I had an inkling that my daughter learned differently from a very young age. The Bible verses and catechisms we taught her as a toddler seemed to float out her head after a day, recall almost non-existent. Then, when I started working with her on writing her name, there were always missing (or added) letters facing all sorts of directions. She was soon diagnosed with a print disability –an umbrella term that includes dyslexia – and as learning disabled.
My husband was diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, and a speech impediment at a young age and struggled with school, so we knew there was a strong possibility of it affecting our children too—children are 40-60% more likely to develop dyslexia when they have a parent with it. What I didn’t realize was that when that statistic becomes embodied in a tearful girl sitting in your lap trying to read a book all her peers mastered a year ago, the challenges take on new and personal meaning.
My beloved girl is in middle school now. While we’re not finished with the tender work of discipling her in the ways of Jesus, here are a few things I’ve learned along the way that may be of help to others.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. Some estimates place the occurrence rate at 1 in 10, an estimate which is considered conservative since many children are not officially diagnosed. Though the diagnosis is often sought due to trouble reading, it typically begins with issues identifying phonemes – where children struggle connecting the sound a letter makes with the letter representing it. That said, every individual experiences dyslexia a bit differently. I’ve heard testimonies from individuals who experience reversed letters (ex: cat = cta), print moving on the page like a worm (!), and words being scrambled in a sentence (ex: “sentence are letters scrambled”) For others, there is an inability to concentrate on individual words. To someone who is “neurotypical” like me, this sounds both exhausting and terrifying.
The Church and Dyslexia
Dyslexia does not just make school harder, church can be harder, too, and on many different levels. Because Christians are people of "The Book" (and rightly so!), we are sometimes more blind than most when it comes to reading struggles. "Shouldn't the pastor's kid ace the Bible drill?" "Have you tried this method?" "Maybe she's just lacking discipline?" Satan undoubtedly twists the most well-meaning of comments, whispering through them that maybe God messed up when he made this struggling child, or that his or her faith in him will always be deficient.
However, the church is also uniquely positioned in God’s plan to minister to those who feel like they’re outside the “norm.” Our Lord especially ministers to the weak, the poor, the sick, the weary, the physically broken, the outsiders…and he glorifies himself through them! (1 Cor. 1:18-31). Christian parents and ministry leaders should be looking for ways to enfold, encourage, and equip the “outsiders” who have been providentially placed in their midst.
3 Things Parents and Ministry Leaders Need to Do
Here are three things parents and ministry leaders need to do in order to serve children with dyslexia in our churches and homes.
1. Confront our idols. A lot of what I had hoped and dreamed for my child had to change when I saw the challenges and limitations she faced. As the parent of a child with dyslexia, does lamenting the end of your dreams hold you back from connecting the gospel to your child’s life? Is your God big enough to have a better plan than you do? If you’re a ministry leader, do you see those outside of the “norm” as equal in value and dignity to the Lord and as equally worthy of your time and care?
2. Recognize the providential work of the Lord. God’s providence connects to this issue in multiple ways: God divinely ordained the child that you have as well as your skills and limitations. The children in your church have been brought in by his will. You are not parenting someone else’s child and you are not ministering in a different local church. Trusting God’s providence is not fatalistic: it is the assurance that God has been, is, and will continue to be at work.
3. Equip yourself with great resources. This may sound like a stretch, but I truly believe that this is the greatest time in history to have a disability like dyslexia. Insofar as the resources for those touched by learning disabilities is concerned, the books, technologies, therapies, support groups, and organizations available are better than ever. (I’ve listed some great books and organizations below as a start.) Those parenting and ministering to children with dyslexia can utilize these resources to better disciple them in the ways of the Lord.
3 Truths to Teach Children with Dyslexia
All children need to understand how God sees them, but children with dyslexia need to hear what the Scripture says about them as it applies to their specific struggles. Some of the biblical truths we have sought to teach our daughter at home are:
1. You are made in God’s image. No matter how you feel or what anyone else says, God created you in His image (Genesis 1:27) and you are also fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). When God made you, he stamped you with a label like the ones you see in the store that says, “Made By Me.” The quality control sticker is signed with his name. You are not a mistake.
2. You are a valuable part of God’s plan. You are irreplaceable in God's family. He made you with a purpose. Without your unique abilities, differences, and gifts, the church would lose a brilliant facet of who it is supposed to be. You are a special puzzle piece in the wondrous design he is making with his people. You can be a part of the church with confidence.
3. Christ’s strength is made perfect in your weakness. When you face reminders that your brain or body is different, remember that God knows what you're going through and made a plan for you. You may feel weak, but God is building you up in his strength and displaying his power through you to shame those who think they have it all.
Top Bibles and Books for Introducing Children with Dyslexia to Jesus
As we seek to teach children with dyslexia about who God is and how he sees them, there are many great, accessible resources available. Here are a few to start with—and some practical tips as you use them at home or in the church.
Kaleidoscope Kids (Bibles Reimagined)
These books are retellings of books of the Bible that are written and illustrated with elementary children in mind. Some use dyslexic-friendly fonts and larger typefaces. (Click to view product )
The Action Bible (ages 7-10)
While not a translation of the Bible, this is a great tool to help show kids the narratives of Scripture when they struggle with reading on their own. The font is also heavier and sans serif, which makes it easier to read the speech bubbles. (Click to view product)
CSB Grace Bible for Kids (ages 7-12)
This is a great full-text Bible (Christian Standard Bible) with a specially-developed font for people with dyslexia with increased space between letters, words, lines, and paragraphs. The Bible comes with colored page overlays to help with visual processing. (Click to view product)
Tales that Tell the Truth (ages 4-8)
This series is written with reading aloud in mind. Its biblically-faithful retellings of Bible stories and friendly fonts make it a great option for early read -alouds. The Awesome Super Fantastic Forever Party Storybook is a terrific volume by by Joni Eareckson Tada that addresses disability and heaven. (Click to view product)
Finding Jesus on Upside Down Days (ages 4-12)
This 52-week family devotional was written to be read aloud and engage children with special learning needs with the gospel. The characters are fun and connect kids to Jesus. (Click to view product)
Special God (ages 7-10)
Developed with special needs children in mind, this excellent book uses simple illustrations and plain language to explain 25 key theological ideas. (Click to view product)
ESV Holy Bible: Dyslexia-Friendly Edition (ages 12+)
This is a great, full-text Bible that will be releasing early next year. If you’re looking for a Bible for a child to take with them to church and read on their own, this is a great option. (Click to view product)
Some practical tips as you use these resources:
- Practice patience and promote it with peers - Since the phonics component is often the first and hardest symptom of dyslexia that presents itself, it’s important to give children a lot of time to respond to questions and to encourage peers to be patient with them. When they respond slowly, it is important that others respond positively to the effort being placed in answering the questions.
- Use and look for “friendly” fonts - While reading is difficult, particular fonts can make things a bit easier. In general, fonts that are sans-serif and heavier weight on the bottom are more helpful. This is part of why Comic Sans, Arial, Helvetica and Verdana are favorites. There is now a purchasable Dyslexie font that can also be added as a Chrome extension or a free alternative, OpenDyslexic. These fonts are now options for most digital books. (I've listed other helpful technological aids in the further resources below.
- Promote alternatives for reading and writing as much as possible - A child with dyslexia may struggle with trying to read a passage of a book out loud, but often when they are read the same passage, their comprehension is on par with their peers. If the Bible story or book can be read aloud or there is an audiobook, go for it! Use music to help reinforce learning Scripture and theology. In a church setting, diversify the ways a child can participate in a class so they can summarize the passage that’s read or have them draw sketches for what they hear in a sermon instead of writing notes.
The Creator’s Smile
The irony is not lost on me that God has given me a career in Christian publishing and a daughter and husband who struggle with words. While the struggle of dyslexia won't be fully overcome until heaven, I can't help but imagine a smile on our Creator's face as he watches my husband preaching from the Word from the pulpit each week or my daughter studying his Word with her youth group. Indeed, he chooses the weak things of this world to shame the strong, and he works all things together for our good and his glory.
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Further Resources:
- Engaging Disability with the Gospel - Rooted in the Presbyterian Church in America, this ministry provides great coaching for churches on how to enfold families into the church, and also has a great free resource library and other adapted material for helping kids. Their adapted material for catechisms has been personally helpful.
- LifeWay Special Needs - LifeWay has a great library of articles, training videos, and adapted material for churches to include kids with special needs.
- Joni and Friends - Joni and Friends has a great catalog of church training material at every step of ministering to those with special needs, including a fantastic section on solving common challenges.
- Axis’s Parents Guide to Disability- This resource helps parents learn how to talk to their children about disability in a biblical way.
Helpful Technological Aids
- Text-To-Speech and Speech-To-Text: Most browsers have a text-to-speech/speech-to-text option that is activated in your settings. However, you may find that the base option for your computer or phone isn’t as good as you’d like. Here are some helpful apps we use:
- Speechify - Speechify has some of the best text-to-speech technology available. They have apps for phones, your desktop, and extensions for your browser. There are a lot of interesting voices to choose from, including celebrities, and they have some nice There is a free version.
- Dragon Professional (Nuance) - Originally developed for professionals like attorneys and doctors who need to dictate notes on the go, this is the premier software for dictation. The software will “learn” your speech patterns so mistakes in interpreting your pronunciation or accent eventually go away. It’s an expensive option but well-worth it if you have the budget. It’s also worth checking to see if it is covered for either professional expenses or with school special needs funding.
- BeeLine PDF reader - For those who need to read PDFs or large chunks of text on a screen without a text-to-speech option, this is a great extension that makes the text color change. The color differences between lines can help a reader process the text more easily. This is what my husband uses for his printed sermon notes and my daughter has used for reading verses at church.
- Perlego - This is a subscription-based digital library of textbooks, professional development, and other printed material that partners with publishers and technical organizations to provide material with dyslexic-friendly fonts and BeeLine coloring features. If you do a lot of reading of academic texts, it’s worth checking out.
