A child with dyslexia can be quite a perplexing thing. I know this, because I have one. My nine year old son is severely dyslexic and dysgraphic. He and I have spent most of the past nine years trying to answer this very question. What are the support help needs of a dyslexic child ? And even trickier, how do you meet them ?

Dyslexic children live a life that few people without dyslexia will ever really understand. Dyslexia is a learning disability caused by actual differences in the brain. My son says his brain isn't the same as an ordinary kid's. I certainly believe this to be true. He is no ordinary kid, that's for sure ! There are many issues that kids with dyslexia face in school and in life on a daily basis.

One very obvious need for support in dyslexic children is academic support. In our experience that help can come in a huge variety of forms. At the moment, my son has an angel of a tutor in the form of a fourth grade teacher at his school. She is kind and loving and has learned how to best support Max in his school work. She is our homework helper, test preparation specialist and all around cheerleader when good things (or bad) happen at school. She is not his classroom teacher but teaches at his grade level, and is in close communication with his daily classroom teacher. She is intimately familiar with the grade level curriculum. This has proven to be a huge asset. She can answer questions and help us weed through pages of material that would take us monumental amounts of time to read. She focuses us on the material we really need to know. A kind and patient tutor with a good sense of humor to help with school work had proven essential to us. She has lightened our load and helped us believe that we are perfectly capable of managing the everyday school workload. With her help, of course.

Success in school is vital on many fronts. Experiencing success is absolutely essential for the dyslexic child, and it doesn't come easy. So many things that are simple for the most kids are challenging to the dyslexic child. When you've struggled just to get to your locker, get it open (Right, left, right...was right towards the door or the classroom ?) find your homework (surely it was waded up somewhere in that scuffed up, upside down binder that just spilled all over the hallway)and turn it in correctly (was it the second file or the first one we're supposed to put it in ?) you've worked harder just getting to your seat than

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