4 Likely Signs that Your Child Might Have Dyslexia

Dyslexia is known to affect at least 1 in 10 people in the world.

Last year, an article by Balvinder Sandhu of TODAY (Online) reported that 4-10% of school children may have dyslexia.

Dyslexia refers to a reading disorder that is characterised by reading issues, it can affect an individual to varying degrees in school.

While the condition is known to cause learning difficulties in children, it could also affect a child’s social and emotional well-being. For instance, frustration in the classroom could affect a child’s self-confidence and self-esteem. Resultantly, a child could face difficulties when it comes to socialising and making friends.

Signs of dyslexia could appear as early as kindergarten. Nevertheless, immediate intervention would be a strategic move.

While there is no “cure” for dyslexia, it is highly tantamount for both parents and teachers to accommodate a nurturing learning environment to help a child with dyslexia excel in his education. To do so, both parties have to be aware of the signs of dyslexia and provide a child with the appropriate special needs education as soon as possible. After all, early assessment and intervention could result in the best outcome.

Below, we have listed 4 of the most telling signs of dyslexia.

1. Difficulty Speaking

One of the most common signs that your child has dyslexia would be severe difficulty speaking at a young age.

Late talking, taking a long time to learn new words, and also issues forming words correctly before and during school could be indicators that your child might have dyslexia. A child might also face issues when learning a new language.

If these signs surface while interacting with your child, it is imperative for all parents and teachers to seek proper guidance about how to best manage a child with dyslexia.

2. Spelling Mistakes

Children with dyslexia might mix up vowel sounds. For instance, they might confuse ‘i’ with ‘e’ and ‘o’ with ‘a’. This could lead to spelling mistakes in writing.

There might also be children who have difficulty remembering how words are spelled. As a result, they might confuse the sequence of letters and even miss out a letter.

Some common examples of spelling mistakes include:

• hlep instead of help
• showt instead of shout
• lick instead of like

 3. A Strong Dislike for Reading

While not all children may enjoy reading, reading might be the worst enemy for children who have dyslexia mainly because most children with dyslexia might find reading to be extremely difficult and frustrating.

Children who have dyslexia tend to have a slower reading speed and might also miss or skip words when reading. They might also immediate forget what they just read.

Furthermore, a child might read a word at the top of the page but fail to recognise it when it appears further down the page.

Some children might even choose to act out or avoid tasks when its time for reading!

4. Mixing up Left and Right

While this might be a cliché sign, many with dyslexia cannot automatically tell from left to right. They would have to stop and think about it.

Early Treatment to Help a Child Excel

If dyslexia goes undiagnosed, issues faced during childhood could carry on into adulthood.

Though most children are ready to learn about reading, spelling and more, children with dyslexia have trouble keeping up. In this sense, it is important for all parents and teachers to utilise school services and facilities to make sure all children with learning difficulties get the support they need.

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