5 facts that every parent should know about Dyslexia

It's Dyslexia Awareness Week this week, and it's something that's really close to our hearts at My Primary Tutor. Did you know that Karen is a member of Dyslexia Scotland and in the process of becoming a qualified assessor for dyslexia and dyscalculia?

If you'd like to know more about what dyslexia is and how it affects learners, head over to this blog that we wrote last year, which has loads of interesting information and ideas.

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that many people have heard of, but that not many people know much about, so we've decided to give you 5 facts that every parent should know about Dyslexia to help them spot signs and symptoms and to support children who may have a diagnosis (or be waiting for one).

1. Dyslexia is hereditary - it is passed down through families.

This means that if there is a history of Dyslexia in your family, your children are more likely to have it too, and that more than one of your children will display signs and symptoms of dyslexia.

2. Dyslexia can be treated - but it will never go away.

With specialist help, and extra support, dyslexic children can be taught to read and write, but they will never stop being Dyslexic, so it's important that they learn strategies and techniques that will help them with this life-long condition.

3. 50% of dyslexic children are left handed.

Nobody knows why this might be but it's even more interesting when you consider that only 11% of the entire population is left handed - so there is definitely a link between the two.

4. Dyslexia must be officially diagnosed.

Dyslexia must be diagnosed by a properly qualified Educational Psychologist - this is really important because the condition manifests itself in many different ways. A proper diagnosis will come with suggestions for support which will be directly linked with the child's specific condition.

5. Lots of parents believe that writing letters backwards is a symptom of dyslexia.

In fact, this misconception can cause a lot of unnecessary worry, when in fact letter-reversal is a common part of learning to write - many young children do it quite naturally!

If you are worried that your child may be suffering from dyslexia, and would like some extra support, My Primary Tutor can help! We have years of experience supporting children with this learning difficulty, and understand how to make sure that children with this diagnosis (or children on their way to a diagnosis) need to be helped. Send an enquiry to Karen (myprimarytutor@yahoo.com) who will be glad to give you any support she can, and to discuss what My Primary Tutor can do to help you.