Dyslexia Symptoms

Dyslexic students are consistently inconsistent. One day they know it; the next day, it’s as if they never heard of it before. These issues are especially troubling if your child is in the third grade or older. Remember, the first task to deal with is to get your child “properly” tested. An informal classroom assessment is not enough! Knowing exactly what your child’s issue is helps you and/or the school appropriately match the most effective intervention to deal with it.

So just what is dyslexia and when should you suspect your child has dyslexia, mild or severe? Read the common issues below. If your child resembles a number of them, they may be suffering from dyslexia.

 

Dyslexia Symptoms

Despite quality classroom instruction, while reading

  • They commonly confuse letters while decoding words
  • They guess at words too often, depending on the first sound
  • They misread similar letter shapes (b/d, p/q, l/t, m/n)
  • They cannot recall the letter-sound connection, despite having learned it numerous times
  • They frequently decode words incorrectly: inserting sounds that aren’t there, reversing the order of letters within the word
  • They misread or skip high frequency words such as “that”, “which”, “once”, etc.
  • They labor through sentences, forgetting what they read by the time they make it to the end. Even rereading doesn’t improve comprehension.
  • Reading causes a number of physical ailments, such as headaches or stomach upsets

Despite quality classroom instruction, while writing

  •  They commonly confuse letters while writing (cap for cat, chip for ship)
  • They give the right letters in the wrong sequence (chakl for chalk, teh for the)
  • They may insert sound that aren’t there (bald for bad)
  • They may reverse the letter orientation, making backward letters for longer and more frequently than their peers.
  • They frequently misspell similar letter shapes (b/d, p/q, l/t, m/n)
  • They have trouble copying words correctly, from the page or board.

Hearing and Speaking

  • They mishear directions
  • They omit words
  • Mispronounce long words and commonly uses spoonerisms “hissed” for “missed” as in " You hissed class today"
  • They speak haltingly
  • They struggle to find the right words to communicate or say the wrong words despite knowing the answer.