Four Dyslexia Warning Signs

As a certified dyslexia testing specialist, I work with a lot of children with dyslexia.  A mom recently brought her second grade son for testing because his iReady scores were low, he was saying he was stupid, there was a family history of cousins with reading difficulty, and her motherly instinct told her something was interfering with his ability to learn to read. She described classic dyslexia warning signs.

Dyslexia Warning Sign #1

These were four classic warning signs of dyslexia.  The iReady testing that children take give scores that show their reading level. However, the scores the school considers ‘low’ don’t always align with real life because schools focus on helping the ‘extremely low’ kids.  Kids with dyslexia are smart and can fake reading because they memorize words but may struggle with fluency and decoding.

Dyslexia Warning Sign #2

It’s a dyslexia warning sign when an elementary age child is calling him or herself stupid/dumb/not smart. Simply put, young children don’t want to go to school and fail.  In a class of 18-25 kids, all the kids know who the top and bottom readers are. They know which kids papers are returned with a teacher’s red marks all over it.

Dyslexia Warning Sign #3

Your child is at risk for dyslexia if you have a diagnosed or suspected a family history of reading struggles.  Dyslexia is genetic so in over 50% of children identified, another person in the family (aunts, grandparents, etc.) struggled with reading.

Dyslexia Warning Sign #4

If you are the mom, trust your motherly instincts that are telling you your child is struggling with reading.  In my years of experience, moms’ instincts are highly accurate.  Have your child tested to give you answers, future direction, and to put your mind at ease.

If two or more warning signs apply or you suspect dyslexia, call our office as we test children ages 5 through college for dyslexia, ADHD/ADD, gifted, and other disorders. (561) 625-4125