FIVE EARLY RED FLAGS FOR DYSLEXIA
Parents are often told that you cannot diagnose a reading disability or dyslexia until the third grade. This is actually not the case, and the earlier you are able to detect a reading problem, the quicker you will be able to put intervention strategies into place. Here are some red flags to watch out for in the early years of reading acquisition:
1) When writing, they insert or delete letters. For example, when asked to write “born,” he or she may write, “boirn.”
2) They are not recognizing sight words that are common in their environment, such as the word STOP, and are rather trying to sound it out.
3) You notice that once you have taught them a word on one page of a book, they have “forgotten” it by the next page.
4) When reading aloud, they pronounce the first segment of the word and then make up a new word. For example, with the word, “fire,” they may say “find.”
5) Your child has difficulty hearing the different segments of a word to help them spell it out. For example, when asked to spell “tiger,” they may write “tire.”
Early detection of a reading disability is crucial. There are many types of dyslexia including phonological dyslexia, orthographic dyslexia, difficulty with heard sounds or auditory processing that impacts reading, or challenges with the written word and visual motor integration. By determining what type of reading challenges your child has, the appropriate intervention can be put into place.
If you would like to have your child evaluated or treated for dyslexia, contact us today to schedule a consultation at our Northern Virginia office.
