Who gets to be seen as a reader? The hidden barriers facing Black children with dyslexia
A child struggling to read is rarely a child who can't learn. Sometimes they're a child whose strengths, needs, and potential have simply gone unseen.
For too many Black children with dyslexia, the biggest barrier isn't their ability to learn, it’s whether the system recognizes what they need to succeed.
That was the central message of our latest Read by 4th Lunch & Learn with Resha Conroy, MPA, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder & Executive Director of the Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children. Drawing from her experience as a speech-language pathologist, advocate, and parent of a child with dyslexia, Conroy explored why so many Black students with dyslexia remain unidentified, and what it will take to change that.
"We're not finding our Black students who have dyslexia."
Dyslexia occurs across all racial groups. The difference is in who gets recognized. Research shows Black students are significantly less likely than their white peers to receive a school-based dyslexia identification, even when their reading challenges look similar.
Conroy explained that the problem isn't that Black children experience dyslexia less often. It's that bias, low expectations, misunderstandings about language differences like African American English, and inequities built into our education systems all shape who gets identified and who gets overlooked.
"What we see happening in classrooms today did not begin today."
America's long history of unequal access to literacy continues to shape educational opportunity today. From anti-literacy laws during slavery to generations of segregated schools and the loss of Black teaching traditions, today's disparities didn't appear overnight. And they won't disappear on their own.
The good news? We know what works.
Conroy emphasized that early identification, comprehensive evaluations, and evidence-based reading instruction can change the trajectory of a child's life. That means equipping educators to distinguish language differences from learning disabilities, partnering with families, and ensuring every child has access to structured literacy instruction rooted in the science of reading.
When children are identified early and given the right support, dyslexia doesn't have to define their future.
Resources for families and educators
The Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children has created a collection of literacy resources for parents, caregivers, and educators supporting students with dyslexia. Explore the Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children Literacy Resources Padlet here.
