How To Diagnose Dyslexia in Children

Dyslexia is a common learning disability that makes it difficult for people to read. Most people with dyslexia have average or above average intelligence but their brains have trouble receiving, organizing, remembering or using information. Many children with dyslexia have trouble learning in school and may be anxious because of this. If you suspect that your child has dyslexia, here are some things you should know to help you diagnose this condition:

1. Dyslexia can affect young children in different ways. They may be slow to talk, have more difficulty adding new words to their vocabulary and have trouble following multi-part directions.

2. Assess your child's ability to rhyme or identify words that start with the same sound. This is a common problem among people with dyslexia, since they have trouble processing the component sounds of oral language. This means that your child will be unable to sound out words, which could delay his or her ability to read.
3. If your child is a little older, determine if he or she is having trouble learning to spell and read words.
4. Look for related signs of dyslexia that include pronunciation, handwriting, planning and organization and math. Other signs can include confusing words or reversing them in sentences.
5. Understand that dyslexia runs in families, so review your family tree to determine if anyone else has dyslexia. It is not unusual for several relatives to have it.
6. Find out more about brain-imaging technology that can be used to study activity in the brain and help to show patterns that indicate dyslexia.
7. If you suspect dyslexia, work with your child's pediatrician and school to arrange a reading evaluation, as well as psychological and educational tests that can help narrow in on the condition.
8. Realize that there is no one test to diagnosis this problem, but a combination of several tests, along with a medical and family history, can help to rule out other problems and by process of elimination, can identify this condition as the likely culprit of your child's challenges.
9. Expect if your child is dyslexic that the school will work with you and the pediatrician to develop an educational plan to help retrain the way your child's brain processes sounds and words.
10. Understand that dyslexia can make learning a variety of subjects more difficult, so be prepared to offer your child extra help and support. With early identification of the problem and treatment, children with dyslexia can do very well in school.