{"h1":"My child was diagnosed with dyslexia — what to do first","faq":[{"a":"No. Dyslexia is a difference in how the brain processes written language and has nothing to do with intelligence or effort. Many children with dyslexia are bright, creative problem-solvers who simply need a structured, evidence-based way of being taught to read.","q":"Does dyslexia mean my child is not intelligent?"},{"a":"Most children with dyslexia learn to read, write and succeed when they receive explicit, systematic, multisensory literacy teaching. Progress is steady rather than sudden, and the earlier the right support begins, the stronger the outcome.","q":"Will my child ever read normally?"},{"a":"Begin structured literacy support and share the assessment report with your child's school so classroom accommodations can start. These two steps — the right teaching and the right environment — make the biggest difference.","q":"What is the single most important first step?"},{"a":"Yes. Schools can offer reasonable accommodations such as extra time, a reader or scribe, and other concessions. Share your clinician's report with the school so the appropriate support can be arranged.","q":"Can my child get exam support in India?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-was-just-diagnosed-with-dyslexia-reading-impairment-what-should-i-do-first","title":"My child was diagnosed with dyslexia — what to do first","entity":{"key":"dyslexia","kind":"condition","name":"Dyslexia (Reading Impairment)","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Adaptive","value":"adaptive"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support","value":"support"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Plan","value":"plan"},{"kind":"route","label":"Special-Education","value":"special-education"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Family Empowerment","value":"family_empowerment"}],"parent":{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"where-should-i-start-to-get-help-for-a-child-with-dyslexia-reading-impairment","title":"Where should I start to get help for a child with Dyslexia?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-adaptive-development-in-a-child-with-dyslexia-reading-impairment","title":"How can we support adaptive development in a child with Dyslexia?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-can-i-expect-as-my-child-with-dyslexia-reading-impairment-grows-up","title":"What can I expect as my child with dyslexia grows up?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-the-long-term-outlook-for-a-child-with-dyslexia-reading-impairment","title":"What is the long-term outlook for a child with dyslexia?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-classroom-teacher-help-a-child-with-dyslexia-reading-impairment-take-part-and-learn","title":"How a Teacher Can Help a Child with Dyslexia Learn"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-the-best-way-to-parent-and-guide-a-child-with-dyslexia-reading-impairment","title":"What is the best way to parent and guide a child with Dyslexia?"}],"summary":"After a dyslexia diagnosis, parents should read the assessment report, inform the school to begin accommodations, and start structured, evidence-based literacy support while protecting the child's confidence. Dyslexia is a processing difference, not a measure of intelligence, and children thrive with the right teaching. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","answer_md":"*A dyslexia diagnosis is not a ceiling on your child's future — it is the key that unlocks the right kind of teaching.*\n\n## In short\nFirst, take a breath — dyslexia is a difference in how the brain processes written language, **not** a measure of intelligence or effort, and with the right structured support children with dyslexia learn to read, write and thrive. Your immediate steps are simple: read the full assessment report, share it with your child's school to begin classroom accommodations, and start **structured, evidence-based literacy support** (often called structured literacy or a phonics-based reading programme). Your child has not changed overnight — you simply now understand them better.\n\n## What to do first\n- **Understand the report.** Ask the assessing clinician to walk you through your child's specific profile — their strengths as well as the areas of difficulty. Dyslexia looks different in every child.\n- **Tell the school early.** Share the report and request reasonable accommodations: extra time, reduced copying from the board, audiobooks, oral answers, and a phonics-based reading approach. In India, schools can offer such support and exam concessions.\n- **Begin structured literacy support.** The most effective help is explicit, systematic, multisensory teaching of letter–sound links, blending and spelling — delivered by a trained therapist or specialist educator. The earlier this starts, the better.\n- **Protect your child's confidence.** Children with dyslexia often work harder than peers for the same result and can quietly lose self-belief. Praise effort, read aloud together for pleasure, and lean into their strengths — drawing, building, storytelling, sport.\n- **Keep reading enjoyable.** Audiobooks, shared reading and graphic novels keep a love of stories alive while the reading skills are being built.\n\nWith consistent, well-matched support, dyslexia becomes something your child manages — not something that holds them back.\n\n## A few things to remember\nProgress is steady rather than sudden, so celebrate small wins. Dyslexia frequently sits alongside real talents in problem-solving, creativity and big-picture thinking. And you are not doing this alone — a good plan is a partnership between you, the school and your therapy team.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nAbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app or online form. From a precise, [clinician-administered profile](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) we build a structured literacy plan through [specialist learning and speech-language support](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate), shaped around your child's strengths. Explore how we support [reading and learning differences](/) across our network.\n\n## Trusted sources\nWHO ICD-11 (developmental learning disorder with impairment in reading); the British NICE guidance and the American Academy of Pediatrics (via HealthyChildren.org) on recognising and supporting learning differences; ASHA guidance on the language and literacy basis of reading difficulty.\n\n**Next step —** Want a clear, strengths-based plan for your child? [Book a learning and literacy assessment with a Pinnacle clinician](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate).\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-was-just-diagnosed-with-dyslexia-reading-impairment-what-should-i-do-first","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-was-just-diagnosed-with-dyslexia-reading-impairment-what-should-i-do-first","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-was-just-diagnosed-with-dyslexia-reading-impairment-what-should-i-do-first-te","lang":"te","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"}],"meta_title":"Child Diagnosed With Dyslexia: First Steps","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Read aloud together for pleasure every day with no pressure on your child to decode the words — let audiobooks and shared stories keep their love of stories alive while reading skills are built.","published_at":"2026-06-10T12:56:00.519845+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-dyslexia-reading-impairment-affect-a-child-s-daily-life","title":"How Dyslexia Affects a Child's Daily Life","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-dyslexia-reading-impairment-considered-a-disability","title":"Is Dyslexia Considered a Disability?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-dyslexia-reading-impairment-genetic-or-hereditary","title":"Is Dyslexia Genetic or Hereditary?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-common-myths-about-dyslexia-reading-impairment","title":"What are common myths about Dyslexia (Reading Impairment)?","reason":"Same 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support","total":61},{"key":"home","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-my-child-with-dyslexia-reading-impairment-at-home","title":"How to Support Your Child with Dyslexia at Home","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"At home & in everyday life","total":1}],"what_to_watch":"Watch for falling confidence or anxiety about school and reading, reluctance to read aloud, and whether classroom accommodations are actually being used. Track steady progress in letter-sound work rather than expecting sudden leaps, and note any difficulties spreading to maths or attention.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://icd.who.int/","code":"6A03.0","label":"WHO ICD-11: developmental learning disorder with impairment in reading"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org/","label":"AAP HealthyChildren.org: supporting children with learning differences"},{"url":"https://www.nice.org.uk/","label":"NICE guidance on learning and reading difficulties"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org/","label":"ASHA: language and literacy basis of reading difficulty"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T12:56:00.519845+00:00","meta_description":"Just got a dyslexia diagnosis? Here are the calm, practical first steps — understand the report, inform the school, and start structured literacy support.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}