Some children are intelligent, curious and verbally strong, yet reading, spelling, writing or maths remain very difficult. This may be due to a specific learning disorder such as dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalculia. These children are not lazy. They often work harder than their peers but need information taught and assessed in a way they can access.
Parents may notice slow reading, guessing words, avoiding books, poor spelling, messy written work, difficulty copying, reversing letters, weak maths facts or taking much longer than classmates to complete homework. Some children become anxious or say “I am stupid”, even when their ideas are strong.
At home, avoid turning every evening into a battle. Short, calm and consistent practice is better than long sessions filled with stress. Parents can read together, use audiobooks, discuss stories orally and allow the child to show understanding in different ways. For spelling, use multisensory practice: say the word, tap the sounds, write it and use it in a sentence.
For writing, allow planning with drawings, mind maps or voice notes before expecting a paragraph. Children with learning difficulties may know what they want to say but struggle to organise it on paper. Breaking tasks into smaller steps helps them experience success.
Parents should also protect the child’s confidence. Many children with learning difficulties are creative, practical, artistic, athletic, entrepreneurial or strong problem-solvers. Strengths should be noticed and celebrated alongside support for difficulties.
At school, parents can request support from the inclusion department and, when appropriate, educational psychology assessment. Useful accommodations may include extra time, reduced copying, assistive technology, reader-friendly fonts, oral responses, spelling accommodations and structured literacy intervention.
An LSA should not simply give answers or complete work for the child. Instead, the LSA helps the child understand instructions, use strategies, organise tasks, access text and attempt work independently. Incluzun specialises in matching children with LSAs who are patient, encouraging and able to build skills without lowering expectations unfairly.
Parent Checklist: When to Seek Further Professional Guidance
Disclaimer: This checklist is only a general guide to help parents notice possible traits or concerns. It is not an identification, diagnosis or formal assessment. Only a suitably qualified professional can complete a formal identification or assessment of a child's needs.
Parents may wish to seek further professional advice when several of the following traits are frequent, persistent and affecting learning, daily life, communication, independence, confidence or safety:
☐ Reads much more slowly than expected or guesses words from the first letter.
☐ Avoids reading, writing or spelling tasks, even when verbally confident.
☐ Persistent spelling difficulties despite regular practice.
☐ Difficulty sounding out words, rhyming or remembering letter-sound links.
☐ Messy, slow or tiring written work that does not match the child’s ideas.
☐ Difficulty copying from the board or organising work on the page.
☐ Weak recall of maths facts, number patterns or basic calculations.
☐ Confidence drops, or the child says they are not clever despite clear strengths.
If you are unsure where to begin, you can always contact Incluzun for more direction towards the right qualified professional for formal identification or assessment, and to discuss whether an LSA may be suitable for your child.
Research and UAE guidance note: The AAP clinical report on school-aged children who are not progressing academically discusses the need to consider educational, cognitive, emotional and medical factors.
Incluzun specialises in finding the right Learning Support Assistant (LSA) for the right child. For dyslexia and learning difficulty support, our LSAs work with families, schools, teachers, inclusion teams and therapists so that agreed goals are practised consistently across the school day. The aim is meaningful progress, confidence and independence, not dependence on adult support.
Need LSA support for your child? Contact Incluzun: [email protected] | 056-5000-830.
Remember, inclusion is a journey, not a destination.