Common Signs of Dyslexia

Adapted from the International Dyslexia Association (ABC’s of Dyslexia, 2000), and information from Reading Rockets, Colorín Colorado, and LD OnLine

Reading problems can be tough on the whole family. If your child is struggling to read, the first thing to do is to find out why.

Dyslexia is the most common cause of reading, writing and spelling difficulties, affecting as much as 20 percent of the population worldwide. Dyslexia is not a reading disorder per se; It’s a language-based learning disability that has its origins a glitch in the language-processing areas of the brain’s left hemisphere, including an under-activated neural system in the back of the left hemisphere. As a result, according to famed researcher and neuroscientist Dr. Sally Shaywitz, readers with dyslexia “have to rely upon a ‘manual’ rather than on an automatic system for reading” (Shaywitz 2000).

Dyslexia affects both boys and girls, and is more common in children whose parents or extended families also had difficulty with reading, writing and spelling.

Children and adults with dyslexia can go on to become successful readers, but it’s important to get extra help, and early specialized instruction—making remediation far easier (for information on decades of reading research, and effective, scientifically based reading instruction methodologies, link here).

Common Signs

Preschool children may:
• Talk later than most children
• Have difficulty pronouncing words
• May have a limited vocabulary
• Be unable to find and recall the right word; creatively formulate substitute words (“rollerchair” for “wheelchair”)
• Have difficulty with rhyming
• Have trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, colors or shapes
• Have trouble learning how to write his or her name
• Be unable to follow multi-step directions or routines
• Have difficulty telling and/or retelling a story in the correct sequence

Kindergarten through fourth grade children may:
• Have difficulty separating sounds in words and blending sounds to make words
• Have a hard time learning the connection between letters and sounds
• Confuse small words or letters while reading—at/to/the, said/and, does/goes, was/saw, left/felt, b/d/p
• May read a word once, and then not recognize it in subsequent appearances within the same passage
• Have halting and frustrating oral reading fluency; make consistent reading and spelling errors, or word omissions
• Have trouble remembering math facts, understanding multi-step math concepts and word problems
• Experience great frustration when attempting new skills
• Rely heavily on memorizing without understanding
• Be impulsive and prone to accidents
• Have difficulty planning
• Use an awkward pencil grip
• Have trouble learning to tell time; and concepts of before and after as they relate to telling time
• Have extremely creative and gifted talents in other areas
• Avoid reading out loud, or for pleasure
• Show anxiety; avoiding school or testing

The next steps
Not all children with dyslexia will show all of these common signs. However, if these signs remind you of your child, talk with your child’s teacher about your concerns and see what extra help the school can offer. As a parent, trust your instincts. If reading difficulties persist, talk to a qualified learning professional (private psychologist or center specializing in learning disabilities) and your school’s principal about your concerns. Once formally requested, a full educational evaluation will be provided by your public school. By law this public school evaluation is free. It is recommended that all requests be submitted in writing, as your written request statrs the clock; it gives the school a limited about of time in which to formualte an evaluation plan.

Taking the first step is often the hardest
Information is powerful. Congratulations on recognizing your child’s reading struggles and seeking out effective instruction. IDA-UMB believes that learning to read proficiently is a fundamental right of all learners, and a preponderance of decades of scientific research tells us unequivocally, all children can learn to read!

A wealth of additional information about learning disabilities and reading acquisition can be found at www.ReadingRockets.org, www.ColorinColorado.org and www.LDOnLine.org. Reading Rockets, Colorín Colorado, and LD OnLine are services of public television WETA, Washington, D.C. Reading Rockets is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Colorín Colorado, a web service to help English language learners become better readers, receives major funding from the American Federation of Teachers. Additional funding is provided by the National Institute for Literacy and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.