5 Early Signs of Dyslexia

You’re having fun as a parent. But you’re noticing a slight difference in your child’s language skills compared to other children their age. Is it a problem or just an individual difference? Language differences during toddlerhood and beyond can be early signs of dyslexia. 

Dr. Charles Niesen and our team at AMS Neurology in Pasadena, California, provide testing and treatment for children with dyslexia. Early treatment helps ensure your child doesn’t have an aversion to reading in school.

Even if your child is a toddler, they can receive early treatment in phonological awareness using multisensory techniques. Following are five early signs of dyslexia. 

Difficulty learning nursery rhymes 

Children with dyslexia often have trouble learning nursery rhymes or rhyming patterns like cat, hat, bat. Researchers believe weakness in auditory processing may be the reason, rather than poor listening skills. 

Dr. Niesen provides guidance on ways to help your child. A multisensory approach, such as incorporating movement when singing nursery rhymes, can help your child learn the sequence of words in rhymes and say words in the correct order. 

Difficulty singing the alphabet song

One ubiquitous part of childhood is learning the alphabet song. Both you and your child’s preschool teachers use this song to familiarize your child with letters as a precursor to reading. 

If your child has dyslexia, they have a hard time learning this song. It’s difficult for them to remember such a long sequence of letters. 

Dr. Niesen and your child’s therapist show you multisensory techniques to help your child learn the song more easily so they won’t feel frustrated. Breaking the long sequence into small chunks helps your child remember. 

Using visual aids like large rubber letters encased in a floor mat helps your child remember each chunk of letters. Using games with pictures that associate the letters with a word also helps your child learn more easily. 

Difficulty recognizing the letters of their name

You’ve noticed your child isn’t able to recognize their name when it’s written down, even though they’re learning it in preschool or kindergarten. A child with dyslexia has trouble connecting the sounds of letters to the letters when written, a decoding skill. 

Your loved one may have challenges in visual perception, making it difficult to see the difference between a, b, d, and p. 

Substituting words in early reading 

When reading with your child and asking your child to say a written word, they may use a word that isn’t the word on the page. For example, if the word is “home,” your child might say “house.” 

Aversion to reading 

Does your child shy away from books? Perhaps their teacher notes that your little one in kindergarten or first grade has trouble paying attention during reading lessons. 

Sometimes it takes months for schools to identify and offer services for learning disorders — months that can form an aversion to reading because it’s difficult instead of pleasurable. 

AMS Neurology provides early intervention so your child doesn’t view reading as a chore. Call our office or book an appointment online today if you suspect your child has language difficulties that may be undiagnosed dyslexia.