Early Signs of Dyslexia in Preschoolers

Children that suffer from dyslexia often have a difficult time in school, especially with reading and writing. Dyslexia is classified as a learning disability. Children with this condition often struggle with language skills, reading, spelling, writing, and speaking. Cases of dyslexia can range from mild to severe. Although this condition lasts through out life, there are many things that can be taught to learn to cope with the condition. The first part of coping, is understanding the early signs of dyslexia.

Early Signs of Dyslexia
There are many early warning signs of dyslexia to look out for if you think your child may have this condition. Symptoms usually become more apparent around the age of 4 to 4 1/2. Children may only exhibit one symptom but are most likely to experience multiple symptoms. Here are some signs to look out for:

Many children with dyslexia talk later than other children their age. Once they do begin talking they often have difficulty pronouncing words. They may change the beginning letters of words around, such as mawn lower to mean lawn mower.

Often, dyslexic children have a difficult time adding new vocabulary to their language. This is often due to the fact they struggle to recall proper words. This has known to also cause stuttering.

Many dyslexic children have a difficult time rhyming words together. They may also have difficulty separating the sounds in words or blending word sounds to form correct words.

Common areas dyslexic children struggle in is with letters, numbers, colors, and shapes. They may also struggle with opposites, days of the week, and how to correctly spell their name. Dyslexic children can struggle with the ability to retell a story in the correct sequence of events.

Many dyslexic children have difficulty following multi step directions, as well as a difficulty with fine motor skills, Dyslexic children often take longer to develop their fine motor skills.

Because of these set backs dyslexic children have, they often do not interact well with other children due to self esteem issues. This can intensify as the child grows older. But with current treatments and coping skills, all these symptoms can improve.

If you think your child may be dyslexic, the first thing you need to do is have your child evaluated. After being properly evaluated you can then begin helping your child to learn to cope with the condition. This improves their educational experience outlook. Evaluations are often conducted at local school districts of pediatrics offices.

References:
"Possible Signs of Dyslexia" Family Education
"Dyslexia" Medicine Net