Characteristics of Dyslexia

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month and this week’s blog will aim at raising awareness, educating the public on signs and symptoms of dyslexia, as well as offering resources for Parents of children and individuals with dyslexia.

The National Center for Learning disabilities provides a great overview of warning signs for dyslexia, broken down by age.

Young Children:

Trouble recognizing letters, matching sounds to their corresponding letters, blending sounds into speech
Trouble pronouncing words, for example: saying “mawn lower” instead of “lawn mower”
Trouble Learning/ correcting using new vocabulary words
Trouble learning alphabet, numbers, and days of the week or similar common word sequences
Trouble rhyming

School-Age Children:

Trouble monitoring rules of spelling
Trouble remembering facts and numbers
Trouble hand-writing or with gripping a pencil
Trouble learning and understanding new skills; and instead rely on memorization
Reading and spelling letters as reverse letters or moving them around, ex: (d,b) (left, felt)
Trouble Following a sequence of directions
Trouble with word problems in math

Teenagers and Adults:

Trouble with reading at the expected level
Trouble understanding non-literal language such as idioms, jokes, or proverbs
Trouble reading aloud
Trouble organizing and managing time
Trouble summarizing a story
Trouble learning a foreign language
Trouble memorizing

If you suspect your child could have dyslexia, a formal evaluation with an expert is the best way to get the correct diagnoses. If you are unfamiliar with the process involving the IEP process, or you need guidance and want someone to help you through the process we can help! We understand how important it is for your child’s future to become a successful independent reader. Providing the right reading program for your child is the key in ensuring s/he will become a successful reader! For additional resources, locate our resources tab!