Can You Help a Dyslexic Child Without Seeing a Speech Therapist?

Understanding the Weight of the Question

If you’re here, it might be because your child is falling behind in reading or writing, and the word “dyslexia” keeps surfacing. You might also be on a waiting list—sometimes months-long—for an appointment with an orthophonist (speech and language therapist). Maybe those services are too expensive, located too far away, or simply not accessible right now. And you’re likely exhausted. You just want to know: is there anything I can do for my child, without waiting on the system?

The short answer is: yes. You can absolutely do more than you think. This article won’t replace professional guidance, but it will show you how your role as a parent can be life-changing—even without formal therapy.

Becoming a Safe Harbor for Frustration

Dyslexic children often experience a disconnect: their intelligence doesn’t match what their reading scores say. They know they’re smart, but school makes them doubt it. That disconnect can become frustration, shame, and anxiety. Which means one of the most powerful things you can do is this: become a safe harbor.

A safe harbor isn’t where a child escapes challenges, but rather where they can rest, reset, and feel accepted. That means pressing pause on comments like “you just need to try harder,” and replacing them with observations like, “I noticed you figured that out differently—tell me how you did it.”

Support doesn’t always look like reading more words. It can mean helping your child reclaim pride in how their mind works. If you're wondering what this could look like in daily life, this guide on supporting academic success outlines the emotional pillars kids really need.

Teaching Beyond the Page

Traditional learning—reading from a page, memorizing sentences, copying notes—can feel like quicksand for a dyslexic child. So the real question isn’t “how do I make them do more of it?” but rather, “are there other ways to reach the same goal?”

Turns out, there are many.

Some children learn better through sound. Try out lessons in audiobook form—this could mean reading a history chapter out loud, recording it on your phone, and letting your child listen while playing Legos. Others need to move and act to retain information. That’s where storytelling-based learning can be powerful, like turning a math problem into a mystery to solve.

Apps like Skuli—which let children transform written material into audio adventures where they are the hero—are especially helpful here. Imagine your child reviewing geography by going on a treasure hunt in the Amazon, narrated with their own name, setting and clues based on last week’s lesson. That level of immersion taps into emotion and play, two key entry points for children with dyslexia. For more on this method, this article on personalized audio stories dives deeper into why they work.

Routine Is the Bridge Between School and Home

Children with dyslexia often rely on strong, predictable routines to feel safe and focused—especially between school and homework time. You might try creating a post-school ritual that includes:

• A 5-minute snack & chat to decompress emotionally
• 15 minutes of active play to release pent-up stress
• Homework time split in small increments with breaks (e.g., 15 mins on, 5 mins off)

Using visual timers or checklists can also help your child build executive function skills. Over time, these cues reduce fights around homework, because the rhythm becomes habitual. When you add in supportive tools—like turning a photo of a lesson into a 20-question quiz tailored to your child’s level—you’re not avoiding the challenge; you’re scaffolding it.

But What If I'm Doing It Wrong?

Many parents worry about causing harm if they don't have the "right" training. But you are already doing one thing no professional can replicate: loving your child relentlessly and showing up. That matters more than you think.

In fact, dyslexic children often remember how they were supported more than exactly what was taught. Were you patient when they cried over writing? Did you tell them it’s okay to learn differently? Then you’ve already planted the seeds of resilience.

Still, understanding how to support your child’s specific needs—as distinct from problems like attention disorders—is important too. This related article gently walks you through that distinction.

When and How to Seek Further Help

It’s okay to acknowledge your limits. You don’t need to become an expert in phonological awareness. But you can document what you observe (specific challenges, when they arise, what helps) and bring that insight to a future orthophonist, teacher, or school specialist.

In the meantime, use what's available. Let them learn on the go with audio, role-play stories with them on a Sunday afternoon, and celebrate progress, even if it's invisible to a test score. If your child is bilingual and you're noticing overlaps in both languages, this guide for bilingual children may offer key insights.

See, helping a dyslexic child doesn’t always begin with formal diagnosis. Sometimes, it starts—quietly—with bedtime stories turned into learning adventures, with math facts sung on a car ride, with eye contact and empathy. And that, dear parent, is more than enough for today.