As Jaden gets closer to her teenage years (she’s now almost 14), I am reminded of data that shows a disproportionately high number of teenagers with dyslexia who report and are treated for anxiety and depression. This is an important issue in our dyslexia community that needs to be explored and better understood by parents, teachers, and support circles.
According to Peg Rosen author of “Dyslexia and Anxiety: What You Need to Know", “Kids with dyslexia are as smart as their peers. But they face more daily stress because of their challenges…For some kids, the anxiety about reading doesn’t always stay limited to just reading. Kids may decide that if they “stink” at reading, they’ll “stink” at everything else.”
Yesterday was Jaden’s triennial IEP meeting. There was nothing new reported to us regarding her difficulty with reading or memory and processing deficits. The new talking point at this meeting was Jaden’s increased anxiety as reported by me, her English teacher, and by Jaden herself. Fortunately, Jaden has an amazing IEP team and together we discussed what we can do to help Jaden relieve her anxiety and hopefully avoid increased anxiety and depression in the future.
Inspired by this conversation, I felt it was important to share some data regarding dyslexia, anxiety, and depression with the hope that we can proactively help our children cope and prevent long term mental issues.
29% of kids with a Specific Learning Disability also have an anxiety disorder.
20% of children with dyslexia suffer from depression.
Dyslexic students have higher levels of academic and social anxiety.
According to the International Dyslexia Association: “All people, young and old, can experience overwhelming stress and exhibit signs of anxiety, but children, adolescents, and adults with dyslexia are particularly vulnerable. That’s because many individuals do not fully understand the nature of their learning disability, and as a result, tend to blame themselves for their own difficulties. Years of self-doubt and self recrimination may erode a person’s self-esteem, making them less able to tolerate the challenges of school, work, or social interactions and more stressed and anxious.”
In Jaden’s specific case we have decided to address her anxiety by firs working with her counselor at school. He will talk to Jaden about the stressors in her life and then discuss stress management strategies that will fit with her personality. He will also start teaching Jaden how to prioritize her tasks to reduce anxiety. Jaden, like many of her dyslexic peers, spends a lot of time worrying about assignments because it is hard for her to conceptualize how much time she truly has. For example, if an assignment is due next week, she sometimes needs reminders to do focus on immediate deadlines first. With time and coaching, she will learn how to make effective to do lists that include prioritizing tasks from most important to least important.
Another tool we will begin to employ with Jaden is the use of a timer. Jaden can quickly lose track of time with both homework and preferred activities.
With homework it is critical for students with dyslexia to prevent academic exhaustion by taking brain breaks. I usually encourage Jaden to take a quick break every 20 minutes to “reboot the system” so to speak. Getting up to stretch, use the bathroom, or grab a quick snack does wonders in helping her brain reset to continue working on homework. Jaden also reports that the timer helps her feel less overwhelmed as she knows a break will come every 20 minutes. With preferred activities the timer also helps. For Jaden playing Roblox for an hour seems like 5 minutes. The timer reminds her of the passage of time so she doesn’t get sucked into any one activity for too long.
I encourage parents to really take an honest look at their children and mitigate anxiety and depression before it becomes a serious issue. The techniques that work for Jaden may not work for others and we likely will try a variety of techniques as the years progress. There may even come a time when we enlist the support of a mental health professional. I’m not sure at the moment what the future will hold. If your child is exhibiting signs of anxiety or depression please consider reaching out for help. School counselors are trained and available to help make recommendations and in certain cases appropriate referrals. Don’t wait for anxiety or depression to become a serious problem.