Does My Preschool Child Have Dyslexia?
Early intervention is key. Suspecting that your preschool child has dyslexia means that you are way ahead of the game as a parent, and your child is so lucky! Identifying dyslexia in a preschool child as young as age 4 is possible. An early diagnosis of dyslexia means your child will receive intervention at the most critical and best possible time.
As a reading practitioner, knowing the possible signs of dyslexia is a prerequisite.
While only a psychologist or neurologist can diagnose dyslexia, all of the stakeholders in a preschooler’s life can and should be aware of what to look for.
Sally Shaywitz calls them clues to dyslexia and signs of strengths in higher-level thinking processes.
The fellow that trained me in Orton-Gillingham called them red flags (and green flags).
In any case, there are some general things we can pay attention to and help us identify the red flags of dyslexia.
Red Flags: Signs of Dyslexia in a Preschooler
- Trouble learning common nursery rhymes such as “Jack and Jill” and “Humpty-Dumpty”
- Late in establishing a dominant hand
- Difficulty learning to tie shoes
- Difficulty in learning (and remembering) names of letters and numbers
- Trouble memorizing their address, phone number, letters in their name, or the alphabet
- Cannot produce words that rhyme
- Close relative has dyslexia / a family history of reading and/or spelling difficulties
- Difficulty recognizing the letters in his/her own name
- Delayed speech/ speech issues
- Mispronounced words; persistent baby talk
- Mixing up sounds and syllables in long words
- Chronic ear infections
- Severe reaction to childhood illness or auto-immune deficiency disorders
- Constant confusion of left and right
- Difficulty following directions
- Suspected or diagnosed ADHD
- Potty training was / is delayed
Green Flags: Signs of Strengths in a Preschooler Who Has Dyslexia
- Curiosity
- A great imagination
- Ability to figure things out
- Eager embrace of new ideas
- Gets the ‘gist’ of things
- Good understanding of new concepts
- Surprising maturity
- Large vocabulary for their age
- Enjoys solving puzzles
- Talent at building models
Source: Sally Shaywitz Overcoming Dyslexia,
If any of the above signs of dyslexia apply to your child, consider getting outside assistance from a professional or contact us.