Raising a Child with Dyslexia: What Every Parent Needs to Know

Children’s author Winn (There’s a Monkey in My Backpack), who raised a son with dyslexia and has the condition himself, provides a lay reader–friendly introduction to a disorder that’s estimated to affect about one out of five people. Assuming zero prior knowledge on the reader’s part, Winn lays out the different types of dyslexia—primary (genetically-based); secondary (originating during fetal development); and trauma-induced. He emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis, based on his own dyslexia having gone unidentified and untreated in childhood, and shares some painful memories of being shamed by his parents for his reading difficulties. The good news, Winn writes, is that, with support from educators and clinicians, people with dyslexia can “undergo a beautiful transformation.” As such, he takes care to point out positive associated traits, including “outside-the-box thinking and problem-solving” and “visual-spatial building and design skills.” He also offers plenty of logical and commonsense advice for parents on countering dyslexia’s negative impact on their kids, such as limiting screen time, and cultivating reading habits at an early age, all in an easy to follow style. While hardly the only good intro out there, this compassionate work will reward parents in search of guidance. (Self-published.)