Chris Packham: What parents can learn about Dyslexia

As a parent of a neurodivergent child, it can be difficult to comprehend their unique understanding of the world.

In a follow up to the BBC documentary Inside Our Autistic Minds, presenter Chris Packham, met people with dyslexia to explore how they experience life. Bitesize Parents’ Toolkit also spoke to experts at the British Dyslexia Association for advice parents of children with dyslexia may want about the topics explored in the programme.

What is dyslexia and who does it affect?

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) defines it as a lifelong, genetic, neurological Special Learning Difficulty (SpLD) which affects people in all genders, ethnicities and social groups. It is not connected to a person’s intellectual ability and it can have an impact ranging from mild to severe.

Lee, one of the people Chris met in the series, explained how he could understand drawings rather than words, saying: “If I read this now, I’ll jump words. That will take me three times longer, just to know what is happening.”

Chris Packham, wearing a high vis jacket and a helmet, stands next to a someone in a high vis and helmet, pointing to something in the distance. — Image caption,
Lee works in construction and is one of the people sharing their dyslexia stories with Chris Packham in his documentary series.

As an explanation for this happening, Professor Joel Talcott, a neuroscientist, told Parents’ Toolkit: "The dyslexic brain uses the same brain areas as typical readers, but there's less coordination and less connectivity between these areas.”

And there are other challenges to consider: “Individuals with dyslexia may have difficulties in other sorts of working memory tasks, reading maps or understanding directions, following instructions, remembering words to a song, but also the ability to sustain attention to a task.”

Suiki’s story: How dyslexia can make life a challenge

Dyslexia can affect people in ways that may not be obvious to their friends and family, as Suiki revealed in a film she made to show her family about life with the condition.

She said: “For me, being dyslexic can turn simple tasks into real challenges. My thoughts are like fish in a pond. One moment they’re there, then suddenly, they’re gone, slipping out of reach.

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“If someone asks me a question, even an easy one - like where we’re supposed to be meeting - the answer could be on the tip of my tongue, but catching that thought and saying it aloud is harder than you could know.”

But Suiki also explained how she has taken ownership of the situation: “Being dyslexic makes me the person I am. It makes me creative, able to spot patterns and make connections, helps me to solve problems others can’t. It’s not something we need to fix, but something we need to embrace.”

Can dyslexia affect your memory?

“There are so many small things I’m trying to remember,” Suiki continued, “Do I have my bus pass? Do I have my phone? And when I’m trying to schedule appointments, it can be quite terrifying.”

The BDA finds that people who have the condition have difficulties with short-term memory and working memory (the kind we use when problem solving and need to hang on to information for a short space of time). They also find that long-term memory can be good, although this often requires repetition to become embedded.

A woman, called Suiki, is in the foreground and looks thoughtful and serious wearing a white t-shirt and hoodie. She is in the woods with a large tree in the background. — Image caption,
Suiki: "When I'm trying to schedule appointments, it can be quite terrifying."

Their advice to parents of children with dyslexia is to break instructions down into smaller, bite-size chunks and use a multi-sensory approach, such as giving verbal and written instructions at the same time.

Dyslexia and a sense of direction

When Chris and Suiki attempt to find a pub to meet her dad and daughter, she becomes frustrated with directions: “I feel very nervous.” she said, “I don’t know where it is, I feel like we’re going to get lost. I feel like it’s a bit of a disaster. But we’ll try and get there.”

The BDA finds that people with dyslexia ‘think’ in images rather than words. Processing directions as instructions can be a challenge, so they suggest adding a visual clue, such as an arrow, or phrases like, “turn left by the church” as it can create a clearer mental picture.

Lee’s story: Dyslexia and your career

Lee works in construction, with a successful job as a carpenter, but found his dyslexia placed a limit on what he believed he could achieve. He told Chris: “I enjoyed school, but only the practical side of things.”

The British Dyslexia Association has found that many people who have dyslexia thrive in a variety of job roles and careers. A big influence can be an occupation based on a personal interest, or jobs where there is less emphasis on written work. However, the BDA is aware of people with dyslexia working in environments where the written word plays a major part. They also have evidence that areas such as problem-solving, creativity, innovation, artistry, reasoning, verbal communication and empathy can be where people with dyslexia excel.

Four people in a band stand with their instruments. To the left is a man holding an electric guitar, next to him on the right is Chris Packham, leaning against one of the drums from the drum kit, where the drummer sits. Next to Chris on the right, is someone holding another guitar, and next to them is another man holding a guitar or bass, stood in front of a mic stand. — Image caption,
Lee expressed how he feels about his dyslexia in a song he performed with his band - Chris popped in to see how rehearsals were going

The UK intelligence services, GCHQ, actively recruit employees with dyslexia. Their director of legal affairs, Shehzad Charania, told Chris, “A dyslexic person might be able to spot an anomaly in a huge data set that a neurotypical person might not be able to. The key here is the mix of minds that we have. Everything we do is about working in a team to solve the most complex problems. So, we need both neurodiverse people and neurotypical people to work together.”

Talking to children with dyslexia about jobs

When talking to young people with dyslexia about career choices, the BDA’s advice is: “Be led by your child and what they want to do. Do not discourage them from pursuing a career that they are interested in just because they are dyslexic. This should not be a barrier. Work together to understand more about their ideas. Look at what qualifications and skills will be needed for a chosen career and find ways to enable your child to develop these skills.”

They also advise: “If your child doesn’t know what they want to do, think about their strengths and the interests.

“Look at famous dyslexic people so that you can illustrate the wide range of occupations available and find out more about what is required in terms of qualifications and skills.”

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Feeling limited by Dyslexia

After watching his film, Lee tells Chris, “I've realised who I am now. I might not be academically as qualified as some people but I think outside the box.”

Chris also urged him to describe himself without using the word ‘just’.

If your child is feeling limited or lacks confidence because of their dyslexia, the BDA says there ways you can help them:

Children often build their self-esteem by measuring themselves against others. It is important to discuss these feelings with your child so that you can understand how they feel and find ways to support them.
Talk about the things that your child is good at – this could include things like working hard, being kind, being a good friend etc, and the things that they find challenging.
Many dyslexic children are unable to achieve feelings of success and achievement through school. So it is important to provide opportunities outside of school.

Watch all episodes of Chris Packham's Inside Our Minds on BBC iPlayer.

BBC Ideas has a collection featuring more films from this series.

For further support and reading on dyslexia:

The British Dyslexia Association offers education and advice for parents, carers and teachers.

The BBC Action Line page offers links to organisations that can support parents.