Dyslexia is incredibly common; experts estimate as much as 20% of individuals live with this learning disorder. Despite its pervasiveness, it’s underdiagnosed, leaving many people to struggle through daily life. Knowing the signs can help you recognize dyslexia in your children and yourself. As a neurobiological disorder, symptoms change as the individual grows, so knowing which signs to look for in each developmental stage is essential.
Kids Under 5
While experts consider dyslexia a reading disorder, it also affects speech sound identification. As a result, the first signs appear while children learn to speak.
Many kids with dyslexia have delayed speech. They may not use words until 15 months, when the average is between 10 and 14 months.
Children under 5 may also exhibit the following:
- Trouble learning nursery rhymes
- Frequent mispronunciations
- Issues with learning letter names
- Difficulty remembering sequences
- Trouble recognizing rhyming patterns
Keep in mind that these symptoms overlap with other disorders and don’t always appear in children with dyslexia. These are simply signs an assessment may be necessary in the future.
Ages 5 – 13
Once children start learning to read, parents and teachers should be on the lookout for difficulties connecting sounds to letters. Kids with dyslexia often struggle with the basics:
- Breaking words into letters and syllables
- Sounding out words
- Remembering spelling
- Reading out loud
Older children may struggle to read words below their expected reading level. They may also read slowly and make the following mistakes:
- Confusing similar-sounding words
- Reversing letters when writing
- Not recognizing sight words
- Struggling to answer questions about stories
- Mispronouncing new, long words
Around this time, kids may start to avoid reading due to these difficulties. They may also struggle with self-esteem, as their reading challenges may make them feel less intelligent than their peers. However, it’s crucial to understand that dyslexia has nothing to do with an individual’s intellect. Plenty of brilliant people have dyslexia; their brains simply process speech sounds and letters in a way that makes reading and writing more challenging.
Kids with dyslexia need both emotional and academic support. Assessments such as (TOD™) Tests of Dyslexia can diagnose this disability, helping parents and educators provide the correct support to struggling children.
Individuals 14 and Up
Unfortunately, dyslexia isn’t something you can grow out of. Starting in high school, the educational system expects students to read textbooks and literature easily However, teens and young adults may still experience the following:
- Difficulty taking multiple-choice tests
- Issues with understanding puns, idioms, and jokes
- Frequent pauses when speaking and using filler words such as “um”
- Extreme fatigue when reading
- Trouble remembering common abbreviations
Notably, individuals have an easier time summarizing information from audio sources, such as audiobooks and podcasts. They may also excel in creating engaging written content despite spelling errors. Technology such as speech-to-text, spelling checkers, and grammar programs can help their talents shine.
Dyslexia Assessments
Proper diagnosis is essential to helping individuals with dyslexia thrive. Assessments, like (TOD™) Tests of Dyslexia, play a vital role in recognizing this neurobiological disorder.
