Recognizing the Early Signs of Dyslexia in Children
Do you think there’s something holding your child back in school? Learn to identify the early signs of dyslexia and get your child the help they need.
You’ve heard the idea that someone who is dyslexic reverses their letters. They write the letter b when it should be d.
The truth is there are many warning signs connected to a dyslexic disability that go beyond struggling with which way letters go. Dyslexia is a general term that combines the struggles of learning a language and to read. It is a difficulty in understanding how letters are connected sounds and words.
Most diagnoses for dyslexia happen when a child is school-aged. That’s when they are learning to read, recognize sounds and letters, associate the letters into words. Often children exhibit multiple warning signs.
Statistics show that 30 to 60 percent of children with parents who have a dyslexia diagnosis will have a reading disorder.
Learn about these early signs of dyslexia that might show up at your child’s different developmental stages and if you may need to look into visiting a dyslexia testing center.
Preschool Early Warning Signs
While children at this young age might not yet be reading, there are some early warning signs to watch for. Even before being preschool age, children who start talking at an older age than is expected.
Other characteristics of dyslexia might include:
- Muddle words and sounds
- Difficulty learning nursery rhymes
- Difficulty in learning new words
- Struggles with learning the alphabet
- Understanding rhymes or making rhymes with words
- Trouble gripping a writing instrument
The warning signs for this age can show up in verbal language, behavior, hearing, speech and motor skills.
School Age Warning Signs
Dyslexia diagnoses are most commonly identified in school-aged children. In the early grades of elementary school, one of the main focuses of school is reading. Dyslexia is directly connected to disabilities connected to reading.
Some of the warning signs associated with dyslexia learning disability include:
- Recognizing sight words
- Spelling words correctly
- Spelling the same word differently on the same paper
- Letter reversals or incorrectly formed letters
- Not recognizing letter blends
- Difficulty learning to tell time
- Misses words or skips words when reading
- Doesn’t get meaning from reading
Often children who have warning signs of dyslexia display multiple signs. They are struggling in school and with language. It is challenging to get to the correct diagnosis because it so closely overlaps with the warning signs associated with other learning disabilities.
Warning Signs In Middle Schoolers
Because the warning signs often overlap with other disabilities, sometimes they are missed. They become more prevalent as children go up in grades because they use even more language, the reading becomes more challenging and more in-depth writing is expected.
Here are some symptoms of dyslexia for kids in secondary classes:
- Speaking ability that far exceeds written ability
- Reads and rereads sentences to get meaning
- Skips words or word endings when reading
- Difficulty writing or writing at an appropriate grade level speed
- Reluctance to read aloud
- Confusing left and right
Older kids who have dyslexia will often use avoidance to get out of reading or writing. They know it is difficult or they can’t understand the language and will do things to cover up their disability.
Early Signs Of Dyslexia
Dyslexia is so tricky to diagnose because of how it overlaps with other disabilities. Kids might recognize that the reading or language is challenging but not be able to explain how it’s different for them.
The key to a diagnosis is watching for the early signs of dyslexia. Watch for the signs and patterns while a child tries to master language and reading.
To get help understanding dyslexia or for dyslexia testing, contact us today. We specialize in dyslexia tutoring and advocacy for your child at school.