Tutoring a child with dyslexia or ADHD: what helps

Who does what

Recognising possible signs, without labelling

The NHS describes dyslexia as a common learning difficulty that mainly affects reading, writing and spelling, and can also affect working memory, numbers, planning and organising. It does not affect intelligence. Signs it lists include reading below the level expected for age, slow and hesitant reading aloud, many spelling mistakes, and difficulty with sequences such as the days of the week.

For ADHD, the NHS describes difficulties with attention, high energy and impulsivity, usually starting before age 12, and stresses that many young children are easily distracted or full of energy without having ADHD; tiredness, anxiety or stress can look similar. These descriptions help you decide whether to raise a concern. They are not a checklist for diagnosis at home.

What schools in the Gulf should offer

Dubai has the most detailed published framework. KHDA's Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework says education providers should not make admission conditional on a medical diagnosis, should not refuse admission based only on a student's special educational needs, should carry out an assessment of educational need on entry, and should develop individual education plans for identified students. It also calls for an Inclusion Support Team in each school and says additional fees, in the rare cases where specialist provision is needed, should reflect the actual cost of the services. KHDA's school directory now shows a separate inclusion rating for each school.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Education commits to educating students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment and to removing conditions that keep them out of regular programmes. Practice varies by school in every country, so ask each school directly what support it provides and how it is staffed.

Questions to ask your child's school

• Who is the SENCO or inclusion lead, and how do I arrange a meeting?
• What screening do you use, and what did it show?
• Will my child have an individual education plan, and how often is it reviewed?
• What support happens in class, and is there small-group or individual help?
• Would you recommend a formal assessment, and who do families usually use?
• For older students: will you apply for exam access arrangements, and what evidence do you need?

Exams and access arrangements

Exam boards allow access arrangements: adjustments made before an exam that remove unnecessary barriers without changing what is being assessed. Cambridge, for example, splits them into arrangements the school must notify and modified papers it must apply for, each with its own deadlines. The school's exams officer and SENCO manage this, and the evidence usually needs to be in place well before the exam series, so raise it early in Year 10 for IGCSE.

Where tutoring can help, and its limits

Tutoring does not treat dyslexia or ADHD, and our tutors are not presented as special educational needs specialists. What one-to-one lessons can offer is time and patience that a class rarely can: short, structured practice in reading, spelling, writing or maths, revisited regularly, with tasks broken into small steps and visual aids used where they help. The NHS notes that visual aids and technology can help children with dyslexia at school, and that confidence matters as much as skills.

The best results come when tutoring follows the school's plan rather than running separately. Share the IEP or assessment recommendations with the tutor, agree one or two targets, and review them with the school each term. For a child with attention difficulties, shorter focused activities within the 60-minute lesson, frequent checks and a predictable routine usually work better than long tasks.