Will my daughter grow out of her dyslexia and dysgraphia diagnosis?
Will my daughter grow out of her dyslexia and dysgraphia diagnosis?
Although the diagnostic process can be lengthy for any child assessed for a neurodivergent condition, parents often feel great relief once they receive a clear explanation for their child's struggles at school.
Many worried parents ask me the same question soon after their child receives a diagnosis: "Will my child grow out of this condition, or will they struggle for life?"
“Her difficulties seemed to reappear under this new academic pressure.”
Recently, a parent came to me about his fifteen-year-old daughter. She had been diagnosed with both dyslexia and dysgraphia and had undergone years of therapy. Convinced his daughter had outgrown her difficulties. However, when she began preparing for her GCSEs, she found she couldn't cope. He told me, "Her difficulties seemed to reappear" under this new academic pressure.
This blog explores the complexities of growing up with neurodivergence and what parents can realistically expect after receiving a diagnosis.
Understanding Dyslexia and Dysgraphia
“Both are neurodevelopmental conditions, not just delays in learning. Their severity can vary widely”
What does it mean to have these two co-existing conditions? How are they described in terms of the diagnosis and the symptoms associated with each condition?
Dyslexia refers to a set of processing difficulties that affect reading and spelling. Children with dyslexia often struggle with sound processing (auditory processing disorder), slow or delayed cognitive speeds, and poor working memory, which makes it hard to hold and manipulate thoughts. They may also struggle with visual perceptual difficulties, left-right orientation (leading to writing symbols, letters or numbers, reversed) and face sequencing or logical thinking challenges, affecting maths performance.
Dysgraphia affects handwriting, spelling, and the organisation of thoughts when writing.
Both are neurodevelopmental conditions, not just delays in learning. Their severity can vary widely. Two individuals with the same diagnosis may present in very different ways.
Combined issues would mean learning to read, write and spell is incredibly challenging, and the work produced could take considerably longer than that of their peer group.
“Many get around decoding by sight recognition of whole words, while spelling suffers as a natural consequence, using punctuation is also a casualty.”
Early Intervention Makes a Big Difference
Early intervention plays a vital role in supporting children with dyslexia and dysgraphia. These children often find handwriting particularly challenging, especially when they can't distinguish between letters like 'b'/ 'd' and j/l. If they can't identify the letter correctly, they can't apply the correct sound. As a result, they use all their energy on the phonics stage and don't have enough left to blend sounds into words, affecting reading fluency. Many get around decoding by sight recognition of whole words, while spelling suffers as a natural consequence, using punctuation is also a casualty.
Specialist programs target neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive symptoms at an individual level; they can help children form new neural pathways. This makes learning more spontaneous and helps with retention. Repeating these programs annually supports the growth of new brain connections that reinforce and expand existing ones.
Reflex integration therapy, for example, trains children to replace ineffective motor patterns with more functional ones. This training often produces significant changes within months. As new brain circuits form, children begin to overcome many challenges. For children with dyslexia, reflex integration improves visual perception (left-right) awareness, reduces letter reversals, and strengthens auditory processing. For those with dysgraphia, it helps the brain map each finger as an individual digit with a specific role in gripping, writing and moving across the page with constant and correct pen pressure. Reflex Integration also builds motor skills that precede writing, gross-motor coordination.
By integrating primitive reflexes, children build a stronger developmental foundation, which is needed before higher cortical activities can flourish.
Phonics and reading programmes also play a crucial role. They help children process sounds more effectively and can result in rapid gain. Many dyslexic learners jump up several reading levels within a few months. These breakthroughs are life-changing. They restore confidence and self-esteem, especially in children who previously felt like they were failing.
At Raviv Practice London, we use a combination of tools and services designed to rewire brain pathways and change learning trajectories for the better.
Symptoms Change as Children Grow
As children grow, their symptoms often change. Many develop their strategies and learn to adapt. For example, children with dysgraphia frequently transition to using keyboards or speech-to-text technology. Similarly, assistive tools that help with spelling, grammar, and punctuation can benefit students with dyslexia.
These technologies don't cure the condition but empower students to express themselves and work more efficiently. Importantly, the individual can free up brain capacity from worrying about how to do things.
The use of AI helps even more. Mapping out ideas for structuring an essay, presentation, or any deliverable is made available immediately by asking AI the right questions. AI can play a critical role in sequencing and organising thoughts that seem very arduous to process without any previous experience.
The Long-Term Outlook: Adulthood with Dyslexia or Dysgraphia
Intervention, adaptation, and support make a huge difference. However, life transitions, such as starting university or a new job, can feel overwhelming. Stress and unfamiliar demands can reawaken earlier difficulties.
I've seen many students return for extra help before major exams. These individuals want to learn to handle higher expectations around revision, memory, and remaining calm in high-pressure environments.
Some students manage university well but then struggle to adapt to working life. The challenge of organising tasks independently and meeting tighter deadlines often leads to anxiety.
The main takeaway is that those with dyslexia and dysgraphia will learn task-specific skills and become proficient. They need to prepare for a steep learning curve when doing something entirely new. Having family support and good friends, as well as keeping their mental well-being in check, can all help.
It's Not About "Growing Out of"
People don't grow out of dyslexia or dysgraphia. Instead, they grow with it. Their neurodiversity becomes a part of their identity.
Success depends on mindset. Children and adults must embrace lifelong learning, build resilience, and recognise that some situations always demand more effort. However, they can achieve far more than they once believed possible with the right tools and support.
Dyslexia? Dyspraxia? ADHD? ASD? Speech & Language? Developmental Delay? Anxiety?
Is every school day a struggle? As a parent, you may feel exhausted and on this journey alone. Each year you see the gap getting wider. You need to do something - change the approach, help your child learn for themselves, find a way to turn this around - to help while you can - do this NOW. the first step is free.
About the Author
Usha Patel is a Neurocognitive Therapist and Director at Raviv Practice London. Parents searching to help their suspected/neurodiverse child can get evidence-based solutions with results in as little as 8 weeks. Those in search of jargon-free help can get started straight away.
