1

Leonards
Rachael Leonards
Ms. Coco
Engl 1001
December 6, 2015
Parents who have dyslexic kids
Preface
If I had a few more weeks to work on my paper I would have really loved to be able to do
more research on dyslexia. Specifically I would have liked to research more on the brains
of those with the disability, like different neuron patterns, and how exactly the brain is
different from someone without it. I would have also liked to have compared it to other
learning disabilities and find out what the similarities are between them if any. I would
have also liked to include in my paper what we can do as a whole to change the way
dyslexia is seen and how we can make it more known to those uneducated about the
disability.
Dyslexia the unknown
1

Dyslexia is a misunderstood learning disability that if not treated right when a

child is first learning, then it can cause the child problems later on. Many kids academic
problems stem early on in life due to the environment they are in. This is why children in
special schools with disabilities do better then kids that are put into public schools. I was
lucky enough that my mother knew early on I had dyslexia, so I was privileged in having
the proper care that I needed. I am the youngest out of five siblings, and out of those five
three are dyslexic. My mom knew early on that I was dyslexic because she already had a
lot of experience handling it. I use to say things backwards and confuse my letters up, and

2
Leonards
as soon as my mom saw me doing this there was no questioning that I was dyslexic. Even
though I was homeschooled through middle school, and attended a small private high
school I still had self-esteem issues due to my academic challenges.
2

A dyslexic childs self esteem is highly affected at school where reading and

writing are their main problems (Brown 3). Those with low self-esteem are seen
unworthy and useless, this is why making sure a child is diagnosed and treated as soon as
possible to prevent future problems is so important, but how does dyslexia affect a childs
self esteem? If parents understood more about dyslexia they would be able to identify
signs earlier on, and get their child the proper care in order to prevent bullying and self
esteem issues.
3

Emily Lapkin who works with the Understood organization as the writer for many

different articles relating dyslexia, defines dyslexia as a common condition that affects
the way the brain processes written language. Some doctors call it a reading disability,
but dyslexia is not a sign of low intelligence or laziness. People with dyslexia can still
understand hard concepts, but require more time then those without the disability
(Lapkin). This disability within children has been led to self-esteem issues due to their
inability to properly express themselves through reading comprehension or dialogue.
4

Self esteem is described as, a multi-faceted construct, tapping into ones overall

self worth, social competence, problem solving ability, intellectual ability, and self
competence and worth relative to others(Brown 1). Dr. Gilda Palti says that for a long
time researchers have been assessing the effects of dyslexia on an individual, and the
main problem is the adverse reactions and feedback the students receive from their social
surroundings because of their specific learning difficulties. A study done by Elly Singer

3
Leonards
discussed the dynamics between dyslexia, being bullied and the relation between selfesteem, and psychosocial issues. The study used 60 Dutch children 9 through 12 years
old in mainstream schools all of which were diagnosed by certified psychologist as
having dyslexia. The study showed that children felt vulnerable in situations where they
had to read something out loud in class, or felt uncomfortable when they needed more
time on a test. This study is something I can relate to because I always hated reading out
loud. There would be words I stumbled over, or could not say properly and did not want
to appear stupid. I also felt uncomfortable when I needed more time on a test because I
just could not understand why I could never finish a test on time like everyone else. The
study also showed that children were affected by their disability when they would try to
hide their academic problems by lying. They would lie about the amount of mistakes they
would make, conceal all signs of sadness or disappointment, and they stayed distant from
their peers (Singer 418).
5

This study was highly relatable in my life because I understood the shame and

embarrassment the dyslexic children felt in school, being around everyone else that could
do the things that I struggled with so easily was difficult. From personal experience
dyslexia affected my self-esteem by making me feel like I was not smart, or not good
enough. Michael Ryan states just a few ways that dyslexia affects a childs self esteem,
dyslexic children may tend to be socially immature due to their inability to keep up
leading to poor self image, and less peer acceptance. This can also cause social
immaturity, which leads to them being awkward in social situations. I personally never
experienced social immaturity or awkwardness because my mom always did what she

4
Leonards
could to help me. She put me in theater and made sure I was always doing stimulating
activities with groups.
6

Another study done by the research scholar department of psychology and

Bharathiar University did a study on the effect of poor self esteem in dyslexic students,
and Dr. Monsy Edwards states that, children with dyslexia that fail repeatedly lose their
self esteem which gives rise to secondary emotional and behavioral problems. The
children will eventually start to avoid their homework because of their self-esteem issues,
which causes problems on the parents and teachers; this is why proper care needs to be
taken for those with dyslexia.
7

There are things that a parent can do to help a child with dyslexia improve and

feel better about themselves. First the parent has to accept the disabilities of their child,
and not have unrealistic expectations because these will only be surpassed by their
inability to achieve their goals. Even though dyslexic children might appear lazier
because it takes them longer to understand something, they in fact tend to work harder
then most of their peers to try to keep up (Ryan). If a parent does simple things to work
with their kid such as, reading out loud to them, boost their confidence through hobbies
and afterschool activity, and most importantly focus on the effort not outcome then the
child will feel better about them self (Lapkin).
8

Living with this disability is very difficult and it can be something that most

people do not understand. I personally know what it is like to feel different, to work
harder and still have lower grades then the people around me, to try and tell yourself that
you are not stupid. Imagine if you were stuck in public school where no one understood
your disability, and everyone just thought you were stupid. You would not be able to

5
Leonards
strive in an environment like that to your fullest potential. This is why understanding
dyslexia and making sure the right conditions are in place to prevent those with the
disability from having low self esteem, and problems later on. With the amount of
information on dyslexia out there I hope that one day parents, teachers, and the school
system will have a better understanding of how to help these students to make sure they
strive at their fullest potential.

Lapkin, Emily. "Understanding Dyslexia." Understood for Learning and

Attention Issues. Web.
Nalavany, Blace Arthur, Lena W. Carawan, and Lashaunda J. Brown.
"Considering the Role of Traditional and Specialist Schools: Do School
Experiences Impact the Emotional Well-being and Self-esteem of Adults with
Dyslexia?" British Journal of Special Education 38.4 (2011): 191-200. Web.
Palti, Gilda, Dr. "Social and Emotional Aspects of Dyslexia." Dyslexia. Web.
Ryan, Micheal, and International Dyslexia Association. "Social and Emotional
Problems Related to Dyslexia." The Educators Guide to Learning
Disabilities and ADHD. Http://www.ldonline.org/article/19296/, Web.
Singer, E. "The Strategies Adopted by Dutch Children with Dyslexia to
Maintain Their Self-Esteem When Teased at School." Journal of Learning
Disabilities 38.5 (2005): 411-23. Web.
T.j, Jesna T.j Jesna, and Dr. Monsy Edward. "A Study on Effect of Poor Self
Esteem in Dyslexic Students." IJAR Indian Journal of Applied Research
4.4 (2011): 527-28. Web.