How can I tell if my child might have dyslexia?

Signs of dyslexia vary from person to person and evolve over a person’s life. Some of the most common include:

• Delayed speech development or articulation issues
• Difficulty following directions, especially directions with more than two steps
• Difficulty reciting the alphabet (e.g., saying “lelomenopee” instead of l, m, n, o, and p)
• Difficulty with rhyming
• Tendency to mix up names of familiar people, places, and objects
• Difficulty pronouncing words with three or more syllables
• Difficulty remembering the days of the week or sequences of numbers
• Difficulty recognizing words that begin with the same sounds
• Difficulty clapping to match a beat
• Tendency to switch the hand used for writing, drawing, or coloring
• Difficulty learning to write
• Difficulty with directionality
• Difficulty learning to tie shoelaces

And remember that dyslexia isn’t limited to reading text! Math can also involve reading multistep directions, decoding unfamiliar words, sequencing information, and comprehending instructions.

Children can be screened for learning disabilities, including difficulties with reading, as early as preschool. For more information about how to get your child assessed, check out our article Dyslexia 101.