“Dyslexia results in difficulty in accurate or fluent word recognition and delayed decoding abilities,” says Kimberly R. Freeman, PhD, the executive associate chair of social work and social ecology at Loma Linda University in San Bernardino, California. “Someone with dyslexia will often present complications with reading, difficulty with spelling words when writing, frequent letter or number reversals, problems with pronunciation or reading out loud, and poor reading comprehension,” she adds. Dyslexia affects children and adults, but some people aren’t diagnosed until they’re in their teens or even well into adulthood. There’s no cure for dyslexia, but with treatment, people can meet this challenge and even thrive with it. The earlier a diagnosis is obtained, the better. Dyslexia affects a person’s ability to match words to their sounds, and symptoms most often first appear when a child begins attending school. “Dyslexia is typically first noticed by a teacher or parent who observes reading problems within the classroom setting,” says Dr. Freeman. Children may work hard and manage to keep up with peers early on in school, but it becomes harder and harder to do around third grade. (2) Experts sometimes call this the “third-grade wall.” In this grade students begin to use their reading skills to understand content — they’re no longer spending time mastering skills, and now need to apply their skills. (3) An estimated 30 to 60 percent of children born to parents who have dyslexia will also develop the disorder. (4) If you or members of your family have had a history of reading difficulties and you believe that your preschool child is demonstrating some of the signs, talk to your physician about finding more help from a reading specialist.
Learning new wordsPronouncing words correctlyLearning nursery rhymes or playing rhyming games
Learning letters, numbers, and colors. Once your child enters elementary school or grade school, common symptoms of dyslexia can include difficulty: (5,6)
Identifying common words upon sightSpellingReading at the expected level for their ageRemembering sequencesWanting to read aloud
Numerous spelling errorsSpending a long time completing class work and homeworkRereading sentences several times to understand words and the meaning of textsDifficulty finding the right words when writing or speakingSpeaking at a level that exceeds their reading ability
Teenagers may also:
Skip over words when reading out loud,Have trouble understanding the punch lines of jokesFind it difficult to complete math problemsMay confuse left with rightFind it more difficult than usual to learn a foreign language
Signs in an adult might include: (7,8)
Having to reread a text over and overDifficulty understanding the main idea of a textMisreading instructionsInability to find the right words when forming sentencesBeing slow to answer questionsFrequent spelling errors in writingDifficulty taking notesInability to listen and write at the same timePoor organizational skillsPoor memoryDifficulty understanding several directions given at the same time
There’s no single set of assessments to diagnose this condition. Rather, testing is targeted to the individual and based on age, which means that the assessment a preschooler receives may differ from those a high schooler receives. In most cases, children will need a formal diagnosis in order to qualify for classroom support. Children diagnosed with dyslexia are eligible to receive special provisions through their school, such as more time to complete class work and tests. In addition, college students may be eligible for special education services offered through their university. A formal diagnosis may qualify some adults for special accommodations at work.
Vocabulary Test Determines vocabulary aptitude compared with children of similar agePhonological Test Evaluates the ability to isolate sounds in words (for example the first sound, middle sound, and last sound)Decoding Test Evaluates the ability to quickly and accurately identify the sounds and syllables involved in a word and then blend them all together in order to pronounce the wordReading Fluency and Comprehension Test Tests memory, fluidity, and comprehension when reading aloudRapid Naming Test Measures how quickly and accurately a child can name letters, numbers, words, and colorsWritten Language Skills Test Assesses writing ability, capacity to form narratives, and ability to spell at the appropriate age level
According to Freeman, dyslexia will be diagnosed if a child’s skills in reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension are substantially and quantifiably below what is expected for the child’s age, and if this causes significant problems in school, work, and daily living activities. Diagnosing dyslexia in an adult may be slightly different. “Most of the same standardized and norm-referenced measures that are used to identify reading deficits in a child can be used to identify reading deficits in adults,” explains Katie Davis, PsyD, an educational neuropsychologist and neuroscience researcher based in New York City. The goal of testing in adulthood is to help the person recognize their strengths and weaknesses and pinpoint areas where he or she needs assistance. In adults, assessments may involve an evaluation of cognitive and literacy skills, as well as a handwriting test and a math test. The person will also answer questions about family background, early language and speech history, and work environment.
