Parent Perspectives of the Dyslexia Diagnosis Process

A child who experiences difficulty learning how to read goes through many struggles and exhibits a myriad of symptoms and emotions. This response affects not only the individual child, but greatly impacts the entire family. Watching as your child struggles to learn how to read and not being able to help them can be a devastating feeling. Receiving the news that your child has dyslexia may trigger feelings of frustration, fear, sadness, or helplessness. Additionally, ongoing needs for advocacy, support, effective interventions, and appropriate accommodations for a child with dyslexia can cause continued family stress. A multidisciplinary team of researchers with a shared interest in this issue, representing the fields of school psychology, literacy education, educational diagnostics, special education, and counseling came together to investigate parents’ experiences and perspectives regarding their child’s diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia. The findings from this research study provide insights into the lived experiences of the children and their families with dyslexia; including those who suspect a reading problem, those who are currently going through the assessment process, or those who have already received a diagnosis of dyslexia. From preliminary data analyses, we will present some significant findings gleaned from data collected from this under-researched population. Far-reaching outcomes from this research study include providing valuable information to the fields of education, special education, and dyslexia intervention.