Reading should not feel exhausting, confusing, or emotionally overwhelming for a child. Yet for millions of families, reading struggles become a daily source of stress, tears, and self-doubt. One of the most common labels attached to these struggles is dyslexia. While the label is familiar, the real question parents ask is far more important:

Why is my bright child struggling to read—and what can actually help?

At Brain Sprints, we approach reading struggles and dyslexia from a  neurodevelopmental perspective, focusing on root causes rather than symptoms. This distinction changes everything.

What Is Dyslexia—Really?

Dyslexia is typically defined as difficulty learning to read despite adequate instruction and intelligence. While that definition describes what a child cannot do, it does not explain why reading is hard.

From a neurodevelopmental standpoint, dyslexia is not a single disorder and it is not a life sentence. It is a collection of symptoms that emerge when the brain has areas of inefficient development or poor communication between systems.

This is why two children with the same dyslexia label can struggle in very different ways.

Common Reading Struggles Seen in Dyslexia

Children labeled with dyslexia often experience challenges such as:

• Slow or labored reading
• Letter reversals or transpositions
• Difficulty sounding out or blending words
• Poor reading comprehension
• Avoidance of reading
• Fatigue or emotional distress during reading tasks

Traditional interventions tend to focus almost exclusively on phonics and academic remediation. While phonics is important, it is only effective when the brain systems that support reading are functioning efficiently.

The Missing Piece: Brain Development

Reading is not a single skill. It is the result of multiple brain systems working together simultaneously. When one or more of these systems is underdeveloped, reading becomes unnecessarily difficult.

Key systems involved in reading include:

Auditory Processing

Reading requires the brain to hold, sequence, and blend sounds. If auditory short-term memory is weak, phonics-based instruction can feel frustrating and ineffective.  (see last month's blog post on auditory processing)



Visual Processing

Efficient reading depends on accurate eye tracking, visual discrimination, and central detail vision. Visual inefficiencies can cause skipping words, losing place, or slow reading speed.

Motor and Vestibular Systems

Balance, coordination, and early movement patterns play a foundational role in organizing the brain. Many children with reading struggles missed or rushed critical developmental stages such as crawling.

Laterality and Dominance

Mixed dominance (for example, eye dominance not matching hand dominance) can interfere with left-to-right tracking and reading fluency.

When these systems are not fully integrated, reading struggles appear—not because the child is incapable, but because the foundation is incomplete.

Why Labels Alone Are Not Enough

Labels like dyslexia can be helpful for accessing accommodations, but they do not tell parents how to change function. Too often, families are told their child must learn to cope, compensate, or work harder.

At Brain Sprints, we believe the better question is:

What developmental gaps are creating these reading symptoms?

When the brain receives the right kind of targeted stimulation, it can reorganize and improve. This ability is called neuroplasticity, and it remains present throughout life.

The Neurodevelopmental Approach to Reading

The Brain Sprints Neurodevelopmental Approach focuses on:

• Identifying inefficient brain systems contributing to reading struggles
• Strengthening foundational sensory and motor development
• Improving brain organization through specific, targeted activities
• Using input-based strategies before demanding output

Rather than asking a child to push through difficulty, we work to make reading easier by improving how the brain processes information.

This approach does not replace reading instruction—it supports it by preparing the brain to learn more efficiently.

Real Hope for Children Who Struggle to Read

When root causes are addressed, families often see:

• Improved reading fluency and comprehension
• Reduced frustration and emotional distress
• Increased confidence and willingness to read
• Faster learning with less effort

Reading struggles do not have to define a child’s future. Dyslexia does not mean a child is broken, limited, or incapable. It means the brain needs targeted support to complete its developmental foundation.

What Parents Can Do Next

If your child is struggling to read despite effort and instruction, consider looking beyond the label. Ask questions about brain development, not just academics.

At Brain Sprints, we partner with parents to identify root causes and build stronger foundations for learning—because when the brain works better, reading becomes possible.

You do not have to accept struggle as the norm. There is another path forward.

Help Your Child Move Beyond Reading Struggles

If your child is struggling to read despite effort and instruction, it may be time to look deeper than academics. Brain Sprints helps parents identify root causes and strengthen the brain’s foundation for learning.

👉 Schedule a free consultation with Brain Sprints today.

Visit our YouTube Playlist on Dyslexia.