Certainly, the earlier dyslexia in children is detected and diagnosed, the more effectively it can be addressed. However, identifying dyslexia in young children can be difficult for both parents and teachers to diagnose, as the symptoms are not always obvious.
If you are worried about your child’s progress in reading and writing, talk to the teacher first. If you have ongoing concerns, take your child to your GP. It may be that your child has health problems that affect their ability to read or write.
For example, they may have:
- vision problems, such as myopia or strabismus,
- hearing problems,
- other conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
If your child does not have any obvious health problems to explain their learning difficulties, this may mean that they are not responding well to the teaching method and a different approach may be needed.
Dyslexia assessments
If there are still concerns about your child’s progress after providing additional teaching and support, it may be a good idea to have a more in-depth assessment. An educational psychologist or a suitably qualified dyslexia specialist can provide an opinion. These individuals will be able to support you, your child and your child’s teachers by helping to better understand your child’s learning difficulties and suggesting interventions that may help your child.
Assessment procedure
Prior to the assessment, you and your child’s school may be given a questionnaire asking about your child and related issues such as:
- their general state of health,
- how well they perform certain tasks.
The assessment itself may involve observing your child in their learning environment, talking to adults involved in the learning process and asking your child to take part in a series of tests.
These tests may examine:
- reading and writing skills,
- language development and vocabulary,
- logical reasoning,
- memory,
- the speed with which they can process visual and auditory information,
- organisational skills,
- approaches to learning.
Sources:
- https://www.poradnikzdrowie.pl/ciaza-i-dziecko/zdrowie-dziecka/przyczyny-objawy-i-diagnozowanie-dysleksji-aa-QEQh-kUbE-pXYi.html
