Understanding Your Child: Anxiety, Dyslexia, or Both?
Reading anxiety is real. As a parent, noticing your child’s strengths and challenges can be both rewarding and worrisome. A mom explained, “My fourth-grade daughter adapts easily to needs of others, is kind, patient and displays good teamwork, is outside of the box thinker, and is organized on tasks. My concern is she is very anxious a lot. She also avoids reading and writing tasks. Does she have anxiety or dyslexia?”
Lingering Questions
These qualities are remarkable and speak to this young girl’s resilience and creativity but it’s natural for you to wonder: is this anxiety, dyslexia, or both? Anxiety can manifest in many ways. Children may worry excessively about doing tasks “perfectly,” avoid challenging activities, or experience physical symptoms like stomachaches before school, in school when it’s learning time, or during homework. Anxiety doesn’t diminish intelligence or creativity and it can even accompany highly capable children who care deeply about performance and others’ feelings.
Is it Dyslexia?
Dyslexia, on the other hand, specifically affects reading, spelling, and writing skills. Children with dyslexia may avoid reading or writing tasks because they are frustrating and require extra mental effort. They often understand concepts orally and think creatively, but struggle with decoding words or expressing their creative ideas on paper.
Is it Anxiety?
Twenty-five percent of children with dyslexia also have anxiety. A child with dyslexia may develop anxiety related to reading or writing tasks, creating a cycle of avoidance and worry. Determining which is present, or if both contribute, is essential to providing the right support for your child.
Answers Await
Early identification and support for reading anxiety are key. For anxiety, strategies such as predictable routines, mindfulness, and gentle encouragement can help children feel safer and more confident. For dyslexia, evidence-based interventions, multisensory reading programs, and accommodations at school can reduce frustration and build skills. I always encourage parents to also focus on your child’s strengths to boost confidence and help your child thrive alongside any challenges.
Reach out if you notice ongoing reading anxiety or general reading difficulty. A school neuropsychological evaluation will provide answers. Call (561) 625 4125 to discuss your child and dyslexia, learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD, autism, or anxiety.