A Sunny Disposition and a Big Heart: Thematic Analysis of Parent-Reported Socio-Emotional Strengths in Dyslexia

Abstract

Children with dyslexia have persistent and well-characterised reading difficulties but may also have less well-known socio-emotional abilities. Socio-emotional abilities in dyslexia could be leveraged in remediation efforts to improve outcomes, including resilience. Our aim was to characterise these socio-emotional abilities from parents' perspectives, to inform strength-based curricula. We analysed 97 parent responses to an open-ended question on the behavioural and emotional strengths of their child with dyslexia using a reflexive thematic analysis approach. We identified five themes, including: (1) social skills, (2) positivity, (3) reliability, (4) determination and (5) creativity. Subthemes indicated children with dyslexia had particular strengths in prosocial behaviour, empathy, optimism, conscientiousness and originality. The frequency of reported strengths was variable, with rarer descriptions of creativity alongside widespread social skills. Our findings suggest that dyslexia may be associated with previously overlooked socio-emotional strengths which could be harnessed in remediation efforts to improve outcomes by reducing stigma and fostering resilience and self-esteem.