This article serves as a valuable resource for educators who encounter students exhibiting difficulties with reading fluency, decoding, or spelling, i.e. the students who might be with dyslexia.

The Benefits of Disclosure

As an educator, you are in an excellent position to notice a child’s progress when it comes to their literacy (reading and writing) levels. If teachers are aware of the signs and symptoms of dyslexia, they can make a real difference when it comes to sounding the alarm as early as possible. Early intervention is key to reducing the effects of dyslexia on a child’s life, and as teachers, you play a major role in catching the signs as early as possible.

You can also be on the lookout for any potential bullying or harassment and can use it as an opportunity to educate the class on the importance of respecting all kinds of people. This will help make your school more inclusive for all children.

If you are unfamiliar with the signs and symptoms of dyslexia in children, please see our article “Signs of Dyslexia in Students”.

Who to Disclose?

If you suspect a child may have dyslexia,

  • Contact your superiors: Arrange for a meeting with your superiors. If the school has a counselor or anyone who is acquainted with learning difficulties in children, seek out their help as well. In this meeting, discuss why you think the student may have dyslexia, preferably with supporting proof from their classwork. List out any other non-school related signs you may have noticed, e.g. concerns of low self-esteem, difficulty singing rhymes, etc.
  • Call in the child’s parents or guardians: Once you have discussed this with the concerned professionals, ask to meet with the child’s parents/guardians. Likely, the parents have also noticed that their child is struggling at school. This struggle may be consistent with the child’s progress at school but perhaps the parents are not particularly aware of learning difficulties like dyslexia.

NEVER use degrading language, like calling the child “retarded” or “abnormal.”

How to Talk to Parents

Of course, this is the trickiest part of disclosure for you as a teacher, and it must be handled with extreme care and sensitivity. Below, we have provided 8 tips on how to navigate this delicate situation:

  • Put the parents at ease: It is always stressful for parents to be randomly called in to discuss their child’s progress at school. Make sure that the very first thing you do is to put the parents at ease. Make it clear that neither they nor their child are in trouble, but that you have something important you would like to discuss with them.
  • Have a case file ready to support your suspicions: You should already have a case file on hand while talking to parents to give support to why you suspect their child is dyslexic, as opposed to simply struggling at school. Consider filling out the checklist provided on this website in the “Signs and Symptoms” section. Also voice any non-academic signs of dyslexia you may have noticed, like poor organisational skills, low self-confidence, or difficulty singing nursery rhymes.
  • Use positive and uplifting language: You must do your best to use an encouraging and positive tone while telling the concerned parents that their child may have dyslexia. This will be quite shocking for parents to hear, and you must make sure to be gentle yet firm when voicing your concerns.
  • Address any fears and myths: It may be worth going through the FAQs and “Facts and Myths'' articles on this website during this meeting. Do your best to dispel any misinformation but do not try to give answers if you do not know them yourself. Instead, encourage parents to seek out professional help from a health professional. You can use the directory on this website to help.
  • Make sure parents know that this is not a personal failure: Dyslexia is genetic. It does not happen due to insufficient care during pregnancy or child-rearing. Chances are, one or both of the child’s parents will also have dyslexia and will have struggled to read or write themselves. However, this is not the case every time.
  • Discuss what supports you can put in place to help: Possibly the most important thing to discuss during this meeting is how you can help. Let parents know that once they have gotten a formal diagnosis from a doctor, they can support their child in need-specific ways. These may include:
         - Extra time for homework or tests.
         - Access to school counseling services.
         - Additional tutoring, etc.
  • Address any concerns of bullying: If you suspect a student is being bullied, you might want to share these concerns now while all concerned parties are present. Discuss why you think the child may be getting bullied and what steps can be taken at school and at home to support the child.
  • Refer to a specialist: Finally, direct parents to a specialist so they can get an official diagnosis and start the process of applying for specific accommodations.
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