Dyslexia Can Be Identified Early

Dyslexia can be identified in a child who is at least halfway through kindergarten and age five and a half or older.  There are always early warning signs like those in Chris that point to reading difficulty.

Warning Signs of Dyslexia

Chris’ mom explained it this way. In Pre-K Chris had difficulty identifying letters and the sounds they made as well as rhyming. In kindergarten she still had trouble rhyming. She had trouble sounding out words when reading. Her reading was labored, not quick or fluent. She guessed words by their first letter. She mixed up letter sound sequences in a word or forgot the same word she just read on the previous page again and again. She seemed to learn best memorizing flash cards. She can somewhat read but it has taken way more amounts of flash cards and assistance that should be required. I think she has dyslexia.

Dyslexia Testing Starting at Age 5 and a Half

Our thorough testing confirmed this mom’s intuition and provided her with the paperwork needed to obtain school help through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) as well as apply for and receive the Florida Family Empowerment Scholarship.  The scholarship money helped mom pay for one-to-one private tutoring using the gold standard Orton-Gillingham multisensory reading instruction.  This approach has decades of research backing its effectiveness in helping people with dyslexia become strong and proficient readers.

Overcoming Dyslexia

 Once your child is officially diagnosed with dyslexia there are five ingredients for helping your child overcome dyslexia.  You must have the right curriculum, use it at least twice a week one-to-one, keep at it for over a year, work with a trained reading specialist, and keep your child engaged and incentivized.  We’ve seen this recipe work for children time and time again.

Dr. Forgan Wrote the Dyslexia Book

I co-authored the book “Parent’s Quick Start Guide to Dyslexia” which provides a quick, but deep dive into what to immediately do when your child is diagnosed with dyslexia.  When it comes to helping your young child, time is too precious to squander.

 We know dyslexia can be identified early. Call (561) 625 4125 to discuss your child as we test for dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, depression, autism and anxiety.