10 Signs to Identify If Your Child Is Suffering from Dyslexia

“Sometimes I felt like I was reading the text through a mirror.” Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities affecting children. A learning disability is a specific type of disorder that can affect a child’s ability to read-write or speak.  

Although children who have dyslexia are smart and dedicated, they often have trouble in school due to their problems linking the letters to form complete words or sentences. So, before we look into the signs and symptoms of dyslexia in children, let us understand the condition behind it. 

What Causes Dyslexia?

Although the exact causes behind dyslexia are not known, researchers of child psychology believe that genes play an imperative role. Children are more likely to inherit the disorder if their parents, siblings, or other family members suffer from it. 

Dyslexia is incurable and affects a person throughout their life. However, with proper support and training, dyslexic children can become successful students and adults. 

Symptoms of Dyslexia

It’s perfectly normal for children to struggle with connecting words and make sentences. While some children learn fast, others move at a slow pace. Since not all kids who learn slow have dyslexia, it is hard to diagnose it at such a young age. People can display dyslexia symptoms at any age, but it usually starts in childhood.  

It’s challenging to recognize the signs before your child starts schooling, but here are some early indications that you can look for to know whether or not your child has dyslexia. 

1. Late Speech Development 

One of the first signs of the disorder is the child starting to speak at a late age. Most children start speaking basic words when they are 18 months old, so it might be a good decision to consult a doctor if your child is taking unusually long. Most of the time, they also mispronounce words or have difficulty finding differences between words. 

2. Difficulty in Reading  

Many children with dyslexia are intelligent but have difficulty learning to read. They might confuse similar-looking words or spell a word backward. 

3. Reversal of Words  

Dyslexic children do not remember numbers or alphabetical words in sequence and will always reverse without realizing it.  

4. Spelling

Some dyslexic children will have difficulty writing the correct spellings. Although they may remember a word today, they will forget it tomorrow.  

5. Late Growth Milestones  

Dyslexia in children can manifest in several ways, including delayed growth milestones such as crawling, walking, talking, writing, and reading. 

6. Difficulty in School 

While in school, dyslexic children may have difficulty learning alphabets, numbers, and even tables. They are unable to pronounce or write them. In addition, they might have trouble remembering days, months, and colors.  

7. No Sense of Direction  

These children have difficulty distinguishing between left and right.  

8. Coordination  

Children with dyslexia often suffer from poor hand-eye coordination. For example, they have difficulty catching a ball or holding a book in the right way. 

Treatment of Dyslexia

The only way to diagnose dyslexia is through a complete evaluation by child psychologists. 

Psychological Evaluation: A psychologist will evaluate your child and suggest medications to improve their sense of touch, vision, and hearing. The doctor may even counsel the child to improve their alertness.  

Home and School Support: Parents and teachers need to learn methods to support children with dyslexia. A certified counselor or trainer can help you learn techniques to support your child in every phase of life. 

 
Unfortunately, there’s no treatment available yet. However, early diagnosis and support help dyslexic children to lead successful lives. 

No matter how hard they try, children with dyslexia tend to fall behind their siblings and classmates, which can be pretty frustrating. They often feel that they are not as smart as others around them. This can cause stress and anxiety. 

Dyslexia in children shouldn’t be a barrier in their academic and professional life. There have been instances of dyslexic children becoming doctors, sportspersons, legal professionals, engineers, and even entrepreneurs. 

The only thing that a dyslexic child needs from parents is compassion, empathy, and support.