Educators’ perceptions of the impact of reading difficulties for young people

There is a growing body of work describing the psychosocial impact of reading difficulties. Educators play a key role in teaching children to read; therefore, it is important to consider how they view the impact of reading difficulties on young people. Given this, the aim of this research was to explore the lived experiences of educators who work with young people with reading difficulties. A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted to develop an understanding of educators’ perspectives of the impact of reading difficulties. Twenty educators were interviewed, and transcripts analysed thematically. The themes identified contributed to a compelling narrative regarding how educators perceived young people’s response to a diagnosis of dyslexia, and a number of contextual factors that appeared to shape mental-health outcomes of young people with reading difficulties. In particular, educators’ perceptions of young people’s response to diagnosis appear to reflect a broader narrative of “difference” and “shame”.