My dyslexic son does not believe in himself

Statistics suggest that up to 10% of the population have dyslexia.

Students with dyslexia have difficulties with reading, spelling and writing. They can also struggle with cognitive/processing difficulties.

The impact of dyslexia can change according to the change in environment i.e. what a dyslexic person is asked to do and under what circumstance.

Over the weekend I was coaching a boy who is dyslexic. Interestingly this boy loves cars particularly Formula 1.

There is nothing with his brain and intelligence. Using the analogy of cars, this boy has a Ferrari engine for a brain. He is very sharp and also has a winning personality.

However, he really struggles in school.

He has to work so hard just to keep up with his classmates.

He gets incredibly frustrated and can feel bad about himself. He never gets the results to reflect the effort he puts in.

Again using our car analogy he is struggling to get torque when he is studying and learning.

I work lots of students who have dyslexia and other learning differences.

The problem for these kids in an academic environment such as school they feel stupid. They don’t feel smart.

In school, we spend much of our time focusing on reading, writing and spelling. Can you imagine how difficult this is for any person whose very limitations are reading, writing and spelling?

This has such a negative effect on their self-esteem and confidence.

When working with such young people I try to focus on their strengths and re-wire their brain by showing them how to access their creativity.

This gives them a different frame for learning. They are also hard wired for sound so we need to change the emphasis of how they learn and input the information.

In this video coaching newsletter I discuss a real life parent and her dyslexic son who is in 2nd year and what she can do to help her son build confidence and self-esteem so he is not scarred by the education system.

Some of the most famous leaders and creators in history had dyslexia. Having such a learning difference made them work harder, made them more resilient and definitely made them a lot more creative. One could argue their dyslexia made them leaders and innovators.

Winston Churchill and Richard Branson both never let their limitations in school hold them back. If anything it propelled them forward because they had to find a different way.

I hope this video serves as a little bit of inspiration today for any student struggling in secondary school.

Until next time, keep RAYSING THE GAME!