Last night was very inspirational indeed. I was lucky enough to go along to a Parent Awareness Course organised by the lovely teachers at our Egham centre.
I wanted to go along , not as a parent but as a staff member (who has just joined DA) to learn a little bit more about dyslexia, look at different styles of teaching and also to get to know the Dyslexia Action teachers a little bit more too! I came away after 2 fascinating hours feeling like I wish I'd done this as soon as I'd joined here!
Wow…. what an eye opener into the hardships that parents of children with dyslexia face on a daily basis. The stories that we heard from parents were ones of immense frustration with schools and local councils, confusion as to where to now turn and also of self blame, many believing that they should have tried harder with their children or spotted problems earlier.
The stories that we heard were so very touching and really brought home how important it is to get dyslexia on the education agenda. More needs to be done within schools and support needs to be given to children and to parents to ensure that everyone can fulfill their potential. Whilst listening to these parents and also adults who have dyslexia themselves, it was clear that here were a group of people that cared about their children. Here were parents desperate to improve their child's education and willing to do anything to learn more about this hidden disability to better support their child.
Yesterday evening was the first of 8 sessions which aim to empower parents, improve their confidence and help families work together to embrace the new skills that they have learnt. For me it was incredibly interesting and I cannot wait to see what the next session will hold! I think that this type of course should be made available to all adults, parents and young people who would like to learn more about dyslexia as it truly is a great thing to be a part of.
Of course learning about different coping strategies and ways of dealing with dyslexia are fantastic but the most important thing that this course provides is the sense that no-one is alone, providing an immediate sense of relief for parents and also a readymade group of like-minded individuals who can support one another even after the sessions come to an end.
I think the Dyslexia Action teachers do a fantastic job and are able to talk about their work experience and their dyslexia knowledge in such a fun and imaginative way. Everyone felt immediately at ease knowing that they were in the hands of professionals!
Roll on next week I say!
Anna Cowell
Community Fundraiser at Dyslexia Action
I think my 5 year old daughter has dyslexia