Do you know the early signs of Dyslexia?
A quick guide for parents and educators
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. Dyslexia can affect children in different ways, and the signs aren't always obvious. Some children experience difficulties with speech and language before they start school, while others begin to struggle when they are expected to learn letter sounds, read words and spell.
Recognising possible early signs can help identify when a child may need additional support.
Family history matters
Dyslexia often runs in families. Research suggests that a child with one parent with dyslexia has a 50% chance of developing dyslexia themselves.
Remember, a dyslexia diagnosis is a relatively new thing, so anyone who avoids reading, is a slow reader or a weak speller my have undiagnosed dyslexia. Be sure to ask about extended family members, including parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, not just the immediate family.
Dyslexia is influenced by multiple genetic factors, alongside environmental influences, so while a family history is a factor, it does not mean a child will necessarily have dyslexia. It does, however alert us to the need to stay vigilant about early literacy development! Early intervention makes all the difference.
Possible signs in preschool children
Before children begin formal reading instruction, some early markers may be noticeable in their speech, language and awareness of sounds. These can include:
- difficulty pronouncing longer words, such as saying “hostable” instead of “hospital” or “aminel” instead of “animal”
- unable to recall the right word when speaking
- trouble recognising or remembering rhymes in storybooks and rhyming games
- delays in speech development
- delays in speech production
- trouble learning and remembering letter names, including the letters in their own name
These difficulties can have a range of explanations, but if concerns persist, or several signs appear together, it may be worth seeking advice.
Possible signs in Prep/Kindy to Year 1
As children begin learning to read and spell, difficulties with the building blocks of literacy may become more apparent. It's also the time when you may start to notice an unexpected difference between verbal skills and written skills. When a great talker is resistant to reading or spelling, be alert!
Look out for children who:
- have difficulty learning letter names and sounds
- struggle to identify individual sounds in words (e.g. identifying the last sound in "cat")
- find it difficult to blend sounds together to read word (e.g. blending /c/ /a/ /t/ to say "cat")
- have difficulty manipulating parts of words (e.g. say "cupcake", but don't say "cup")
- continue to use baby talk
- guess words from the first letter or a picture rather than reading what is actually on the page
- have inaccurate spelling, which makes it difficult to decipher what they have written
Some children may simply require additional time and practice to develop early reading skills, while others may need intensive support. Literacy screeners and school-based phonic checks will provide useful information on progress, and if that progress is slower than expected be sure to seek advice.
Possible signs in Year 2 and above
As reading demands increase, the signs may become more noticeable. Children who have been working hard to keep up may also become frustrated or begin avoiding activities that expose their difficulties. Possible signs include:
- avoids reading whenever possible
- difficulties with handwriting
- struggle to decode and spell unfamiliar words
- difficulty remembering common high-frequency words (often referred to as 'sight words')
- slow, laborious reading
- increasingly frustrated
- reluctant to go to school
Some children may be able to respond well when a story is read allowed but struggle to recall or understand when reading independently. This can happen when the cognitive load required to decode words leaves limits the attention available for understanding the text.
What should you do if you're concerned?
The important question is not whether a child displays every sign on a checklist. Instead consider if there is a persistent pattern of difficulty with learning to read and spell that warrants further investigation.
In our experience, a gut response from a parent is usually valid. If you are concerned, don't wait until they fall further behind, seek support now!
-
Talk to your child’s teacher. Ask how your child is progressing with letter–sound knowledge, decoding, spelling and reading fluency, and what support is being provided.
-
Seek further advice if difficulties persist. Depending on your concerns, this may involve a speech pathologist, an educational psychologist or another professional with appropriate expertise in literacy difficulties and dyslexia.
-
Ask about appropriate screening or assessment. A checklist such as this can help organise your observations, but literacy screening of formal literacy assessment will paint a much clearer picture of your child’s strengths and weaknesses.
-
Focus on the skills your child needs to develop. Children experiencing reading difficulties need timely, appropriate instruction and support, regardless of whether they have a formal diagnosis of dyslexia.
Concerned about your child? Check reading risk with CHIPS!The Check How I Process Screener (CHIPS) is a free an informal, evidence-based screener designed to assist with early detection of literacy challenges, including risk for dyslexia. CHIPS examines the four key processing skills that are vital to literacy development:
Weaknesses in these processing skills may be due to slower maturation in a child, or they may be an indication of something more serious. Results obtained on CHIPS can help determine reading risk and what type and intensity of literacy intervention may be required. Want to find out more? Learn more about CHIPS |