E - What Does Dyslexia Look Like

1. What Does Dyslexia Look Like? Dyslexia is a learning difference tied to language that can make reading, spelling, writing, and sometimes speaking more difficult. It isn’t connected to intelligence or how hard someone tries—it has to do with how the brain processes written and spoken language. Spotting the signs early can have a big impact on a child’s learning and confidence. Noticing what to look for is the first move toward finding the right help. Early Signs of Dyslexia in Young Children In the preschool and early grade school years, this kind of learning challenge can be hard to spot. A child may come across as smart, interested, and eager to learn, yet still struggle with early reading and language skills. Some early clues might be: Difficulty picking up the alphabet or remembering letter sounds ● Struggling with rhyming or breaking words into syllables ● Speaking later than expected or mixing up simple, familiar words ● Forgetting the names of everyday objects ● Having trouble following directions that involve more than one step ● Children who deal with these kinds of challenges may also start to show signs of frustration when asked to read or write. They might avoid those tasks whenever possible. This behavior isn’t due to laziness or acting out—it comes from the way their brain processes language. School-Age Signs: When Learning Challenges Become Clearer As schoolwork becomes more challenging, the signs of a reading disorder often become clearer. A student might have trouble sounding out new words, reading smoothly and correctly, or spelling even simple words. These struggles can also affect how well they understand what they read—especially longer passages—and how quickly they can finish reading and writing assignments. By the time students reach second or third grade, the focus usually shifts from learning to read to using reading to learn new material. For those with a reading disorder, this shift can reveal more serious difficulties that affect several areas of learning. How Dyslexia Looks Different Across Age Groups The symptoms and struggles associated with reading challenges change as children grow.

2. What starts as difficulty with rhyming or letter recognition in early childhood may become more pronounced challenges with reading fluency or comprehension in later years. The way a reading disorder presents itself in high school will be different from how it appears in elementary school. Students with this learning difficulty often demonstrate creativity, strong reasoning skills, and talents in non-language-based areas such as math, art, or science. When given the right support and adjustments, they can do well in school and later in their work life. Finding the right approach starts with a thorough and accurate evaluation. How Educational Assessments Help Accurate identification of reading challenges often begins with formal evaluations. The results provide a detailed picture of a student's strengths and weaknesses and are crucial in determining whether the learning challenge is present. These comprehensive educational assessments are designed to measure a student's skills in a variety of areas to create a complete learning profile. The tests help show whether the struggle comes from a language impairment or something else, like ADHD. Knowing exactly what’s going on is what makes it possible to figure out the next steps for support. Components of an Evaluation A comprehensive evaluation by a trained professional is a deep dive into your child's unique cognitive and academic profile. While the specifics of the evaluation depend on the speech-language pathologist conducting it and the child’s needs, it may include a look at their: Phonological Processing: Noticing how well a child hears and works with the sounds in words. ● Word Recognition and Fluency: Seeing how smoothly and accurately they can read both individual words and full sentences. ● Reading Comprehension: Figuring out if they understand what they’ve read and can explain it in their own way. ● Spelling & Written Expression: Analyzing a student's spelling patterns and writing skills. ● Your Partner in Understanding and Support At Educational Inspiration, we recognize how complicated reading struggles can be and how they affect learning at every stage. We are dedicated to equipping parents with the information and resources they need to confidently support their child’s success in school and in life. Our speech-language pathologist and reading specialist offers in-depth

3. educational assessments and personalized support plans tailored to your child's specific needs. We believe every student deserves the opportunity to thrive. Get in touch to set up a consultation.