Exploring Dyslexia: What Does It Look Like?
Well, you certainly can’t tell by looking at a student. The kids that come to Dyslexia Reading Connection are bright, fun, creative, and imaginative. In other words, they look like most kids. If you didn’t listen to them read out loud or look at their spelling, you wouldn’t know there was anything different about them.
But it’s the reading and spelling that are dead giveaways that something’s not quite right.
Warning signs of dyslexia can be found by searching on the internet. If a child has just one or two of the signs, it’s probably not cause for alarm. When parents come to us with concerns about their child, they usually list most of the warning signs. Some of these signs seemingly have nothing to do with reading or writing, but you won’t find that combination of symptoms in anything but dyslexia.
Parents and teachers, especially K-3 teachers, should familiarize themselves with these warning signs so they know when dyslexia may exist in a young child. If you notice several of these warning signs in a student, together with poor reading and writing, it’s important to have that student evaluated by a professional for dyslexia. Time is of the essence here as the early, formative years cannot be given back.
Dyslexia has been called the hidden disability because it can be so hard to spot. Students with dyslexia can become quite adept at hiding their struggles. But let there be no mistake—dyslexia can take its toll on students through bad grades, failure to reach their potential, and worst of all, the emotional scars that can form when these students think they’re “stupid,” and yes, they will use that word.
Not all effects of dyslexia are bad, however. In fact, you can sometimes discover that a person has dyslexia by looking at their strengths. There are certain specific advantages to having dyslexia, and a dyslexic person will probably have one or more of these traits.
Let’s embrace our dyslexic children, get them the tutoring that they will surely need, and search for their strong points.