Kids with dyslexia are more likely than other kids to have depression, especially as they reach their teen years. (Depression is also common in kids with ADHD.)
Why do dyslexia and depression often co-occur in young people, as well as in adults? Researchers point to a few reasons:
Stress: Dyslexia makes going to school stressful because nearly every class involves at least some reading. And chronic stress makes people more likely to develop depression.
Low self-esteem: Trouble keeping up with schoolwork can wear down kids’ self-esteem. They may start to think they aren’t smart or that they need to hide who they are.
Social isolation: Some struggling students would rather skip school or get sent to the principal than be embarrassed in front of their peers. This can lead to feeling isolated.
Co-occurring conditions: Many people with dyslexia have co-occurring conditions, like anxiety or ADHD. These other conditions can raise the risk for depression.
With the right support, young people with dyslexia and depression can manage these conditions and thrive. Keep reading to learn what depression looks like in kids— and find out how to help.
Dive deeper
Signs of depression in kids with dyslexia
Treatment for dyslexia and depression
FAQs
Although most children with dyslexia are not depressed, they are at higher risk for intense feelings of sorrow and pain. Perhaps because of their low self-esteem, children with dyslexia are often afraid to turn their anger toward their environment and instead turn it toward themselves, which can result in depression.
What does a typical day look like with someone with dyslexia? ›
For example, dyslexic adults may find reading aloud, completing forms, organising bills/paperwork, and completing reports or other long written tasks very challenging. The stress and apprehension relating to these tasks may only last for a few minutes until the task is completed.
What problem solving skills do dyslexic people have? ›
They tend to use an intuitive approach to problem solving that can seem like daydreaming. Staring out of the window is how dyslexics work, letting their brain slide into neutral and ease itself around a problem to let connections assemble. Can use critical thinking to solve a problem after comparing information.
What is an example of double deficit dyslexia? ›
A person with double deficit dyslexia struggles with two aspects of reading. These two aspects often include naming speed and identifying the sounds in words. This type of dyslexia is a combination of rapid naming and phonological and is not uncommon; however, it is largely regarded as the most severe type of dyslexia.
What is the emotional trauma of dyslexia? ›
Alexander-Passe [15,17,39] suggests that 'Post-traumatic stress disorder' (PTSD) in dyslexics can come from various factors, these include: the sudden exclusion from their peer group; intense anger from a teacher or parent, physical bullying at school; realisation that something unrecognisable is wrong (maybe realising ...
What is the root cause of dyslexia? ›
Dyslexia results from individual differences in the parts of the brain that enable reading. It tends to run in families. Dyslexia appears to be linked to certain genes that affect how the brain processes reading and language.
What does undiagnosed dyslexia look like in adults? ›
Adults with dyslexia may exhibit the following traits or symptoms, according to experts: A family history of learning problems, including dyslexia. An early history of delayed speaking, reading or writing. Slow reading speed and/or trouble including small words and parts of longer words when reading out loud.
Do people with dyslexia behave differently? ›
The dyslexic frequently has problems with social relationships. These can be traced to causes: Dyslexic children may be physically and socially immature in comparison to their peers. This can lead to a poor self-image and less peer acceptance.
What are the most obvious signs of dyslexia? ›
reading slowly or making errors when reading aloud. answering questions well orally, but having difficulty writing the answer down. difficulty carrying out a sequence of directions. struggling to learn sequences, such as days of the week or the alphabet.
What do people with dyslexia struggle with the most? ›
The main problem in dyslexia is trouble recognizing phonemes (pronounced: FO-neems). These are the basic sounds of speech (the "b" sound in "bat" is a phoneme, for example). So it's a struggle to make the connection between the sound and the letter symbol for that sound, and to blend sounds into words.
New research by the University of Strathclyde has found that people with dyslexia are much better at being curious and exploring new ideas and more likely to be found in careers where this is an advantage, such as art, media, architecture, creativity, engineering and inventing things!
What are two comments we should avoid saying to a person with dyslexia? ›
5 things not to say to your child about dyslexia
- “If you try harder, you'll read better.” ...
- “Other kids don't need to know about your dyslexia.” ...
- “Maybe we should think about alternatives to college where reading isn't so important.” ...
- “If you don't learn to read, you'll never be successful.”
The 4 types of dyslexia include phonological dyslexia, surface dyslexia, rapid naming deficit, and double deficit dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning disorder where the person often has difficulty reading and interpreting what they read. It is neither infectious nor brought on by vaccinations.
What is the most severe form of dyslexia mixed characterized by? ›
Mixed Dyslexia
Multiple reading deficits characterized by impaired phonological and orthographic processing skills. The most severe form of dyslexia.
What do people with dyslexia show compared with typical controls? ›
Imaging research has demonstrated that the brains of people with dyslexia show different, less efficient, patterns of processing (including under and over activation) during tasks involving sounds in speech and letter sounds in words.
Does dyslexia affect your mental health? ›
Children with dyslexia are at elevated risk of internalising and externalising mental health concerns. Our aim was to scope the extent and nature of the literature investigating factors which may influence this association.
What are the mental problems with dyslexia? ›
Children with dyslexia are at increased risk for conduct and anxiety disorders, withdrawal, poor self-esteem, and depression.
How many people with dyslexia have depression? ›
Among dyslexic children and adolescents, the percentage of subjects with “severe to very severe” symptoms of anxiety and depression associated with “low to very low” self-esteem is higher than in the control group (62.5 vs. 5.63%, respectively).
