Warning Signs of Dyslexia

Even before your child enters school, some markers may indicate the presence of a reading disorder. The sooner your child can receive specialized instruction in the area of reading, the more progress he will make with less intervention. Many things can be done in the home as well as school setting, such as word games and songs. Research has shown that if a child does not receive adequate help before he reaches 3rd grade, he will likely struggle until high school or even beyond. Take a look at these informal signs of dyslexia to help you determine whether your child should receive a reading evaluation.

Warning Signs of Dyslexia

Preschool

* Difficulty naming (word retrieval difficulties)
* Difficulty rhyming
* Difficulty with phonemes (take the "c" off of cat)
* Mixing up the sounds & syllables

Elementary School

* Dysfluency or choppy reading
* Slow, non-automatic handwriting (dysgraphia)
* Difficulty learning cursive
* Slow, choppy, inaccurate reading-guesses or skips
* Misreads easier words- but able to get difficult
* Trouble remembering sight words
* School resistance- different from school phobia
* Overwhelmed by long reading passages
* Self-esteem deterioration: usually by 2nd-3rd grade
* Behaviors consistent with ego salvation ("learned helplessness", cheating, guessing, separating self from reading/schoolwork)

For many children, reading eventually "clicks in" and the child is able to master the reading code. For others, however, reading remains slow and labored, and eventually becomes something that he avoids at all costs. This has horrific repercussions as they transcend through the grades, as reading to learn takes over. The difference in the amount of reading that children with dyslexia engage in and those that don't is remarkable. The best way to avoid this educational tragedy is to have your child tested as early as possible to receive the intervention they need.