most of them are not in complete control of their conscious minds, so they easily lapse into daydreaming to escape the pain and humiliation of their reality. So, even when their story is fabricated, they prefer to tell it than the real deal.

To Gain Approval

No one likes to be viewed negatively. Children who struggle in school are no different. One of the ways dyslexic children use to keep their difficulties hidden is to lie so they are viewed in a more positive way by their classmates, friends, and family members.

Self-preservation

It’s time for the afternoon read-aloud. Matt sits and hopes that the period will be over before his turn arrives.

It doesn’t.

When the teacher calls his name, he jumps up and cracks a joke. Everyone laughs out loud.

By the time the teacher gets the class back under control, the bell rings.

Many people think that telling lies is wrong; however, if you look deeper into what’s causing the child’s behavior, you will see that it comes from a place of fear and confusion rather than evilness or immorality.

According to psychologists, all children lie to push their boundaries, so lying is a natural part of human nature. People lie to protect themselves; they lie because it’s just easier than telling the truth, and sometimes they even tell lies out of pure habit. Unfortunately for children with dyslexia, they fall into all three categories when it comes to lying.

The first step to helping your child is to understand why it occurs… find the reason… in the first place.