Dyslexia impacts more people than any other neuro-cognitive disorder, affecting 20% of the population. As a parent, you’ll be best placed to notice if your child demonstrates the signs of dyslexia.
How To Spot Early Signs of Dyslexia in Children
Many early signs of dyslexia will be displayed at school or during extra-curricular learning sessions, so teacher reports and inputs can also be precious in this area. But you should also pay attention to any work they do at home since this is the most obvious area where you’ll notice any potential issues.
Here are three early dyslexia in children you should watch out for if you think your child might have dyslexia.
Struggling to complete exams in the allotted time
Exams are a pivotal part of the education system and will play a massive role in dictating how many doors are open to your child after their school years. But for children with dyslexia, exams are something they can find particularly difficult, especially with the time constraints that are often in place.
It’s common for dyslexic children to write slower, which only adds to the stress brought on by the restrictive time limits. Moreover, they can typically become very anxious about studying for assignments, meaning revising is often put off or disregarded altogether.
This neglect in studying, spurred by anxiety, can significantly worsen the impact of dyslexia on children and their psychology, creating a cycle of avoidance and stress that is hard to break. The psychological effects include diminished self-esteem and increased feelings of inadequacy, especially in an academic setting where they may feel constantly behind their peers.
There are many different ways you can support a child with dyslexia when it comes to exams at school. Tactics like revision timetables and folders can help them feel more organized, which will relieve some of their anxiety around exams.
Spelling and handwriting
Having difficulty spelling is another of the most common symptoms associated with dyslexia. You should be aware of a few particular mistakes and trends. These include:
- Mistaking similar-looking letters or writing them the wrong way round, e.g., writing ‘q’ instead of ‘p.’
- Making several attempts to spell the same word, with lots of crossings out
- Spellings will often be inconsistent – look out for repeated words spelled differently in their work
- Confusing the ordering of letters in words
On top of their spelling, you may also notice they have trouble more generally when it comes to writing legibly with a pen and paper. It’s common for children with dyslexia to have messy handwriting, and they may struggle when it comes to formatting their work on a page i.e. starting new lines close to the margins. They also might have trouble holding a pen or pencil in a conventional way.
Reading
For children with dyslexia, reading can be a daunting task. Not only will they generally be slower readers, but they’ll also often add or miss words. This is only exacerbated when having to read aloud, in which case you’ll commonly notice hesitation between words. These factors can, unfortunately, mean that they try to avoid reading wherever possible.
Try Audible PlusModern technology is making it easier for dyslexic children to read. For example, screen readers come as standard on most new laptops and phones, which can help your child understand a passage. Audiobooks might be another option if you’re keen to keep them interested in stories. They will be far easier to understand and can help to develop other skills like listening and concentration.
