Stealth Dyslexia: The Silent Struggle

What Makes Stealth Dyslexia Different?

Children with stealth dyslexia are often bright, creative, and articulate. Their strengths help them mask early challenges with reading, spelling, and writing. Over time, though, the demands of school increase. Writing becomes more complex, reading material denser, and the gaps harder to hide.

Research indicates that some gifted children with dyslexia develop compensatory strategies that allow them to read accurately despite underlying weaknesses in phonological processing. These strategies often mask the disorder until academic demands exceed their ability to compensate (van Viersen et al., 2014).

Signs to Watch For:

Even if a child is reading at grade level, you may still observe signs of stealth dyslexia, such as:

• Strong verbal expression but poor spelling and grammar

• Slow, effortful writing

• Trouble with sequencing or following multi-step directions

• Avoidance of reading aloud

• Large gaps between spoken and written output

These students may come home from school exhausted, anxious, or frustrated—not because they don't understand the material, but because they are using enormous mental energy to keep up.

Children with stealth dyslexia often rely on context, memorization, and a strong verbal memory to compensate for weak decoding skills. Over time, however, the cognitive load of compensation increases, and signs of fatigue, frustration, or avoidance can emerge (Buică-Belciu & Popovici, 2014).

Emotional Toll and Misunderstanding

Being misunderstood is one of the hardest parts for gifted children with dyslexia. On the surface, they might appear confident and articulate, kids who can have meaningful conversations, ask thoughtful questions, and even impress adults with their sense of humor. But internally, many of them are in a constant state of stress. They’re working twice as hard to keep up, and that hidden effort can take a serious emotional toll.

Often, these children receive frustrating and hurtful comments: “You’re so smart, why can’t you just try harder?” or “This should be easy for you.” They may be accused of laziness or told they’re not paying attention. However, the problem isn’t effort or motivation. In reality, many children with stealth dyslexia have been trying harder than most of their peers from the beginning. The issue is that they’re operating with an undiagnosed and unsupported learning difference, and masking that takes energy.

As the academic bar rises, particularly around third or fourth grade when reading moves from “learning to read” to “reading to learn,” their coping strategies begin to fail. These students may start to dread school, experience anxiety, or withdraw. Some become perfectionists or people-pleasers, while others act out in frustration. What looks like defiance or disinterest is often self-protection.

Studies have found that students who are both gifted and have a learning disability, known as twice-exceptional, are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem (Baum, Schader, & Hébert, 2014). Because their difficulties are invisible, their struggles are often dismissed, minimized, or overlooked. Many internalize the message that they’re not living up to their potential, leading to chronic feelings of failure and shame.

Even well-meaning adults can unintentionally increase this emotional burden. Teachers may expect high performance across the board, unaware of the cognitive exhaustion these children are already managing. Parents, confused by the mismatch between a child’s intelligence and their inconsistent output, may push for better results without understanding the neurological roadblocks at play.

Emotional resilience becomes challenging to uphold when a child feels perpetually misunderstood, especially when their intelligence turns into a burden. Being labeled as “bright” can become a double-edged sword: it raises expectations without offering support. In some cases, children begin to mask their difficulties so well that even evaluations fail to capture the full picture. By the time a diagnosis comes, many are already burned out, anxious, and unsure of their own abilities.

That’s why early recognition and support are so critical. When a child hears, “You’re not lazy, and you’re not broken; your brain just works differently,” it can be life-changing. When they are offered tools that align with their needs, their identity begins to shift. They stop seeing themselves as “bad at school” and start seeing themselves as capable learners with unique strengths and specific needs.

What Helps

Once identified, stealth dyslexia responds well to structured, evidence-based interventions. Programs like Orton-Gillingham or Lindamood-Bell, which use multisensory methods to teach reading and spelling, are highly effective. These approaches engage the brain through sight, sound, movement, and touch, building stronger neural pathways and reducing cognitive overload.

Assistive technology can also be beneficial. Speech-to-text software, audiobooks, and graphic organizers make reading and writing more accessible. Equally important is providing emotional support and validation. When children understand that their struggles have a name and that they are not alone, their confidence often begins to return.

Recognizing stealth dyslexia requires looking beyond what’s visible and understanding intraindividual differences—the coexistence of strengths and weaknesses within the same person. One can be both a brilliant thinker and a slow or effortful reader. These students often rely on context, memorization, and a strong verbal memory to compensate for weak decoding skills. Over time, however, the cognitive load of compensation increases, and signs of fatigue, frustration, or avoidance can emerge (Buică-Belciu & Popovici, 2014).

Honoring Strengths

Children with stealth dyslexia often shine in unexpected ways. They may be excellent storytellers, visual artists, or deep thinkers. Supporting them involves more than remediating their weaknesses; it also means recognizing and celebrating their unique gifts. With proper support, these students not only catch up but thrive.

The term “twice-exceptional,” (aka “2e”) is used to describe gifted children who have the characteristics of gifted students with the potential for high achievement and give evidence of one or more disabilities as defined by federal or state eligibility criteria (Reis, Baum, & Burke, 2014).

Conclusion

Stealth dyslexia may be hidden, but it is not rare. The more we understand this quiet form of learning difficulty, the better we can advocate for the children who live with it. Trust your instincts if your child seems bright but struggles more than expected with spelling, writing, or schoolwork. A thorough evaluation and appropriate support can significantly influence not only your child's academic performance but also their self-perception.

References

Buică-Belciu, C., & Popovici, D. V. (2014). Being Twice Exceptional: Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 127, 519–523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.302

Kranz, A. E., Serry, T. A., & Snow, P. C. (2024). Twice-exceptionality unmasked: A systematic narrative review of the literature on identifying dyslexia in the gifted child. Dyslexia, 30(1), e1763. https://doi.org/10.1002/dys.1763

Reis, S. M., Baum, S. M., & Burke, E. (2014). An Operational Definition of Twice-Exceptional Learners: Implications and Applications. Gifted Child Quarterly, 58(3), 217–230. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986214534976

van Viersen, S., Kroesbergen, E. H., Slot, E. M., & de Bree, E. H. (2014). High reading skills mask dyslexia in gifted children. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 47(6), 422–434. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219414538517

Note: For further information and resources on stealth dyslexia, consider visiting the International Dyslexia Association's website at https://dyslexiaida.org.