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When a child faces repeated difficulties in learning to read and write, many parents understandably feel anxious and may even assume that the child is not trying hard enough or has difficulty concentrating. In fact, these may be early signs of dyslexia. Helping a child bridge the learning gap requires more than the efforts of one party; schools and families need to work together to create a holistic support network. Drawing on medical and educational perspectives, this article explores how to support students with dyslexia effectively and help them rebuild confidence in learning.

What Is Dyslexia? Understanding the Hidden Challenges Students Face
Dyslexia is one of the most common types of specific learning difficulties (SpLD) within special educational needs (SEN). According to local research data, approximately 9.7% to 12.6% of schoolchildren in Hong Kong experience reading and writing difficulties of varying degrees (Chan, Ho, Tsang, Lee & Chung, 2007). This is not due to low intelligence or a lack of motivation. Rather, it is associated with innate differences in how the brain processes speech sounds, written symbols and decoding.

These students may have weaker phonological awareness, visual memory and rapid naming skills. They may find word recognition, dictation and reading comprehension particularly demanding. Understanding the nature of dyslexia is the first step towards offering students acceptance and support.

Early Identification: How Can Parents Recognise Reading and Writing Difficulties?
Early identification and intervention are important in addressing reading and writing difficulties. In everyday life, parents can look out for the following common signs:

• Reading difficulties: frequently skipping words or lines when reading aloud, or substituting another word or character for the original one—for example, confusing visually similar Chinese characters.
• Writing difficulties: frequently writing incorrect characters, adding or omitting strokes, producing loosely structured characters, or reversing letters or character components (for example, confusing “b” and “d”).
• Weak memory: completely forgetting a newly learned word or character by the next day, or being unable to spell words quickly and accurately.
• Reduced motivation to learn: developing a fear of written language after repeated setbacks, or even resisting homework and school.

If these difficulties persist, parents are advised to seek professional assessment from clinical psychologist early. Identifying the child’s learning needs and providing appropriate training and support can help the child realise their learning potential more effectively.

Home–School Collaboration: Building a Holistic Support Network
Effective support for students with dyslexia requires both systematic educational support at school and involvement at home. These elements complement one another and can strengthen the outcomes of intervention and learning support.

The School’s Role and the Three-Tier Support Model
Schools in Hong Kong commonly use a three-tier support model to support students with special educational needs:

• Tier 1 support (universal): enhancing everyday classroom teaching to address diverse learning needs across the student population.
• Tier 2 support (small-group): providing additional pull-out small-group training for students with mild to moderate reading and writing difficulties, such as literacy groups or social-emotional groups.
• Tier 3 support (individualised): developing an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for students with severe dyslexia, with one-to-one intensive training and examination accommodations such as extra time or having questions read aloud.

Parental Support and Home-Based Intervention
Support and companionship at home can be a strong source of encouragement as a child works through learning difficulties. Practical home-support strategies include:

• Create a positive environment: place less emphasis on grades alone and praise the child’s effort and small improvements. Make shared reading an enjoyable parent–child activity rather than a burdensome homework task.
• Use assistive technology: tools such as speech-to-text software, talking e-books or Education Bureau parent literacy-support resources (see the EDB SENSE website) can reduce the demands of processing written text.

Comparison of Professional Support and Training Options
The table below summarises the main areas of support provided by families, schools and healthcare institutions:

Union Hospital’s Professional Assessment and Treatment Programme
If dyslexia is suspected, observation alone may not be sufficient. Union Hospital’s psychology and speech therapy team provide a comprehensive Dyslexia Assessment and Training Programme. A clinical psychologist conducts a detailed assessment to identify the student’s core learning difficulties, while a speech therapist provides targeted training to help the student understand the rules and patterns involved in reading and writing.

With early intervention, some students with dyslexia may show improvement in word recognition and learning motivation over several months of speech therapy; outcomes vary depending on the degree of difficulty, when support begins, and home–school collaboration. Close collaboration between parents and schools, supported by Union Hospital’s professional healthcare team, can help students with dyslexia move forward in their learning journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can dyslexia be completely cured?
   Dyslexia is an innate neurodevelopmental difference and cannot be “cured” with medication. However, early professional assessment, speech therapy and suitable learning strategies can help many students reduce the impact of reading and writing difficulties and develop their potential.

    

2. Do children with dyslexia have lower intelligence?
   Students with dyslexia generally have intelligence comparable to that of other children. Some have high intelligence. They need a different approach when learning to read and write.

    

3. At what age should a child undergo a dyslexia assessment?
   A formal, standardised dyslexia assessment is generally recommended when a child enters Primary One, at around six years of age. However, if significant word-recognition difficulties are already apparent in the final year of kindergarten (K3), parents may seek professional advice earlier so that preliminary intervention can begin.

    

4. Can dyslexia affect a child’s emotions as well as academic performance?
   Yes. Repeated learning setbacks can contribute to low self-confidence, anxiety and avoidance behaviours. Emotional support and the development of a positive growth mindset are therefore as important as academic training.

    

5. What examination accommodations do schools commonly provide?
   Following assessment and diagnosis by a qualified registered clinical or educational psychologist, schools may provide accommodations such as extra examination time, enlarged print, having questions read aloud, or allowing speech or computer input instead of handwritten answers. These arrangements are intended to enable the assessment to reflect the student’s abilities more accurately.

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