According to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, an estimated one in five Americans has dyslexia. Being diagnosed with a learning disability is more common than people actually realize. So, how can you as a parent be on top of spotting any challenges that your child might be having? Well, according to the experts, here are a few telltale signs of dyslexia in children spanning preschool through 5th grade that parents should be on the lookout for.
“Dyslexia is not related to intellectual abilities and so frequently can be missed,” Dr. Jenna Vyas-Lee, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of mental healthcare clinic Kove, said in a recent interview with Huffington Post UK.
Vyas-Lee was diagnosed with dyslexia at 30-years-old. As such, she continues noting that, “… plenty of people in the world with undiagnosed dyslexia who do just fine; [however, in extreme cases] it can mean children often grow up feeling not good enough [– and in this instance, diagnosis is important].”
She concluded saying that these children “… may have received messages such as ‘you just need to try harder’. There are also many overlapping symptoms with ADHD, and dyslexic people can also struggle with attention and organization. They may also need help and interventions to protect their mental health around feelings of low self-esteem.”
According to U.S. News, here are a few of the telltale signs from preschool through 5th grade that parents should look out for.
Preschool
- Difficulty pronouncing words
- Using general words to describe specific objects
- Trouble learning rhymes
- Difficulty with the alphabet and number sequences
- Retelling events out of order
- Difficulty with multi-step instructions
Kinder – 2nd grade
- Difficulty learning the names of letters
- Trouble remembering what sounds letters make
- Difficulty reading words without accompanying pictures
- Substituting similar words when reading
- Difficulty separating words into sounds and blending sounds into words
- Trouble with spelling
3rd grade – 5th grade
- Missing or confusing small words, such as “of,” when reading out loud
- Difficulty sounding out new words
- Trouble describing the events of a story or answering questions about it
- Difficulty recognizing sight words
- Repeated mistakes of the same kind, such as letter reversals Inconsistency with spelling
- Frustration and avoidance of reading
If any of these signs look familiar, parents should consult their pediatrician in order to find proper testing for the child. There are many interventions and resources that can help offer the support that is needed. For more information on the telltale signs of dyslexia, click here.
