When children have trouble keeping up with their schoolwork, doing their homework, and getting good grades, the easiest thing anyone can do is label them as lazy or careless, especially if they are typically bright, intelligent, and passionate about learning.
“You’re so smart; why can’t you just pay more attention during your tests?” “How did you misunderstand the assignment? All the instructions for it are right there in your textbook!”
While there could be many reasons why your child didn’t pay more attention while taking a test or misunderstood their assignments, including laziness or carelessness, one of the most common culprits is dyslexia.
A common learning disorder, dyslexia can make it exceptionally challenging for your child to master written and even spoken language at times, thus diminishing their academic performance.
What is dyslexia exactly, what are its signs and symptoms, and can it be treated? Let’s find out.
In this article
Let’s start from the beginning – what does dyslexia mean? In a nutshell, it’s a language-based learning disability whose severity may vary. As a general rule of thumb, children and adults with dyslexia will exhibit difficulties with mastering linguistic skills such as reading, writing, or spelling. Many will even struggle with their pronunciation, especially when learning new vocabulary.
A child with dyslexia might often get confused with interpreting the letter order in words, reading the word “from”, for instance, as “form”. They could struggle with pronouncing and reading longer words, as well as comprehending written language.
While it’s referred to as a “learning disability”, it doesn’t actually impact the child’s intellect. Even the smartest child with the highest IQ could have dyslexia. They could be able to process information and learn new things perfectly well, but usually not through reading or writing.
It’s called a “learning disability” because traditional educational environments rely heavily on textual information, and children who cannot process this type of information well will usually struggle to achieve academic success.
Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities, affecting approximately 20% of the US population. Being so prevalent, it’s easy to assume that it’s well-understood. Therefore, there should be a clear answer to the question of what causes dyslexia.
Unfortunately, though, there isn’t. Despite it affecting around 1 in 5 people, its causes are still largely a mystery.
Brain imagery suggests noticeable inconsistencies in how the brain of those with dyslexia functions differently from those without it. For instance, there are significant differences in the areas of the brain that light up when people with this condition read when compared to those without it. This suggests that dyslexic individuals have a unique way of processing information, making reading significantly more difficult.
While there are no known causes for the condition, there are certain risk factors. If parents or close relatives have it (or other learning disabilities), the chances are higher for children to have it as well. Since dyslexia tends to run in the family, it’s assumed that children are born with it.
Everyone has trouble concentrating at times, making reading difficult. Your child might have a headache that makes it difficult to process written information at the given moment. Maybe they’ve been staring at the computer screen for too long, causing all the letters they see to become scrambled.
Therefore, it isn’t just some occasional reading difficulties that are the first signs of dyslexia in kids. Some of the general signs of dyslexia include:
- Speech delay;
- Lack of fluency;
- Forgetting words;
- Difficulty following instructions;
- Poor concentration;
- Difficulties telling the time;
- Difficulties matching letters to sounds.
As dyslexia can affect a child’s academic performance, impact their social development, and even have a negative effect on their future careers, it’s critical to get an early diagnosis and start developing coping mechanisms.
The early signs of dyslexia can be caught when your child is just a preschooler. While every child is different, and every child with dyslexia exhibits different symptoms, some of the most common signs of dyslexia in 5-year-olds and younger children include:
- Difficulties remembering new words, naming colors, and identifying familiar objects;
- Mispronouncing familiar vocabulary;
- Frequently using words such as “that thing” instead of naming familiar objects;
- Difficulties memorizing nursery rhymes;
- Telling stories without a logical order of events;
- Troubles following instructions with multiple steps;
- Confusing similar-looking letters;
- Difficulties connecting the letters with the sounds they make.
Of course, all young children tend to exhibit these symptoms on occasion, especially when they’re tired or cranky, so you shouldn’t immediately start to worry. Start looking into the possibility of dyslexia if the symptoms become more consistent.
As your child reaches middle school, it becomes a bit easier to recognize dyslexia. Signs of dyslexia in 6, 7, and 8-year-olds include the following:
- Difficulties reading familiar words;
- Troubles remembering how words are spelled;
- Confusing/omitting prepositions and other short words (such as “to”, “from”, “of”, etc.);
- Inconsistent spelling;
- Anxiety/frustration when reading;
- Avoiding reading aloud;
- Difficulties explaining a story;
- Poor reading comprehension.
It’s critical not to shame a child for these “mistakes” or accuse them of being inattentive and lazy, as this will only serve to diminish their self-esteem further.
Most commonly, dyslexia is diagnosed by the age of 7 or 8, at a time when most children start to read and write more frequently. However, it’s possible to miss the early signs and only catch it when children enter teenhood.
The most common signs of dyslexia in teens include:
- Difficulties understanding puns and idioms;
- Frequently using synonyms when they can’t remember a word;
- Difficulties understanding jokes;
- Struggling with common abbreviations;
- Taking a long time to complete reading assignments;
- Finding it easier to answer questions about a piece of text only after it’s read aloud;
- Frequently experiencing dizziness, headaches, and stomachaches when reading.
Usually, children and teens with dyslexia will have no trouble learning through hands-on experiences, but they’ll suffer poorer performance when forced to rely on textual information.
As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want to diagnose dyslexia as early as possible so you and your child can adopt the best coping approaches. However, there’s usually no reason to take in your child for assessments if they’re under the age of 6 or 7.
Since dyslexia is a language-based learning disability, it can be difficult to diagnose it before the child has had a chance to develop some basic reading and writing skills (which they usually do around the age of 6).
Of course, you also don’t want to wait too long before taking in your child for evaluations. If you wait until they’re teens, there’s a higher risk that they’ll already have developed poor self-esteem and poor academic track record.
You can always consult your child’s teachers or pediatrician if you suspect they might have dyslexia.
Unfortunately, there are no known dyslexia treatments. A child diagnosed with dyslexia will always have it. However, that doesn’t mean that their linguistic skills can’t develop. There are several things you could do to help your child learn to cope with it.
While most parents try to limit their children’s contact with technology, there’s no denying how helpful it can be. Simple smartphone features like text-to-speech could help your child learn new information and improve their reading skills.
You could also take advantage of valuable parental control apps like FamiSafe to help your child access age-appropriate content, engage with educational apps, and spend more time honing their linguistic skills.
Reading aloud together is perhaps the most beneficial thing you could do for your child with dyslexia. At first, you can simply start by reading short stories to them and having them listen to you. When they’re old enough, start underlying the sentences you read with your finger and have them follow along. You can have them read with you when they develop some basic reading skills.
While they might not like it, you’ll need patience and continue trying to have them read with you. Don’t be harsh with them or shame them when they make mistakes.
While reading with your child is important, you’ll also want to encourage them to read by themselves. Again, you’ll want them to start small, with poems or short stories. Encourage them to read the types of stories they’re interested in at first, helping them develop a love for reading despite the difficulties they may encounter along the way.
Then, introduce longer, more complicated texts. Let them choose their own books and take them to the library frequently. However, make sure to keep the activity fun and relaxing – don’t push your child to read when they don’t feel like it or punish them when they avoid the activity.
Finally, you’ll want to create a positive, supportive environment if you want your child to cope with dyslexia well. As mentioned, you don’t want to shame, punish, or get frustrated with your child because of the difficulties they’re experiencing.
Be gentle, help them when they encounter obstacles, and have patience when they’re not mastering linguistic skills as quickly as you’d like them to. If necessary, check with the school to see if teachers can provide additional assistance.
Having a child with dyslexia can be challenging and more emotionally draining than many would think. It impacts the child’s academic performance and can even affect their mental health, making them more prone to developing anxiety and struggling with low self-esteem.
Still, even though it cannot be treated, dyslexia can be handled. Be supportive, patient, and understanding, and work together with your child to help minimize its effects on the quality of their life.