“Dyslexia” a specific learning difficulty in reading skills
What is Dyslexia Definition?
It is a specific learning difficulty in reading skills. children with dyslexia have difficulty in reading accurately and fluently. Also, they may have difficulties with reading comprehension, spelling, writing, and math. Signs of dyslexia can look different at different ages. Provided are some examples of symptoms of dyslexia :
Preschool
- Has trouble recognizing whether two words rhyme.
- Struggles with taking away the beginning sound from a word.
- Struggles with learning new words.
- Has trouble recognizing letters and matching them to sounds.
Grade School
- Has trouble taking away the middle sound from a word or blending several sounds to make a word.
- Often can’t recognize common sight words.
- Quickly forgets how to spell many of the words he/she studies.
- Makes mistakes in solving word problems in math.
Middle School
- Makes many spelling errors.
- Frequently has to re-read sentences and passages.
- Reads at a lower academic level than how he/she speaks.
High School
- Often skips over small words when reading aloud.
- Can’t read at the expected grade level.
- Strongly prefers multiple-choice questions over fill-in-the-blank or short answer.
In addition to these signs, the child may show some behavioral issues such as avoidance, reluctance, anxiety, arguing and fighting with peers and siblings.
So If your child is showing the above-mentioned signs specific to his / her grade in school, trust your instincts and discuss your concerns with a healthcare provider. However, the most appropriate age to detect Dyslexia or any other learning difficulty is in grade 2. Don’t hesitate to schedule an assessment/screening with a Learning Difficulty team
(Speech-Language Pathologist, Special Educator, and Psychologist).