Early Signs That Your Child Could Possibly Be Dyslexic

Talking to kids is fun, especially when they can't pronounce the words right and their words sounded like a totally different thing. I always love talking to this kid. He would say things like "Pirates of the Careeteebeeyuhn" instead of "Pirates of the Carribean", Or instead of 'Makati', he'd say 'Kamati'... and I laughed everytime I heard him say those words, thinking to myself that he was so cute and adorable that way. I didn't know then that he was already exhibiting signs of dyslexia, and it never occurred to any of us that we should have him take dyslexia tests. 

Anyhow, I found these helpful tips on how to know the signs that your child needs to take dyslexia tests.

If three or more of these warning signs exist, your child should be tested for dyslexia when the child becomes five years old. Also, phonemic awareness games and other reading readiness activities should be done daily during the preschool years:

1) If you think he is delayed in his speech (not speaking any words at the child's first birthday. They often don't talk until they are two, two and a half, three, or even older.)

2) He mixes up sounds in multi-syllabic words (ex: aminal for animal, bisghetti for spaghetti, hekalopter for helicopter, hangaberg for hamburger, mazageen for magazine, etc.)

3) Early stuttering or cluttering 

4) Lots of ear infections

5) Can't master tying shoes

6) Confusion over left versus right, over versus under, before versus after, and other directionality words and concepts

7) Late to establish a dominant hand

8) May switch from right hand to left hand while coloring, writing, or doing any other task. Eventually, the child will usually establish a preferred hand, but it may not be until they are 7 or 8. Even then, they may use one hand for writing, but the other hand for sports.

9) Inability to correctly complete phonemic 
awareness task

10)  Despite listening to stories that contain lots of rhyming words, such as Dr. Seuss, cannot tell you words that rhyme with cat or seat by the age of four-and-a-half 

11) difficulty learning the names of the letters or sounds in the alphabet; difficulty writing the alphabet in order

12) Trouble correctly articulating R's and L's as well as M's and N's. They often have "immature" speech. They may still be saying "wed and gween" instead of "red and green" in second or third grade. 

Remember, if your child exhibited 3 or more of these signs, take the initiative to let him take a dyslexia test so that you could take the early precautions and not expose your child to wonder why he is different from other kids, and why he couldn't be as 'good' as the others in intellect. Believe me, this will give the child a very low self esteem. So be vigilant because it is better to meet the cure early on to avoid further problems to the child's emotional well being.