Childhood is a crucial period of learning. Kids pick up on many skills (academic, social, cognitive, conversational, etc.) during their growing years. Each kid has a different capacity and speed of learning skills, and it is normal for them to face problems at some point with particular skills. But, if the problem persists, then it is a sign that the kid might be having a learning disability. There are several learning disabilities and dyslexia is one of them. The term dyslexia is used for learning disabilities particularly with reading, writing, and phonetics. 

In this health article we discuss more about dyslexia, including the causes and signs of dyslexia, what it means when a child has dyslexia, and how dyslexia is diagnosed and managed.

What causes dyslexia?

While trying to understand the cause of dyslexia, it is important to know that dyslexia is not a disease. Rather it is a condition that an individual is born with. Studies state that dyslexia happens due to a difference in the brain’s way of processing information. People with dyslexia often use different parts of the brain as compared to those without dyslexia when subjected to processing tasks such as reading, writing, and phonetics. 

What are the signs of dyslexia?

Dyslexia presents with different signs in children of different age groups as discussed below. 

Signs of dyslexia in preschool and elementary school kids:

  • Problems with learning to talk
  • Difficulty pronouncing longer words
  • Difficulty with rhyming words
  • Difficulty learning and remembering  the alphabet sequence, numbers, days of the week, months, colors, and  shapes
  • Difficulty identifying letters and their phonetics (sounds the letters or words produce)
  • Difficulty with writing, reading and spelling words with the correct letter or similar sounding sequence ("top" rather than "pot")
  • Weak fine-motor coordination
  • Poor or illegible handwriting 

Signs of dyslexia in older kids, and teenagers (sometimes adults)

  • Weak spellings and reading capacity, usually far below their peers
  • Refusal for indulging in reading and writing activities
  • Struggle with linguistic skills such as learning a new language or vocabulary

What does it mean when a child has dyslexia?

When a child is diagnosed with dyslexia, it does not mean that the child is stupid or lazy. In fact, most children with dyslexia have average or above average intelligence, and usually these kids work very hard to overcome their reading problems. 

Dyslexia simply means that the child is struggling with phonology (identification and manipulation of sounds in a language), has weaker ability to to break them down into constituent sounds, or recognize words, to read, to write and to spell, thereby, making reading and writing slow and labored.

Diagnosis of dyslexia

Dyslexia is often first discovered during elementary school. However, in many cases it may even go unnoticed until the child reaches higher grades and is expected to read and comprehend longer and more complex material. A proper diagnosis of dyslexia is made only after a detailed comprehensive evaluation by a psychologist or reading specialist. Pediatricians can often identify the signs of dyslexia and guide families to proper help.

Management of dyslexia

Early identification is the key for efficient management of dyslexia. The condition can be managed by proper assistance and help from a specially trained teacher, tutor, or reading specialist (academic therapist). Most kids with dyslexia overcome their difficulties and are able to learn to read and progress in academics. 

In the management of dyslexia it is important to find ways to decrease discomfort about reading and design strategies to make the process of learning to read and write enjoyable, and not humiliating. Most of the strategies should include measures to minimize the amount of time spent correcting the child, and maximizing encouragement of even small gains.

A note to the parents

A child with dyslexia is often prone to underperform at school and may face challenges and peer pressure. The child may believe they are not smart enough as their peers since they have a hard-time being on par with others and may thus develop a low self-esteem. It is extremely important to identify dyslexia and other learning disabilities at the earliest. Failing to identify the learning disabilities at the earliest and getting the necessary help for your child to overcome them, may result in a significant psychological impact on the growth and development of your child. 

In the process of identifying and coping with dyslexia, it is important to support the child, assist them, acknowledge and appreciate their efforts. It is also equally important to let your child explore opportunities beyond academics and build confidence and have success in other areas, such as hobbies, sports, art and music. 

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