Dear Senator Birmingham, My 9 year old daughter has a genetic auditory processing difference, otherwise known as Dyslexia. She is bright, ...

Shane's Red Letter

23:11:00 Dyslexia Australia 0 Comments

Dear Senator Birmingham,

My 9 year old daughter has a genetic auditory processing difference, otherwise known as Dyslexia. She is bright, creative and a natural leader. She has a high IQ, but has difficulty with reading text. She started to show signs of anxiety, which has now manifested itself in physical pain. We do not have a family history of anxiety or depression. She has a full-time, dedicated stay-at-home mum and attends a Montessori community school that provides a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment. The reason that my daughter suffers anxiety is a direct result of her processing difference and her inability to keep up with her peers at school in the areas of reading and writing.

My daughter’s teacher recommended a course that a peer in her class participated in for anxiety management, and suggested that it had helped him enormously. When I looked into enrolling my daughter in the course, I discovered that it was created for Autism Spectrum (ASD) children. 

My question to you is, we know that when ASD children are supported appropriately, it helps them to reach their full potential and minimises mental illness associated with feeling isolated and different. Why is it that Dyslexic children receive NOTHING? These children that are also affected by a GENETIC learning difference can be left undiagnosed (due to a lack of screening or affordability), and completely unsupported. Children that are left to fail in the classroom will go on to develop low self esteem and mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. This is not good for anyone, the individual or society.

Senator Birmingham, please tell me why there is currently no support for Dyslexic children in Australia's education system.

Kind regards,
Shane

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