Whilst the focus on supporting people with dyslexia concentrates upon developing reading, writing and spelling skills, dyslexia can have deeper, longer lasting impacts upon a person’s well-being. This two part blog post discusses some of the emotional and well-being impacts that dyslexia can have on a person’s life.
The first awareness of personal difficulties often arises in young children as they progress through developmental stages, such as walking, talking, tying shoelaces, telling time, and others. A child with undiagnosed dyslexia may struggle with these activities, leading to an early sense of inadequacy that can continue throughout their education. While the majority of young children with undiagnosed dyslexia are happy and well-adjusted, frustration and emotional problems can develop as their classmates surpass them in reading skills.
Unfortunately, dyslexia is sometimes mistaken for other difficulties, such as attention deficit disorders (ADHD/ADD), visual or auditory processing delays, or even just a lack of effort or engagement. This can make it challenging to identify and support individuals with dyslexia.
Literacy difficulties are most likely to be recognized while a child is at school, but this is not always the case. A person who has left school without support or with unrecognized dyslexic difficulties may find it challenging to fit into a non-dyslexic world as an adult. At school, a person with literacy difficulties may feel frustrated or embarrassed when asked to do things that are difficult for them, such as reading out loud, especially when others are present to witness their difficulties. They may also be told that they are not putting in enough effort in learning, which can lead to feelings of frustration, inadequacy, and loss of self-belief.
Problems in literacy may mean that the child with dyslexia is separated within the classroom, to be supported by a teaching assistant or withdrawn to receive intervention. This will affect their ability to integrate properly with their peers and can make them feel different and isolated. Research suggests that these feelings of inferiority develop by the age of ten. After this age, it becomes increasingly difficult to help the child develop a positive self-image. This is one of the reasons why early intervention is so important.
The frustration of prolonged difficulties and struggles on a range of curriculum subjects at school, university, or on tasks in the work place, can result in feelings of insecurity, a lack of confidence, or depression. It is hard for a person to have positive feelings about themselves if they are constantly feeling caught out, perplexed, frustrated, or shamed by their difficulties.
If a person with dyslexia continues to believe that their difficulties are their fault, there is a tendency to self-label themselves as being thick, stupid, or dumb. These feelings can become all-pervasive, affecting every aspect of a person’s life. In addition, as dyslexia is a life-long condition, feelings of low self-esteem and a reduced sense of self-worth can last for life. Frequently, people with literacy difficulties avoid tasks that they know they have difficulty with and develop strategies of avoidance, rather than dealing with problems. The emotional consequences of dyslexia are often a lack of confidence, low self-esteem, frustration, and even depression.
The problems experienced by a person with dyslexia often impact day-to-day activities such as following directions, reading clocks, and even playing board games. Simple tasks such as writing down a telephone number or writing a letter can lead to feelings of insecurity or anxiety. This can make people feel self-conscious and avoid putting themselves in such situations, thereby withdrawing from the experiences that their peers enjoy.
Dyslexia is largely heredity, which means that it has a high prevalence within families. This can mean that other siblings, one, or both parents might also have experienced similar problems when they attended school. This can lead to parents revisiting their failures and frustrations through their child’s school experience. Bringing back these memories can be an emotive experience for all involved and can impede their parenting skills or communication with the school.
A person with undiagnosed dyslexia may be muddled or confused about their abilities. People with dyslexia tend to exhibit a range of strengths and weaknesses, which might mean that at one moment they feel intelligent, but then another time find that they make errors, fail to organise effectively or forget things resulting in feeling stupid. This can lead to people with undiagnosed dyslexia feeling confused about themselves, perceiving themselves to be bright and quick-witted in some ways yet slow and inefficient in others. This can be both bewildering and shaming. As people age they tend to recognise their personal abilities, strengths and areas of weakness. Yet often adults with undiagnosed dyslexia are still unaware that they have a recognisable pattern of difficulties and that these can be significantly eased with the development of appropriate techniques, skills and strategies.
One of the key areas of difficulty for individuals with dyslexia is language processing. This can manifest physically in speech, with individuals struggling to speak words in the correct order or having difficulty finding the right words to use. This can result in a “log-jam” in their minds, causing delays in processing speech and leading to difficulties in following conversations or expressing themselves. These processing delays can also lead to social challenges, making it difficult for individuals with dyslexia to keep up with the pace of conversations or understand what others are saying to them. This can result in feelings of social nervousness or reluctance to participate in conversations, leading some individuals to feel like loners or outsiders.
How to provide emotional support for people with suspected dyslexia – part 1
Whilst the focus on supporting people with dyslexia concentrates upon developing reading, writing and spelling skills, dyslexia can have deeper, longer lasting impacts upon a person’s well-being. This two part blog post discusses some of the emotional and well-being impacts that dyslexia can have on a person’s life.
The first awareness of personal difficulties often arises in young children as they progress through developmental stages, such as walking, talking, tying shoelaces, telling time, and others. A child with undiagnosed dyslexia may struggle with these activities, leading to an early sense of inadequacy that can continue throughout their education. While the majority of young children with undiagnosed dyslexia are happy and well-adjusted, frustration and emotional problems can develop as their classmates surpass them in reading skills.
Unfortunately, dyslexia is sometimes mistaken for other difficulties, such as attention deficit disorders (ADHD/ADD), visual or auditory processing delays, or even just a lack of effort or engagement. This can make it challenging to identify and support individuals with dyslexia.
Literacy difficulties are most likely to be recognized while a child is at school, but this is not always the case. A person who has left school without support or with unrecognized dyslexic difficulties may find it challenging to fit into a non-dyslexic world as an adult. At school, a person with literacy difficulties may feel frustrated or embarrassed when asked to do things that are difficult for them, such as reading out loud, especially when others are present to witness their difficulties. They may also be told that they are not putting in enough effort in learning, which can lead to feelings of frustration, inadequacy, and loss of self-belief.
Problems in literacy may mean that the child with dyslexia is separated within the classroom, to be supported by a teaching assistant or withdrawn to receive intervention. This will affect their ability to integrate properly with their peers and can make them feel different and isolated. Research suggests that these feelings of inferiority develop by the age of ten. After this age, it becomes increasingly difficult to help the child develop a positive self-image. This is one of the reasons why early intervention is so important.
The frustration of prolonged difficulties and struggles on a range of curriculum subjects at school, university, or on tasks in the work place, can result in feelings of insecurity, a lack of confidence, or depression. It is hard for a person to have positive feelings about themselves if they are constantly feeling caught out, perplexed, frustrated, or shamed by their difficulties.
If a person with dyslexia continues to believe that their difficulties are their fault, there is a tendency to self-label themselves as being thick, stupid, or dumb. These feelings can become all-pervasive, affecting every aspect of a person’s life. In addition, as dyslexia is a life-long condition, feelings of low self-esteem and a reduced sense of self-worth can last for life. Frequently, people with literacy difficulties avoid tasks that they know they have difficulty with and develop strategies of avoidance, rather than dealing with problems. The emotional consequences of dyslexia are often a lack of confidence, low self-esteem, frustration, and even depression.
The problems experienced by a person with dyslexia often impact day-to-day activities such as following directions, reading clocks, and even playing board games. Simple tasks such as writing down a telephone number or writing a letter can lead to feelings of insecurity or anxiety. This can make people feel self-conscious and avoid putting themselves in such situations, thereby withdrawing from the experiences that their peers enjoy.
Dyslexia is largely heredity, which means that it has a high prevalence within families. This can mean that other siblings, one, or both parents might also have experienced similar problems when they attended school. This can lead to parents revisiting their failures and frustrations through their child’s school experience. Bringing back these memories can be an emotive experience for all involved and can impede their parenting skills or communication with the school.
A person with undiagnosed dyslexia may be muddled or confused about their abilities. People with dyslexia tend to exhibit a range of strengths and weaknesses, which might mean that at one moment they feel intelligent, but then another time find that they make errors, fail to organise effectively or forget things resulting in feeling stupid. This can lead to people with undiagnosed dyslexia feeling confused about themselves, perceiving themselves to be bright and quick-witted in some ways yet slow and inefficient in others. This can be both bewildering and shaming. As people age they tend to recognise their personal abilities, strengths and areas of weakness. Yet often adults with undiagnosed dyslexia are still unaware that they have a recognisable pattern of difficulties and that these can be significantly eased with the development of appropriate techniques, skills and strategies.
One of the key areas of difficulty for individuals with dyslexia is language processing. This can manifest physically in speech, with individuals struggling to speak words in the correct order or having difficulty finding the right words to use. This can result in a “log-jam” in their minds, causing delays in processing speech and leading to difficulties in following conversations or expressing themselves. These processing delays can also lead to social challenges, making it difficult for individuals with dyslexia to keep up with the pace of conversations or understand what others are saying to them. This can result in feelings of social nervousness or reluctance to participate in conversations, leading some individuals to feel like loners or outsiders.
How to provide emotional support for people with suspected dyslexia – part 1
Whilst the focus on supporting people with dyslexia concentrates upon developing reading, writing and spelling skills, dyslexia can have deeper, longer lasting impacts upon a person’s well-being. This two part blog post discusses some of the emotional and well-being impacts that dyslexia can have on a person’s life.
The first awareness of personal difficulties often arises in young children as they progress through developmental stages, such as walking, talking, tying shoelaces, telling time, and others. A child with undiagnosed dyslexia may struggle with these activities, leading to an early sense of inadequacy that can continue throughout their education. While the majority of young children with undiagnosed dyslexia are happy and well-adjusted, frustration and emotional problems can develop as their classmates surpass them in reading skills.
Unfortunately, dyslexia is sometimes mistaken for other difficulties, such as attention deficit disorders (ADHD/ADD), visual or auditory processing delays, or even just a lack of effort or engagement. This can make it challenging to identify and support individuals with dyslexia.
Literacy difficulties are most likely to be recognized while a child is at school, but this is not always the case. A person who has left school without support or with unrecognized dyslexic difficulties may find it challenging to fit into a non-dyslexic world as an adult. At school, a person with literacy difficulties may feel frustrated or embarrassed when asked to do things that are difficult for them, such as reading out loud, especially when others are present to witness their difficulties. They may also be told that they are not putting in enough effort in learning, which can lead to feelings of frustration, inadequacy, and loss of self-belief.
Problems in literacy may mean that the child with dyslexia is separated within the classroom, to be supported by a teaching assistant or withdrawn to receive intervention. This will affect their ability to integrate properly with their peers and can make them feel different and isolated. Research suggests that these feelings of inferiority develop by the age of ten. After this age, it becomes increasingly difficult to help the child develop a positive self-image. This is one of the reasons why early intervention is so important.
The frustration of prolonged difficulties and struggles on a range of curriculum subjects at school, university, or on tasks in the work place, can result in feelings of insecurity, a lack of confidence, or depression. It is hard for a person to have positive feelings about themselves if they are constantly feeling caught out, perplexed, frustrated, or shamed by their difficulties.
If a person with dyslexia continues to believe that their difficulties are their fault, there is a tendency to self-label themselves as being thick, stupid, or dumb. These feelings can become all-pervasive, affecting every aspect of a person’s life. In addition, as dyslexia is a life-long condition, feelings of low self-esteem and a reduced sense of self-worth can last for life. Frequently, people with literacy difficulties avoid tasks that they know they have difficulty with and develop strategies of avoidance, rather than dealing with problems. The emotional consequences of dyslexia are often a lack of confidence, low self-esteem, frustration, and even depression.
The problems experienced by a person with dyslexia often impact day-to-day activities such as following directions, reading clocks, and even playing board games. Simple tasks such as writing down a telephone number or writing a letter can lead to feelings of insecurity or anxiety. This can make people feel self-conscious and avoid putting themselves in such situations, thereby withdrawing from the experiences that their peers enjoy.
Dyslexia is largely heredity, which means that it has a high prevalence within families. This can mean that other siblings, one, or both parents might also have experienced similar problems when they attended school. This can lead to parents revisiting their failures and frustrations through their child’s school experience. Bringing back these memories can be an emotive experience for all involved and can impede their parenting skills or communication with the school.
A person with undiagnosed dyslexia may be muddled or confused about their abilities. People with dyslexia tend to exhibit a range of strengths and weaknesses, which might mean that at one moment they feel intelligent, but then another time find that they make errors, fail to organise effectively or forget things resulting in feeling stupid. This can lead to people with undiagnosed dyslexia feeling confused about themselves, perceiving themselves to be bright and quick-witted in some ways yet slow and inefficient in others. This can be both bewildering and shaming. As people age they tend to recognise their personal abilities, strengths and areas of weakness. Yet often adults with undiagnosed dyslexia are still unaware that they have a recognisable pattern of difficulties and that these can be significantly eased with the development of appropriate techniques, skills and strategies.
One of the key areas of difficulty for individuals with dyslexia is language processing. This can manifest physically in speech, with individuals struggling to speak words in the correct order or having difficulty finding the right words to use. This can result in a “log-jam” in their minds, causing delays in processing speech and leading to difficulties in following conversations or expressing themselves. These processing delays can also lead to social challenges, making it difficult for individuals with dyslexia to keep up with the pace of conversations or understand what others are saying to them. This can result in feelings of social nervousness or reluctance to participate in conversations, leading some individuals to feel like loners or outsiders.
For more information about what is assessed as part of a dyslexia assessment, read this post: https://www.dyslexiauk.co.uk/what-is-tested-as-part-of-a-dyslexia-assessment/
For advice on supporting teenagers with suspect dyslexia, click on the link below:
To speak to a dyslexia assessor, contact us: https://www.dyslexiauk.co.uk/#request-form
How to provide emotional support for people with suspected dyslexia – part 1
Whilst the focus on supporting people with dyslexia concentrates upon developing reading, writing and spelling skills, dyslexia can have deeper, longer lasting impacts upon a person’s well-being. This two part blog post discusses some of the emotional and well-being impacts that dyslexia can have on a person’s life.
The first awareness of personal difficulties often arises in young children as they progress through developmental stages, such as walking, talking, tying shoelaces, telling time, and others. A child with undiagnosed dyslexia may struggle with these activities, leading to an early sense of inadequacy that can continue throughout their education. While the majority of young children with undiagnosed dyslexia are happy and well-adjusted, frustration and emotional problems can develop as their classmates surpass them in reading skills.
Unfortunately, dyslexia is sometimes mistaken for other difficulties, such as attention deficit disorders (ADHD/ADD), visual or auditory processing delays, or even just a lack of effort or engagement. This can make it challenging to identify and support individuals with dyslexia.
Literacy difficulties are most likely to be recognized while a child is at school, but this is not always the case. A person who has left school without support or with unrecognized dyslexic difficulties may find it challenging to fit into a non-dyslexic world as an adult. At school, a person with literacy difficulties may feel frustrated or embarrassed when asked to do things that are difficult for them, such as reading out loud, especially when others are present to witness their difficulties. They may also be told that they are not putting in enough effort in learning, which can lead to feelings of frustration, inadequacy, and loss of self-belief.
Problems in literacy may mean that the child with dyslexia is separated within the classroom, to be supported by a teaching assistant or withdrawn to receive intervention. This will affect their ability to integrate properly with their peers and can make them feel different and isolated. Research suggests that these feelings of inferiority develop by the age of ten. After this age, it becomes increasingly difficult to help the child develop a positive self-image. This is one of the reasons why early intervention is so important.
The frustration of prolonged difficulties and struggles on a range of curriculum subjects at school, university, or on tasks in the work place, can result in feelings of insecurity, a lack of confidence, or depression. It is hard for a person to have positive feelings about themselves if they are constantly feeling caught out, perplexed, frustrated, or shamed by their difficulties.
If a person with dyslexia continues to believe that their difficulties are their fault, there is a tendency to self-label themselves as being thick, stupid, or dumb. These feelings can become all-pervasive, affecting every aspect of a person’s life. In addition, as dyslexia is a life-long condition, feelings of low self-esteem and a reduced sense of self-worth can last for life. Frequently, people with literacy difficulties avoid tasks that they know they have difficulty with and develop strategies of avoidance, rather than dealing with problems. The emotional consequences of dyslexia are often a lack of confidence, low self-esteem, frustration, and even depression.
The problems experienced by a person with dyslexia often impact day-to-day activities such as following directions, reading clocks, and even playing board games. Simple tasks such as writing down a telephone number or writing a letter can lead to feelings of insecurity or anxiety. This can make people feel self-conscious and avoid putting themselves in such situations, thereby withdrawing from the experiences that their peers enjoy.
Dyslexia is largely heredity, which means that it has a high prevalence within families. This can mean that other siblings, one, or both parents might also have experienced similar problems when they attended school. This can lead to parents revisiting their failures and frustrations through their child’s school experience. Bringing back these memories can be an emotive experience for all involved and can impede their parenting skills or communication with the school.
A person with undiagnosed dyslexia may be muddled or confused about their abilities. People with dyslexia tend to exhibit a range of strengths and weaknesses, which might mean that at one moment they feel intelligent, but then another time find that they make errors, fail to organise effectively or forget things resulting in feeling stupid. This can lead to people with undiagnosed dyslexia feeling confused about themselves, perceiving themselves to be bright and quick-witted in some ways yet slow and inefficient in others. This can be both bewildering and shaming. As people age they tend to recognise their personal abilities, strengths and areas of weakness. Yet often adults with undiagnosed dyslexia are still unaware that they have a recognisable pattern of difficulties and that these can be significantly eased with the development of appropriate techniques, skills and strategies.
One of the key areas of difficulty for individuals with dyslexia is language processing. This can manifest physically in speech, with individuals struggling to speak words in the correct order or having difficulty finding the right words to use. This can result in a “log-jam” in their minds, causing delays in processing speech and leading to difficulties in following conversations or expressing themselves. These processing delays can also lead to social challenges, making it difficult for individuals with dyslexia to keep up with the pace of conversations or understand what others are saying to them. This can result in feelings of social nervousness or reluctance to participate in conversations, leading some individuals to feel like loners or outsiders.
For more information about what is assessed as part of a dyslexia assessment, read this post: https://www.dyslexiauk.co.uk/what-is-tested-as-part-of-a-dyslexia-assessment/
For advice on supporting teenagers with suspect dyslexia, click on the link below:
To speak to a dyslexia assessor, contact us: https://www.dyslexiauk.co.uk/#request-form
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