Signs of dyslexia in children

As children learn to read and write, it can be common for them to struggle. All children learn at different paces. However, if your child continues to have challenges with reading or spelling, you may begin to wonder if your child has dyslexia, a common learning disorder.

Parents are often cautioned against jumping to conclusions, as dyslexia is more complex than simply reversing letters or numbers. If a child does have dyslexia, early intervention and support can help set them up for success in school and later in life.

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that can cause difficulties with reading, writing, math or other areas of learning. Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disorders in children, affecting 20% of the population and representing 80-90% of people with learning disabilities.

Children with dyslexia often have trouble matching letters with the sounds those letters make. This difficulty has no connection to a child's overall intelligence.

Dyslexia is related to differences in the part of the brain that processes language. Diagnosing dyslexia and providing support for the disorder can help give children the tools they need to be successful students and adults.

What are the types of dyslexia?

From a diagnostic standpoint, there are no official types of dyslexia. However, there can be differences in which underlying cognitive functions are affected in children with dyslexia. Two cognitive processes that are commonly affected in dyslexia include phonological awareness and rapid automatic naming (RAN).

• Phonological awareness involves a child's ability to understand that letters make a particular sound. This is the most common cognitive process affected in dyslexia.

• Rapid automatic naming (RAN) involves the ability to quickly identify and name a symbol or letter a child sees. Deficits in RAN can impact reading speed and fluency.

What causes dyslexia?

It's not clear what causes dyslexia, but research shows there is a genetic component, meaning dyslexia can be hereditary. There are higher rates of dyslexia in children with a family history of the condition.

What are signs of dyslexia in children?

Symptoms of dyslexia in children can vary based on what underlying cognitive processes are affected. The most common signs of dyslexia in children include:

• Difficulty learning the sounds that letters and letter combinations make

• Difficulty with basic word decoding (i.e., sounding out unfamiliar words)

• Slow, labor-intensive reading

• Difficulty spelling

• Difficulty recognizing familiar words in new contexts

• Avoiding activities that involve reading

Children with dyslexia may also become frustrated with school and disengage from reading because it is more challenging for them than for their peers. However, disinterest in reading does not automatically indicate dyslexia.

How is dyslexia diagnosed?

A complete psychological or neuropsychological evaluation is the best way to diagnose dyslexia in children. If you are concerned about symptoms of dyslexia in your child, seek help from a psychologist or neuropsychologist who can provide a comprehensive evaluation that will include testing for other possible explanations for the difficulties your child may be having.

For example, a neuropsychological evaluation looks not only at reading skill level, but also at working memory, processing speed, visual processing and visual-spatial reasoning. It's important to understand how these cognitive processes may be involved in your child's reading difficulties.

A comprehensive evaluation can help rule out other conditions that may cause symptoms similar to dyslexia, such as attention or language disorders. Identifying the underlying cause of a child's challenges can help families access the most appropriate tools, resources and support.

How can you help a child with dyslexia?

The appropriate support and intervention can help your child succeed in school and life. That intervention may look different for every child but generally includes resources and support. Some helpful tips include:

• Working with your child's school and care team to identify appropriate interventions, programs and resources.

• Providing targeted support based on your child's specific challenges.

  • Children who struggle with phonological awareness may benefit from extra instruction focused on connecting letters and sounds.

  • Children with rapid automatized naming (RAN) deficits may benefit from programs that provide frequent practice and immediate feedback.

• Reading aloud together regularly helps strengthen language and literacy skills and is beneficial for all children learning to read.

• Creating a consistent, interactive reading routine to make reading a familiar, comfortable and enjoyable part of daily life.

Learn more

The Children's Health Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology program offers comprehensive specialty services to children and teens. Our team offers a wide range of programs to effectively diagnose, treat and manage conditions that can affect behavior and learning in children.

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