Have you ever wondered if your child is dyslexic? Sometimes, it can be hard to tell as it’s common for children to misspell words, forget things, dislike reading, be disorganised, struggle to write neatly..
Plus, because Dyslexia can manifest itself in multiple ways and affect children differently, some young people are labelled for years as lazy or just disorganised.
To help you whittle down your child’s symptoms, here’s what signs to look out for.
Typical signs of Dyslexia:
- Poor concentration skills
- Difficulty following instructions
- Illegible or spiky handwriting
- Letters reversed
- Spells the same word in different ways
- Spells phonetically – how it sounds
- Struggles with comprehensions
- Misses out words/lines when reading
- Poor timekeeping
- Easily confused by place values in Maths
- Struggles to memorise sequences, facts
- Avoids homework/reading
- Is always behind in class, or struggles to copy things down
In class, dyslexic students find it harder to process information. This means that copying off the board is a minefield as the child struggles to read, process and write simultaneously – often resulting in half-finished notes.
Spellchecking is tricky as Dyslexic children find it hard to spot their own errors, or whether a homophone has been used in the right/rite context!
Dyslexia can affect other subjects too such as solving word problems in Maths, or remembering facts in History or Science.
What to do next?
Dyslexia is a language and processing disorder – not a reflection of a child’s intelligence. If your child ticks several of these boxes, it’s worth pursuing with the school’s SENCo to get your child on the radar.
You may well need to inquire about arranging an official diagnostic assessment to determine if your child has Special Educational Needs.
Once confirmed, the school can then start to put in place more support systems to help your child cope. Of course, all of this takes time….
Home tuition makes a difference now
What parents sometimes don’t realise is how it feels to be dyslexic. Many students we come across here at 121 Home Tutors tell us that they often feel hopelessly lost at school, behind, confused, frustrated and useless.
Once confidence hits rock bottom, they find it difficult to regain by themselves. If you are waiting for a SEN referral or diagnostic test, why not help your child achieve right now?
Personal tuition can help them make sense of the maze they’re in ,and get them back on track. Contact our experienced tutors today whether you’re local to Manchester or Cheshire, or further afield in London or Milan.
Tags: is my child dyslexic, learning problems, special needs