What is Dyslexia?

Understanding Dyslexia in Children

Dyslexia is a condition of neurodevelopmental origin that mainly affects the ease with which a person reads, writes, and spells, typically recognized as a specific learning disorder in children. Learn more about the signs and symptoms of dyslexia by watching the video below.

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Dyslexia signs of pre-school level children include:

Mixing up sounds and syllables in long words
Chronic ear infections
Constant confusion of left versus right
Difficulty learning to tie shoes
Trouble memorizing their address, phone number, or alphabet
Inability to create words that rhyme
A close relative with dyslexia

Dyslexia signs of an elementary school age child include:

Handwriting that is difficult to read
Letter or number reversals past first grade
Extreme difficulty learning cursive
Slow, choppy, inaccurate reading
Terrible spelling
Trouble with math
When speaking, difficulty finding the correct word
Common sayings come out slightly twisted
Dreads going to school

Dyslexia signs of a high school age young-adult include many of the above symptoms, plus:

Limited vocabulary
Extremely poor written expression compared to verbal abilities
Unable to master a foreign language
Difficulty reading printed music
Poor grades in many classes

Finally, Dyslexia signs of an adult age person include education history similar to above, plus:

Slow reader
May have to read a page 2 or 3 times to understand it
Terrible speller
Difficulty putting thoughts onto paper
Dreads writing memos or letters
Still has difficulty with right versus left
Often gets lost, even in a familiar city
Sometimes confuses b and d, especially when tired or sick

Fundamentally, there are many signs in an individual that would prompt a dyslexia test. Dyslexia screening can be extremely useful in determining someone’s success with the written language.

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Common Strengths

Although their unique brain architecture and “unusual wiring” make reading, writing, spelling difficult, most people with dyslexia have gifts in areas controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain. The right side controls:

ARTISTIC SKILL
ATHLETIC ABILITY
MUSICAL ABILITY
MECHANICAL ABILITY
PEOPLE SKILLS
3-D VISUAL-SPATIAL SKILLS
VIVID IMAGINATION
INTUITION
CREATIVE, GLOBAL THINKING
CURIOSITY

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Helpful Videos

Will my child’s school accommodate and recognize the signs of Dyslexia?

When it comes to the signs of dyslexia, there is no guarantee that your child’s teachers will recognize them. Every school is different in their approach to students with reading problems.

If your child’s school does notice signs of dyslexia, they may not be able to provide what is needed to catch them up to their current reading level. One-on-one instruction is undoubtedly the most effective method to close the reading gap and schools rarely have the resources to commit to that type of instruction.

Also, it is important to keep in mind that a dyslexia screening is not interchangeable with other reading disorder tests. A dyslexia screening should be administered by a qualified dyslexia specialist who can properly identify the signs of dyslexia.

Additionally, receiving a dyslexia screening and even a diagnosis is not a definitive way for your child to receive special education help at school. Honestly, even if the school is willing to provide extra help, usually this help is not enough to make up for the instructional benefit they have lost.

Some students may be 1 or 2 years behind, making this up in one year is a huge undertaking. The bottom line is that there is no guarantee that your child will receive the help they need at their school after a screening or diagnosis.

Catching the signs of dyslexia early is crucial for your child’s development academically and outside of the classroom.

Questions about whether or not your child should be screened for dyslexia? Please reach out.