By Michelle Humm, PhD, Pediatric Neuropsychologist

Not recognizing that your child has developmental dyslexia could seriously impair their academic progress. Review this short list of warning signs and consider obtaining an evaluation for dyslexia if your child exhibits a number of these signs.

Before Kindergarten:

• Early Language Delays
• Difficulty Learning Letters and their Sounds
• Difficulty with Recognition of Rhyming Patterns
• Difficulty Learning Colors, Shapes or Numbers
• Persistent Problems with Articulation
• Persistent Problems with Blending of Sounds
• Inattention, Hyperactivity and Impulsivity

In the School Age Child:

• Difficulty with Counting the Number of Syllables in Words
• Difficulty Taking Words Apart
• Making Reading Guesses Based on the First Letter of a Word
• Mistakes on Little Sight Words
• No Strategy for Reading Unfamiliar Words
• Spelling Difficulties, Especially Outside of Tests
• Listening Comprehension Better Than Reading Comprehension
• Reluctance to Read Out Loud in Class
• Slow, Word by Word Reading
• Poor Writing Skills
• Mispronunciation of Long/Unfamiliar Words