Signs and Symptoms of Dyslexia

While most experts say that Dyslexia can only be screened around age 6-7 years, signs of Dyslexia can show up in children as early as preschool years. Although every case of Dyslexia is unique to the individual, there are common traits and behaviors in preschoolers and Elementary children that parents and teachers can lookout.

Dyslexia Tendencies in Preschooler

Speech and Language Aspect

• Late Talker (No 1-word speech by 1, and 2-words speech by 2)
• Has trouble being understood by strangers
• Show little or no appreciation of Nursery Rhymes and cannot identify rhyming words
• Have difficulty associating letters to sounds
• Difficulty expressing themselves using spoken language (E.g., Loss of words, jumbled up sentences/ unclear speech and prefer to point or use non-words verbal cues)
• Mixes up familiar words / Spoonerism (e.g. teddy bear -> beddy tear)
• Multi-syllable word is impossible (incredible -> indecrible / incrible)
• Communication seems difficult and frustrating
• Difficulty pronouncing certain sounds/words
• Uses baby talk for longer than usual

Cognitive Aspect

• Unable to follow simple 2-parts instructions
• Inattentiveness – can’t sit still or listen to stories
• Enjoys storytime but never comments on words or letters
• Can recite favorite stories without any association to words
• Have difficulty learning and remembering the Alphabet songs
• Unable to recognize the letters in their name
• Not interested in words and letters in their environment (E.g., learning devices, TV, posters on the wall, etc.)
• Has difficulty counting and identifying numbers
• Problem with sequencing (E.g., Days of the Week, Months of the Year, Skip counting, Counting Up and Down, Alphabet Sequencing, etc.)
• Struggle with left and right identification
• Difficulty understanding positioning and directional words (E.g., in front of vs. behind; on vs. in; under vs. over)
• Have no or little clue about time concept (E.g., Unsure about yesterday, today, tomorrow;  before/after; morning, afternoon, night, etc.)
• Seems forgetful (E.g., can’t locate familiar objects and has trouble putting items away where they belong)
• Forgets the names of places, teachers, classmates, colors, shapes, etc.

Physical Aspect

Gross motor

• Late walker (beyond 1.5years / 18mths)
• Is clumsy, lack coordination and general body awareness
• Accident-prone (frequently bumping into things and falling)
• Wearing shoes on the wrong foot or clothes on the wrong way around and seems unaware of the discomfort
• Difficulty in hopping, skipping and galloping
• Difficulty with throwing, catching and kicking a ball
• Finds it difficult keeping rhythm with a steady beat

Fine motor

• Hand preference is not established (E.g., Able to swap between hands while writing, drawing, using cutleries, etc.)
• Have difficulties with scissors and writing materials like crayons and paint brushes
• Show no interest in trying to write letters or words
• Unable to draw or copy basic shapes
• Problem with shoelaces, buttons, and ties
• Awkward grip when using writing instruments/cutleries
• Reversals and transposition in letters and numbers* (Find out more on ‘How Dyslexia Affect Literacy?’ & ‘How Dyslexia Affect Math?’)

*Although it is quite normal for young children up to the age of 6-7 to write letters and words backward, teachers and parents should keep a close watch on this. If this persists into later elementary school years, it is a sign of Dyslexia.

Behavior & Characteristics

• Dreamy
• Zoned out when overwhelmed
• Prefer to sit out and observe during a group activity
• Get distracted easily
• Short Attention span
• May be sensitive to background noise
• Fidgety
• Seemed lost or uninterested during teaching time

Social and Emotional

As preschoolers are still quite tolerant and amiable in general, there are not many notable signs in this area of development. However, as they progress to higher grades, social and emotional will become an area of concern. Teachers and parents should keep an eye on signs of bullying.

Dyslexia Signs and Symptoms in Primary School Children

Dyslexia signs that show up in the early years now become more apparent. This is especially evident in the child’s academic performance. If you pay close attention, you will notice the child is struggling to keep up academically due to their short-comings and learning differences.

Difficulty with oral/spoken language :

• Articulation issue such as difficulty pronouncing certain words persists and is more noticeable (E.g., invisible as insivable)
• May have trouble acquiring new vocabulary and grasping grammar concepts
• Has trouble following 2-part instructions or more
• Has problem processing and understanding what he or she hears
• Word-retrieval problems (e.g., loss in words when expressing oneself)
• Uses vague expressions such as “stuff” or “thingy”
• Long pauses when finding words and answering questions
• Uses a lot of “umms” in conversation
• Difficulty in finding the name of an object when speaking. Many fills in like what’s that thing again? Um..er…ah etc.
• Confusing words that sound alike

Reading Challenges :

• Has trouble associating letters to sound (poor phonological awareness)
• Difficulty tackling new words and sounding them out
• Difficulty with oral and silent reading
• Reading is slow and laborious with many mistakes
• Hates and avoid reading out aloud
• Rely heavily on pictures in books for clues
• Guess wildly when come across unknown words
• Confuses sounds of letter blends when attempting to sound out unknown words (E.g.,/sh/ for /ch/)
• Loses place, skipped sentences, and misses words when reading aloud
• Mix up letters when reading (E.g. read /b/ as /d/, /p/, /q/ or even argue that it’s numeral 9)
• Misreading or overlook common short words (E.g., is, it, on, in, at; read of as for)
• Poor sight word recognition (E.g., the, am, said, was, your)
• Poor reading comprehension skills (E.g., use guesses or skip unfamiliar words)
• Reading well below the expected level
• Regularly read words backward (E.g., saw as was, for as of, pot as top, etc.)
• Memorize stories in readers to avoid decoding the words when reading.
• Unsatisfactory reading progress compared to average standard in the class.

Difficulty with written language :

Math Problems :

• Trouble memorizing and mastering math facts/grasping a concept (E.g., multiplication tables, formulas, steps to solve a problem, etc.)
• Difficulty learning to tell time on an analog clock
• Difficulty with sequencing (E.g., days of the week, months of the year, counting up and down, alphabet sequencing, etc.)
• Have trouble counting and identifying numbers
• Mental calculation is near impossible
• Often loses place and writes the answer in a different spot
• Give the correct answer but write the wrong answer
• Starting a math problem on the wrong side (E.g., begin with 100 place value instead of 1/unit place value in addition and subtraction problems)
•  Poor number formations, process confusion, misaligned numbers, number reversals and errors in number sequencing (Find out more on ‘How Dyslexia Affect Math?’)

Memory Difficulties

• Has trouble remembering details such as names and dates
• Constantly misplacing and losing things
• Difficulty remembering what day it is, own birthday, address and phone number
• Still confuse with right and left
• Trouble reading maps and remembering directions
• Persistent struggle in remembering things in sequential order

Physical

• Still wear shoes on the wrong foot
• A persistent problem with shoelaces, buttons, and ties
• Still clumsy (bump into things and falling)
• Persistent difficulty in hopping, skipping, galloping, throwing, catching, kicking a ball, etc.
• Lack of coordination when going downstairs; do not alternate between legs.

Social and Emotional Problems

• Difficulty interpreting nonverbal cues (body language)
• Misses subtleties of jokes, puns, etc.
• May have difficulty making and keeping friends
• Low self-esteem
• Frustrated and angry with themselves

In General

• Zones out easily and daydream a lot
• Forgetful
• Cannot focus on tasks and doesn’t complete tasks on time
• Have a very good or very bad day in school
• Weak problem solving/coping skills
• Difficulty accepting and adapting to changes in routines
• May either be disruptive, withdrawn or the class clown
• Labeled as ‘slow learner’, lazy, stupid or not trying hard enough
• Comes home from school tired and stressed
• Hate school

These are the signs and symptoms that I noticed in my children and other Dyslexic Children that I had worked with. There may be other signs and symptoms that are not listed here since Dyslexia differs from person to person. If your child checks off more than 30% of the signs and symptoms listed above, it is advisable to seek professional opinions as soon as you can. You can find more helpful tips on ‘I Suspect My Child Is Dyslexic. What Do I Do Next?’