Last Updated on October 3, 2023 by Editorial Team
According to the American Psychological Association, Dyslexia is a “neurological issue and a learning disability, with individuals having difficulty in language processing i.e. difficulties in reading, spelling, writing words and sometimes in arithmetics”.
Understand, Dyslexia is not a disorder but a learning difficulty. People with dyslexia are ordinary like any other people with different neurological processes. Dyslexia can range in severity from mild to severe, and a person’s specific symptoms may differ greatly from another’s.
So, How can we determine signs of dyslexia in a child? To help you answer this, we have created a checklist that determines early signs of dyslexia in children by teachers or parents.
Characteristics of dyslexia
According to the International Dyslexia Association, the diagnosis of dyslexia includes the following: Information about the family’s medical history, early growth IQ, oral language abilities, capacity to read new words using letter-sound (oral) skills, word identification and recognition, fluency, reading comprehension, and vocabulary knowledge, as well as phonological processing, and how the brain interprets spoken language.
Characteristics of dyslexia can vary from person to person. However, some common symptoms of dyslexia are the following:
- Difficulties with phonemic awareness, phonology, and word decoding skills.
- Problems with reading comprehension and fluency.
- Challenges with spelling and writing.
People who struggle with dyslexia frequently have above-average or High IQs and may also be talented in other areas, such as the arts, music, or sports.
Dyslexia checklist for teachers
This checklist is curated based on Dyslexia warning signs and symptoms.
The following are questions to look out for dyslexia in a child:
- Does the person reading words read them in the wrong order?
- Does the person misspell common words like “does,” “there “said, etc.?
- Does the same thing happen with similar letters like “b” and “d”?
- Does the person have difficulty copying from another sheet?
- Does the person add or omit a letter in spelling?
- Does the person have trouble remembering the entire alphabet?
- Does the person’s handwriting make it hard to read?
- Does the person have trouble pronouncing multisyllabic words?
- Does the person have difficulty reading?
- Does the person have a problem giving directions?
- Does the person miss pronouncing words such as pat as tap or bat as pat?
- Does the person struggle with word reversal, like a saw and was?
- Does the person have a problem with mathematics or arithmetic?
- Does the person have poor summarizing skills?
- Does the person struggle with understanding time concepts like after, now, or telling the time?
- Does the person read information incorrectly?
- Does the person speak clearly about himself but not in written form?
- Does the person have poor spelling and writing composition in high school?
- Does the person show avoidance and frustration when reading or writing tasks?
- Does the person have difficulty learning spelling rules such as affixes, root words, etc.?
How to utilize the dyslexia checklist?
You can do a few things to help confirm your confusion and get your child the help they need if you think they may have dyslexia. You could start by looking at a dyslexia checklist.
This list of typical dyslexia symptoms will help you identify whether your child is exhibiting any of them. You must raise your concerns with your child’s teacher or a school administrator if you see your child struggling with any of the topics on the checklist. They can give you more details about your child’s condition and assist you in deciding whether additional testing is necessary.
Once you’ve determined that your child has dyslexia, there are several things you may do to support their academic and personal success. Your child can develop reading and writing skills with the help of tutoring and intervention programs. Additionally, schools and teachers can implement various classroom changes to support your child’s success. They will also help decide whether additional testing is necessary.
Conclusion
Dyslexia is different for each person. Remember, This checklist may help you with warning signs of diagnosing dyslexia at school or home. Teachers and parents can use this checklist to determine any symptoms of Dyslexia in the child. For a formal and proper diagnosis, you must visit a psychologist for testing. Understand the difference between reality and myths about dyslexia, and stay aware!
Dr. Deepak Kansal, MBBS MD (Psychiatry) is currently working as Nodal Officer of the District Mental Health program at Civil Hospital Sangrur for the last 3 years. Apart from psychiatry and substance use patients, Dr. Deepak also treats children with neurodevelopment disorders including Intellectual disability, specific learning disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and other psychiatric disorders. His research work involved studying psychiatric comorbidities in cancer patients. You can follow him on Linkedin