‘Oh, what does dyslexia do?’: a qualitative investigation of ableist microaggressions towards Australian dyslexic children in primary school

Abstract

Children with dyslexia are at greater risk than their peers of developing mental health conditions. While it is understood that the school context has some influence over this relationship, little is currently understood about the role interpersonal interactions between dyslexic children and their peers or educators have on their well-being. This paper draws on semi-structured interviews with 10 Australian dyslexic children and describes the interpersonal interactions within the school setting that the children perceived as negative. Using qualitative content analysis, the study sought to identify which of Keller and Galgay’s domains of microaggressions were encountered by the children. The study found that the children experienced a range of ableist microaggressions from both peers and educators. The findings contribute to the current understanding of microaggressions by revealing how young dyslexic children face multiple exposures to messages that demean their status due to their dyslexia.