23 things parents of dyslexia want you to know

By Melissa McGlensey

Somewhere between 5 to 17 percent of school-age children in the U.S. are affected by dyslexia, according to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. For dyslexic kids, reading, writing and spelling can be some of the most challenging activities — and ones they’re required to do nearly every day.

Despite dyslexia’s relative prevalence, misconceptions still surround it; and parents, as their children’s advocates, often find themselves struggling to make others understand what their kids need.

So The Mighty teamed up with Learning Ally, a nonprofit that provides support and technology for students with learning and visual disabilities, to ask the parents what they wish others could understand about their child’s experience with dyslexia.

This is what they had to say:

“It doesn’t just affect school. It takes a toll on their social life too.” — Robin Anderson Reed