Gill Crea
What Is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that many people face, making things like reading, writing, and spelling a little trickier. It’s categorized as a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), which just means it affects certain learning skills but doesn’t reflect a person’s intelligence at all. Believe it or not, about 1 in 10 people in the UK experience some kind of dyslexia! It can vary from person to person, showing up in different ways, and it can impact more than just reading and writing.
How is Dyslexia Diagnosed
Do you think your child or someone you know might be dealing with dyslexia? There are some early signs you can look out for. We’ve got some tips to help you identify dyslexic traits in your child! And if you have any questions or feel a bit lost, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Organizations like The British Dyslexia Association offer great online forums for parents and even handy video guides to assist you.
It’s also a good idea to have a chat with your child’s school to see if they’ve noticed any similar challenges. They might even be able to do a screener for dyslexia. Screeners are designed to help recognise different levels of dyslexic tendencies, making it easier to support those who may need assistance. Screeners are available privately, however here is a selection of free screeners available if you would like more information in hand before speaking to your child’s school, but a quick Google search will show you more available
While various tools can help screen for dyslexic difficulties, a proper diagnosis can only be made by someone qualified, like an educational psychologist or a specialist teacher, which Local Education Authorities often will not fund. If you do go the private route, we suggest checking with a PATOS registered specialist. You can find qualified professionals in a few different places:
You don’t need a formal diagnosis for reasonable adjustments but getting an assessment can help highlight your child’s strengths and areas where they might need support.
Some early indicators of dyslexia could include slower speech and language development, with one common sign being difficulties with literacy skills. Unlike the more subtle signs of things like depression or anxiety, dyslexia symptoms are often easier to spot. You might notice challenges with processing information and working memory.
Dyslexia varies from one individual to another, but a shared trait is that reading levels often lag behind what’s typical for their age. Here are some additional signs to keep an eye out for:
- Trouble keeping track of time
- Great long-term memory but struggling with short-term memory
- Advanced spoken language skills compared to reading or writing ability
- A tendency to be disorganized, which is sometimes called poor executive function
- Handwriting that includes many reversals or poorly formed letters
- Spelling words in various ways within the same piece of writing
- Creating anagrams, like reading ‘tired’ as ‘tried’ or ‘bread’ as ‘beard’
- Producing written work that isn’t well laid out and doesn’t stay close to the margin
- Using an awkward pencil grip
- Demonstrating phonetically unique spelling that isn’t age-appropriate
- Unusual sequences of letters or words
- Skipping lines or words while reading
- Facing challenges with math, such as reversing numbers or having trouble with times tables
Ways You Can Help Your Child
Here are five friendly steps to help you get started on identifying dyslexia in your child:
1. Talk to Your Child
Engage in friendly chats! This can help you notice if they’re having difficulties understanding what you’re saying. If you find yourself repeating things, they might be struggling to grasp the message.
2. Read Together
Reading together is a fantastic way to discover any early issues with their reading abilities. Plus, it gives you a chance to find the right support and keep the school in the loop about any challenges they might be facing.
3. Check if They Can Sound Out Words
If your child is mixing up letters while reading, causing some confusion, it might be a sign of dyslexia. Pay attention to whether their reading style is slow or choppy.
4. Ask Comprehension Questions
After a reading session, ask your child about the story. Questions about what happened, the characters, or their predictions about the plot can help you gauge their understanding. Kids with dyslexia sometimes focus so hard on reading the words that they miss the overall story.
5. Observe Their Writing
Keep an eye on your child’s handwriting. Look for any letter mix-ups or difficulties with spelling common words; these can signal challenges that may be linked to dyslexia.
Why is recognising Dyslexia in your child so important?
Spotting early signs of dyslexia is super important! Kids may realise that their reading and writing skills aren’t on par with their peers, and that can make them feel shy about participating in class. Recognizing the early signs of dyslexia is super important! Sometimes, kids may not even realize that their reading and writing skills aren’t quite up to par with their friends, or they might start feeling shy and less eager to participate in class. By catching these signs early, you can help them get the support they need to shine!
Gill, the founder of Extraordinary Links, shared her personal journey to highlight why understanding dyslexia is key. She said,
“I often felt disorganized and struggled to get my ideas down on paper while in school. I knew what I wanted to say, but my brain just didn’t seem to cooperate. And following instructions? That felt like a challenge I couldn’t seem to conquer. When I was in college, I did reach out about the possibility of dyslexia, but as a 17-year-old, I didn’t have the confidence to really advocate for myself, so they brushed it off because I could read! This went on all the way until university. By the time I finally went to university at 21, I was more confident and able to speak up for myself. I asked for a dyslexia assessment and, guess what? I found out I was dyslexic!
I often think about how different things might have been if someone had recognized my struggles sooner. Would I have reached my potential earlier with a little extra help? I truly recommend getting early intervention if your child is facing challenges, or even if you feel they’re not living up to their true potential. You could really make a world of difference for them!”
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