Children with dyslexia often face significant psychological challenges, including low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, frustration, and social difficulties, stemming from struggles with reading and writing that make them feel different or less capable than peers, leading to a negative self-image, fear of judgment, and sometimes even school avoidance or aggression, exacerbated by potential bullying and stigma. These issues can manifest as stress, embarrassment, self-blame, and difficulty with peer relationships, impacting overall well-being.
Longitudinal data confirm that dyslexia is positively associated with stress and depressive symptoms in children, and the higher the DCCC scores, the more severe their symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression were. The emotional symptoms can persist among dyslexic children.
by Annie Hitchman. The biggest lesson I've learned is that being dyslexic is so much more than struggling with reading and writing. Being dyslexic means that you think and process information on the right side of your brain, instead of the left side, where neurotypical people think.
Dyslexia is actually about information processing. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact on other areas such as organisational skills.
Children with dyslexia have negative emotions on self-image, peer and family relationships, and social interaction. As for social interaction, children with dyslexia lack social skills due to pressure or low self-esteem, and they have many problems with social adaptive behaviors and personality.
While anxiety, anger, and depression may be daily companions for children with dyslexia, it may be difficult for them to express their emotions. Therefore, adults must help them learn to talk about what they are feeling.
Understanding and supporting individuals with Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Dyspraxia is essential for fostering an inclusive and effective learning environment. These disorders can also coincide with other conditions such as ADHD and Autism, requiring a comprehensive approach.
Emotional difficulties may be seen in a number of ways, such as disruptive behaviour, inattention, throwing tantrums or in physical symptoms such as stomach aches or palpitations, and refusing to engage in school/college.
Three dimensional thinking and making connections
Many people with dyslexia demonstrate better skills at manipulating 3D objects in their mind. Many of the world's top architects and fashion designers have dyslexia.
Dyslexia does not worsen over time. However, the demands of adult life—more complex reading, multitasking, or workplace expectations—can make its effects more noticeable. With continued support, individuals often learn to manage their challenges and build on their strengths.
Dyslexia results from individual differences in the parts of the brain that enable reading. It tends to run in families. Dyslexia appears to be linked to certain genes that affect how the brain processes reading and language.
Famous actors like Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom all have dyslexia. Pablo Picasso's teachers described him as “having difficulty differentiating the orientation of letters”.
According to UMHS, the following conditions can present similar symptoms and difficulties to dyslexia: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Executive Dysfunction. Memory Impairments.
Firstly, it is theorised that dyslexics may have high levels of emotional intelligence, sensitivity, and awareness of others' emotions because they frequently experience 'secondary symptoms of dyslexia'.
Highly intuitive – Dyslexics often have a strong sense of intuition and heightened emotional intelligence. They can quickly grasp complex concepts and situations, often arriving at conclusions before others.
Some examples of positive coping strategies are: Working harder or smarter. Getting organised. Having a positive attitude towards new challenges. Compensating for dyslexic difficulties through the use of appropriate technology (click here for some examples)
Research by the University of Strathclyde has found that people with dyslexia are much better at being curious and exploring new ideas and more likely to be found in careers where this is an advantage, such as art, media, architecture, creativity, engineering and inventing things!
The majority of people think mainly with their brain's left hemisphere, whereas dyslexics think predominantly with their right hemisphere. This leads to a different kind of thinking and learning style that we call conceptual thinking.
Consistent with earlier work showing that RAN, letter name knowledge, and phonological awareness are core predictors of dyslexia (Catts, Fey, Zhang, & Tomblin, 2001; Pennington & Lefly, 2001), these studies highlight the slow development of language, phonological awareness, and decoding-related skills, including poor ...
General signs to look for are:
Although dyslexia is not an emotional disorder, it can lead to feelings of anxiety, anger, low self-esteem and depression. Anxiety is the emotional symptom that adults with dyslexia experience the most.
All people, young and old, can experience overwhelming stress and exhibit signs of anxiety, but children, adolescents, and adults with dyslexia are particularly vulnerable.
Bill Gates, one of the richest people in the world didn't let his dyslexia hold him back.
The BDA Level 7 Diploma in Dyslexia Assessment and Intervention (AMBDA and AMBDA FE/HE) provides training for individuals who already hold ATS/APS (or equivalent) and have a professional interest in assessment for dyslexia.
The treatment of dyslexia is based on two main strategies: specific assistance with the impaired learning areas (reading and spelling) and psychotherapy for any coexisting psychological disturbance that may be present. Evaluated preventive strategies are available for use in kindergarten and at home.