Often those with dyslexia struggle with reading and begin to develop a poor self-concept at a young age. Our society tends to focus on what’s wrong instead of what’s right. Many individuals with dyslexia have many strengths and gifts to share with the world. As parent or guardian, you can help build and celebrate your children’s individual strengths and increase their resilience! Building resilience in your children can be key to helping them build the confidence and persistence needed to learn to read. That same confidence will also help children face any obstacle they might encounter throughout their education and life.

Here’s what you can do:

Encourage your children’s individual strengths. Explore how they might differ from those of their siblings or classmates and why they can make a difference.

Have family discussions celebrating each other’s strengths. No one is good at everything, but everyone is good at something. Be sure to highlight individual strengths among all family members; the strengths may vary, but each is important. Reinforce this idea frequently.

Come together for a good cause. Experience the strength of working together as a family or a group to help the community.

Pay it forward. Challenge your children to use their strengths to help someone this week, such as teaching a friend to play a sport or helping a classmate with a project.

Help your children use their strengths to make a difference. Give them the opportunity to volunteer with a local cause such as the Special Olympics or Habitat for Humanity. They may be surprised how much of a difference they can make using their personal talents.

Encourage your children to connect with others. Social competency is important. Having and staying connected to friends and loved ones increases resilience. Being part of positive group experiences and belief systems, such as after-school clubs, faith-based communities, and volunteer organizations, contribute to your child’s sense of connectedness as well.

*Information from this article was from the National Association of School School Psychologist