Dyslexia

What is Dyslexia?


Dyslexia is a common learning difference that affects how children process written and spoken language. Knowing and identifying the signs early can make a tremendous difference in getting the support they need.

  • What are the typical signs of Dyslexia?

    • Difficulty with reading: Children with dyslexia often struggle with decoding words—breaking words down by sound and blending them together. They may read more slowly than their peers or have difficulty comprehending and retaining what they’ve read.
    • Challenges with spelling and transposing letters and numbers: Frequent spelling errors, especially those that don’t follow typical developmental patterns, may be another sign of dyslexia. A child may spell words phonetically, but their attempts are often inconsistent. Children with dyslexia may also tend to write in all capital letters or consistently confuse letters like b/d, p/q, and m/w.
    • Difficulty following directions: Children with dyslexia may have a hard time following multi-step directions, even when they understand the instructions at first.
    • Poor rhyming skills: It can be challenging for children with dyslexia to recognize or produce rhyming words or to break words down into syllables.
    • Lesser-known signs of dyslexia: Some children with dyslexia may have difficulty with directionality, such as telling left from right or distinguishing up from down. Trouble learning to tie shoes can also be an early indicator of dyslexia.