Dyslexia - Warning signs for pre-schoolers and kindergarteners

Guest
From: www.dys-add.com/symptoms.html#preschool
If two or more of these warning signs exist, especially if there is dyslexia or ADD in the child's family tree, the child should be assessed for dyslexia at age five and a half. Also, phonemic awareness games and training should be implemented as a preventive measure.

*delayed speech (not speaking any words by the child's first birthday)

*mixing up sounds in multi-syllabic words (ex: aminal for animal, mawn lower for lawn mower, bisghetti for spaghetti, flustrated for frustrated)

*inability to rhyme by age 4

*lots of allergies or stronger and more severe reactions to childhood illnesses than most other kids

*can't master tying shoes

*confusion over left versus right, over versus under, before versus after, and other directionality words and concepts

*lack of dominant handedness (switches from right hand to left hand between tasks or even while doing the same task)

*inability to correctly complete phonemic awareness tasks

*difficulty learning the names of the letters or sounds in the alphabet; difficulty writing the alphabet in order .

Bolded words are links on the above URL. Other good dyslexia info on this site also.

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Fran
Administrator
Member # 4512

Alisha, my difficult child could not tie his shoes until he was much,much older than average and he was neither right or left handed dominant.
It was an odd mix of symptoms,he had. He couldn't read or spell but within three months became an "instant reader". He is not a phonetic reader to this day. Isn't how he learns. He is a sight reader. Still can't spell.
Can tie his shoes but isn't too wild to do it.
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-Alisha Leigh-
Moderator
Member # 7106

Difficult to sort through all possibilities. We still try to buy difficult child shoes that have velcro or those that slip on. He can tie his shoes, but takes FOREVER. We make him wear those with-shoes strings also -- he needs the practice tying. However, he still avoids it -- slips his feet in and out without the untying.
Occupational Therapist (OT) says it's part of the fine motor skill problems. With the therapy he's had, his handwriting has improved and the pain he has when he writes is only in his hand (not arm and shoulder also).

There's sure a lot of dyslexia symptoms that "fit" difficult child. I've never focused on dyslexia because I've thought one of the primary signs was reversing letters when writing. Apparently, that's not true.

Don't know -- will have to do further investigation. Also, in all these evaluations I've never found one hint that he was tested for dyslexia. Sigh...

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Wildflower
Member
Member # 5321

Well, as you know from some recent posts of mine, I thought difficult child was a prime candidate for dyslexia as he hit all the targets, barring two, and we have a very strong family tree with dyslexia in it.
So, I had difficult child screened, feeling *certain* that that's what his issue was going to be. Nope, wrong. Nada. Test reveals difficult child has no indication of dyslexia whatsoever.

Hmmm. But you know what? Through my "difficult child and Mom's Excellent Adventure" of trying to sort him out, various people have told me that Asperger's Syndrome is actually Social Dyslexia. That it is all part of the same family as dyslexia in that the term "dyslexia" means an "inability to understand" whether that be words, numbers, coordination, or social issues.

When trying to describe difficult child's "issues" to people, I have found that when I say Aspger's Syndrome, the eyes glaze over - God forbid I mention that it includes a dash of autism because then the other people really shut down - but when I say Social Dyslexia, they nod their heads and look like they can kind of wrap their brains more easily around that concept.

Don't know if any of this makes sense - I was up too late baking last night and that first cuppa coffee isn't jump starting my brain this morning! :laugh:
 
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