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If your child has difficulty with any of this.

Dyslexia shows up differently at every age. These are the signs that most often bring a family to us.

In Preschool

  • Difficulty with rhyming
  • Getting to the right word when speaking
  • Hard time learning to name colors
  • Hard time learning to name letters and the sounds associated with them
  • Have a family history of dyslexia

In Kindergarten & 1st Grade

  • Child does not sound out words phonetically, or makes phonetic spelling mistakes
  • Difficulty learning and remembering the sounds to the letters in the alphabet
  • Lack of fluency in reading compared to peers
  • Reading errors with no connection to the sound of letters on the page (saying “puppy” instead of the written word, “dog”)

In 2nd & 3rd Grade

  • Difficulty acquiring reading skills; slow and awkward reading
  • Confusing words that sound alike when speaking, such as saying “lotion” for “ocean,” or “pacific” for “specific”
  • Difficulty with rote memorization (remembering dates, names, telephone numbers and random lists)

In High School & the Teenage Years

  • Poor standard of written work compared with oral ability
  • Spells the same word differently in one piece of work
  • Difficulty with punctuation and/or grammar
  • Difficulty with organization of homework
  • Appears to know more than they can commit to paper
  • Difficulty following a list of instructions
  • Has difficulty finding the name for an object
  • Difficulty with numeracy work
  • Omits, repeats or adds extra words when reading
  • Difficulty using dictionaries and other reference tools
  • Hesitant and labored reader, especially when reading aloud
  • Disorganized, forgetful or easily distracted

Overall, has little or no desire to read.

And, has strengths in

The sun setting over golden hills, with a blanket of fog below and an orange glow along the horizon.
  • Curiosity
  • Accelerated vocabulary for their age
  • Excellent comprehension of stories read to them
  • Excellent thinking skills: conceptualization, reasoning, imagination, abstraction
  • Learning best through meaning rather than rote memorization

Dyslexic people are often strong in:

  • Communication
  • Picturing things in their mind
  • Spatial reasoning
  • Seeing how things connect
  • Storytelling
  • Exploring and imagining
  • Empathy
  • Creativity
  • Big-picture thinking

Many dyslexic people become engineers, artists, and business owners.

References: Signs of Dyslexia — Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity; Indicators of Dyslexia in Teenage Years — Sunshine Support, using information from the British Dyslexia Association

A small child sitting on a sand dune, reaching up toward a bright sun shining through the mist.

In a child’s own words

I have dyslexia, which means that…

  • I am gifted.I often think in pictures more than in words.
  • I have a creative mind.I have a big imagination and lots of new ideas.
  • I have deep empathy.I can feel what other people are feeling.
  • I have a sense of humor!I can be funny, kind, and clever.

What I want you to do:

  • Trust me.
  • Don’t shout at me.
  • Be patient with me.
  • Help me learn in my own way.
  • Give me the time I need.
  • Help me believe in myself.
  • Stay by my side, and help me up when I fall.
  • Encourage me when I struggle.
  • Treat me the same as everyone else.
  • Focus on my strengths.

Adapted from Upbility.

If you notice these signs in your child, don’t wait. KLIMB can help you understand what you are seeing, what to ask your school for, and what to do next. Early intervention makes all the difference.

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