Our Dyslexia Journey:A Parent’s Perspective

Innovative Imagination
Oct 5
4 min read

Updated: Oct 5

Early Signs and Growing Suspicions

Our son’s journey with dyslexia officially began at age eight, but the signs were present long before his diagnosis. As a toddler, he experienced a noticeable speech delay and had persistent trouble with pronunciation throughout his preschool years. With the help of a year of speech therapy, he made significant progress and was considered “on target” for his age.

While he was making strides, we observed a consistent pattern of letter and number reversals. The idea that he might be dyslexic began to surface in our thoughts as parents. Despite these concerns, he continued to make progress—learning to read at age five, gaining fluency by age seven, and becoming a proficient speller. By the end of first grade, he obtained reading fluency, and from there he began reading books well above his grade level.

Even with his impressive reading abilities, the persistent letter reversals lingered in our minds as a possible sign of something more. We hesitated to consider dyslexia as a possibility because of his high reading ability, strong comprehension, and consistently scoring at the top of his class in the spelling bee. Others reassured us that these reversals were “normal” for his age.

A Turning Point

Everything changed at the end of second grade. While helping him with a book report, I noticed he had written a “k” backward. I gently asked him to flip his “k” around, prompting a river of tears. He was overwhelmed and defeated. For him, the letters always looked and felt right, and he couldn’t understand why they had to face a certain way. In that moment, our suspicions became undeniable reality.

Seeking Answers and Understanding

The very next day, we moved quickly—meeting with teachers, administrators, and specialists to begin the evaluation process. We were determined to provide our son with the support he needed to thrive without unnecessary struggle. The process was lengthy, but eye-opening. Not only was dyslexia confirmed, but the evaluation also revealed that our son had a high IQ—making him twice exceptional. Suddenly, many things that had previously been confusing began to make sense. It felt as if we had finally unlocked a secret code to understanding how his mind worked, allowing us to truly “speak his language.”

Recognizing the Full Picture of Dyslexia

The most obvious signs of dyslexia—such as letter reversals and speech delays—were easy to spot. However, we learned there were many other indicators that we didn’t realize pointed to dyslexia: his struggles with anxiety, memory, organization, and time management; difficulty distinguishing right from left, mental fatigue, struggles with hand-writing, and frequent word confusion. We were unaware that many of his existing strengths also came with his dyslexic profile: an extraordinary aptitude for puzzles and strategy games, strong problem-solving and storytelling abilities, attention to detail, boundless creativity, innovation, and a vivid imagination.

Embracing Differences and Celebrating Strengths

Dyslexia is intimidating at first, but we have come to learn that it means a person is “wired” differently—not only in how they learn, but in how they think. Every dyslexic individual is unique, with their own combination of strengths and challenges. I think there is a stigma that comes with dyslexia, causing people to think dyslexic individuals lack intelligence, motivation, or ability. This is simply not true—it just means that their brains operate differently and traditional learning systems do not fit their needs. There is no direct link between dyslexia and intelligence, with many dyslexic individuals possessing average or above-average intelligence.

Over the years, our son developed his own coping strategies, which allowed him to mask his dyslexia and excel academically, delaying the need for diagnostic testing. He continued to read at a remarkably high level and consistently performed well in spelling. This shows the vastness of his intelligence and grit—to rise above his challenges and learn how to excel in a system that wasn’t designed for him.

Gratitude and Looking Forward

This journey has been both enlightening and transformative for our family. We are incredibly grateful to the teachers, therapists, and administrators who have supported us along the way. Our son has one of the most creative and innovative minds we have ever seen. He invents, creates, solves problems, and inspires others, all because of the unique way his brain is “wired.” Like everyone, he has his own mix of strengths and weaknesses—and these are his gifts.

As we look to the future, we do so with hope and anticipation. Our son’s mind is bright, and his gifts are boundless. We believe that God has a wonderful plan for his life, and that he will change the world—one imaginative idea at a time.

Can You Relate?

If you have suspicions, concerns, or wonder about your child’s abilities, don’t hesitate to be their advocate. This journey has been a blessing in disguise for our family. We are so glad we trusted our instincts and pressed for answers. The wonderful support system we had with our son’s school enabled us to move forward quickly to get assistance for our son.

If something doesn’t seem right, speak up for your child. Be persistent until you get an answer:

Talk to your child’s teacher, administrator, doctor.
See a specialist.
Get a psycho-educational evaluation. Are they expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? We thought so. We saw it as a valuable investment in our son’s future. We found creative ways to save to get the funding we needed. We trusted God and He provided.
Read, research, and become an expert of your child’s needs so that you can best care for them. We spend countless hours each week learning about dyslexia and finding ways to support him.
Find the best learning style for your child and equip them. Come up with ways to alleviate the anxiety and pressure while you teach new strategies for living and learning with dyslexia.
Accept mistakes with grace—they're inevitable for both you and your child. Your attitude toward mistakes matters. When you view mistakes as a learning opportunity, so will your child—lessening the pressure of perfection and relieving the anxiety of failure. Remember: Mistakes fuel growth. Failure is the precursor to success.