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When a teenager has dyslexia.

April 2, 2007 on 1:22 am | In Main |

I’ve discovered recently that I am on the horns of a dilemma faced by many

hundreds of thousands of parents. One of my children has been recently

assessed as “suffering” from dyslexia.

We always knew he had some difficulties getting his thoughts on paper,

and he never seems to get the same pleasure from reading books as the rest of

the family does.

After expert tests recently we have been told he suffers from a condition

which may affect education and examinations, but not necessarily his success

in the world. It seems Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Winston

Churchill, Walt Disney, Richard Branson, and Beethoven all shared this “gift”

and the fact that the same tests revealed an astonishingly high intelligence

level as well suggests that all the news is not bad.

However I’m told by the experts that my boy needs more consideration by his

teachers, more time to finish work, homework instructions written up, and

assistance with writing (even perhaps being allowed to use a laptop in

class).

I thought that would be simple stuff to talk to the teachers about, but my

boy is mortified that it would even be considered. As an increasingly

independent fifteen year old he does not want to be seen as different or be

treated differently by his teachers (or anybody else). He want to go on as

usual. He promises to “work harder” to keep up and begs not to be humiliated

by the expert findings.

I’m really not sure what to do now.

JSM