My child has always been bright and kept up with her schoolwork during her first few years of education. However, I noticed she was becoming frustrated while reading, and now she is having difficulty in her fourth-grade class. I asked her what was wrong, and she told me she did not understand some of her school work. So I sat down to help her and realized she could barely read the material. She struggled to identify simple words, and her notes were incredibly unorganized. As a result, she is distraught, and her confidence has fallen. Does my child have dyslexia? How can I help her? Can Your Tampa Psychologists help me?
Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disorders among children, affecting about 1 in 5 kids, yet many go undiagnosed. Why? Often, surprisingly most parents and many teachers are unsure what key signs to look out for, and other times, a parent may be reluctant to consider that their child might have a learning disorder. Regardless of your family’s situation, Rice Psychology Group can help you understand dyslexia, guide you on what steps to take, and your possible treatment options.
Determine Key Signs of Dyslexia with Our Tampa Psychologists
All children with dyslexia struggle with the ability to read, but not in the same way. This learning disorder can prevent your child from recognizing sounds, understanding new words, or sounding them out. Some can decode but cannot read fluently enough to really understand.
Dyslexia can affect your child’s reading, writing, and spelling capability. While this can be frustrating for your child and for you, we want to clarify that dyslexia—is NOT a reflection of a child’s intelligence (read that again). Your child can achieve a fulfilling and accomplished life even if they have to take different steps.
If you’ve noticed one or more of the following signs, it may be time to have your child evaluated by a professional who is well versed in recognizing dyslexia:
- Struggling to identify words or letters.
- Getting frustrated when reading.
- Talking much longer than expected to read.
- Finding it challenging to take notes.
- Having trouble following directions.
- Having issues with general vocabulary skills.
Dyslexia can affect a child’s social skills as well. For example, children with dyslexia may struggle to communicate and express their thoughts and emotions. Others may view them as lazy, which can wreck their self-esteem or even lead to bullying by their peers.
Give Your Child Stability
If you notice your child struggling with any signs listed above, then our licensed team of psychologists in Tampa can help. It’s far better to get your child clinically diagnosed and have a treatment plan sooner rather than later. While some parents believe their child will grow out of dyslexia, not addressing their difficulties now can set them up for future failure. Learn more about our testing and assessment services here.
Support Your Child at Home
After you contact our team, it’s important to find ways to support your child at home. Always uplift your child’s abilities and remind them their flaws do not define their intelligence. You can also share examples of successful people who have dyslexia, including Whoopi Goldberg and Steven Spielberg.
You can also:
- Celebrate their accomplishments.
- Help them recognize their strengths.
- Find resources such as mobile apps that make learning enjoyable or at least easier.
- Encourage them to pursue their favorite hobbies, such as sports or music.
- Give them a break from reading and let them listen to audiobooks instead.
- Talk to them about dyslexia and remind them they have a community of people who also have dyslexia.
- Discourage negative self-talk by helping them replace negative statements more hopeful ones. Or teach them to put “yet” on the end of their thoughts such as “I cannot read this yet.”
Contact our Tampa Psychologists
Our team understands that a learning disability of any kind can be complex, especially if you are unaware of how to manage it. Let us be a part of your child’s success story. Our Tampa psychologists offer private online sessions via Telehealth and a limited number of online and in-person evaluations for all ages. Call (813) 969-3878 to schedule your 10-minute consultation.
