How to recognise dyslexia?

Last week we talked about what dyslexia is, and this week we'll look at how to recognise it. Dyslexia shows itself differently in children at different ages.

Although it is difficult to spot the signs of dyslexia in pre-school children, it is possible. Preschool children with this reading disorder:

● Difficult to understand if two words rhyme;
● Difficult to remember and learn the letters of the alphabet;
● Difficult to learn new words;
● Often make mistakes when pronouncing simple words;

Usually, the symptoms of dyslexia become much more noticeable when a child starts school. Primary school pupils with dyslexia:

● Read more slowly than their peers;
● Cannot distinguish some letters, sounds or words;
● Writes slowly;
● Says they see blurred or moving text on the next page;
● Make mistakes when writing even the simplest words such as 'and' or 'cat';
● Have difficulty following written instructions;
● Often do not understand what they have just read;
● Poor handwriting;

Sometimes children manage to hide the symptoms of dyslexia for long enough - they only become apparent when schoolwork becomes more difficult. Older children with dyslexia:
● Have trouble writing sentences or texts (many grammatical and punctuation errors);
● Takes a long time to do homework or write revision papers;
● Speaking more slowly than usual;
● Avoids reading aloud;
● Omits shorter words when reading aloud;
● Do not remember words, so their speech is jerky and slurred;

Next week, we'll look at how parents can help their children cope with dyslexia. Don't miss out!