Identify Dyslexia

We’re glad you asked!

While every child with dyslexia is different, they often share some common markers. We look for these warning signs when we assess a child for dyslexia. These include not only their weaknesses but their strengths. When we assess a child, we look beyond what they cannot do by also looking at what they can do.

Every assessment begins with looking for common warning signs. We attain this information by talking to both the student and their caregiver, as the student may not accurately recall the areas they once struggled with. We’ll ask the child to spell their name, provide their birthday, and their address. We interview them to find out their likes and dislikes concerning school. We ask them to provide the days of the week and the months of the year, along with the ABC’s. We also check their ability to rhyme words.

Next, we collect a writing sample and ask them to spell words that correspond with their grade levels. We ask them to read for us. We determine what kinds of mistakes they make when they’re reading. We also play games to help determine if there are any cognitive delays that might be impacting their reading ability.

Lastly, we’ll assess their phonological and phonemic awareness. This portion of the test is the most important. We need to determine if they can hear the sounds within words.

This bundled information can give us a snapshot of the things the student struggles with and the areas in which they excel.

So what should parents be looking for in their own child? While this is not an exhaustive list, here’s a quick glance at some of the warning signs based on the child’s age.

Preschool and Kindergarten

1. Delayed speech (began talking later than other siblings or children)

2. May have difficulty pronouncing words, saying aminal for animal or busghetti for spaghetti

3. Difficulty learning the alphabet, numbers, colors, or shapes

4. Forgets information previously learned (letters, numbers, colors, or shapes)

5. Unable to recall the right words, forgets words, or says words incorrectly

6. Difficulty rhyming words

1st and 2nd Grade

1. Confuses left and right

2. Experiences difficulty learning to tie shoes

3. Trouble memorizing their address, days of the week, or months of the year

4. Letter or number reversals

5. Reading difficulties

6. Poor spelling

3rd - 5th Grade

1. Difficulty learning multiplication tables

2. Has difficulty remembering and following directions with multiple steps

3. Confuses b’s and d’s, p’s and q’s, or b’s and p’s

4. Exhibits various reading errors

5. Avoids reading; gets upset when asked to read aloud

6. Takes a long time to complete assignments and/or forgets to turn in homework

6th - 12th Grade

1. Exhibits writing difficulties

2. Difficulty learning a foreign language

3. Talks about dropping out of school

Adults

1. Received reading intervention while in school, may have been retained in early elementary

2. Slow reader; may still avoid reading; reads a passage two to three times to understand it

3. Terrible speller; may sometimes reverse the order of letters or numbers

4. May use the wrong word to convey a message

5. Continues to work in a lower-level position within a company rather than applying for or taking a managerial role because it will mean having to write emails, letters, or memos

6. Still has difficulty with right versus left

S‍trengths

1. Curious; often asking, “Why?”

2. Creative problem-solving skills

3. Enhanced creativity or imagination

4. Aptitude for building models (bricks, puzzles, Legos, blocks, or forts outside)

5. Artistic

6. Musical

For additional warning signs, visit Reading Rockets or The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.

References

Reading Rockets (2026). Common signs of dyslexia. https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/developmental-milestones/articles/common-signs-dyslexia

The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. (2022). Signs of dyslexia. https://dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/signs-of-dyslexia/