Learning Disability: 10 Signs Your Child is Suffering from Dyslexia

Mark Wealth

Dyslexia is a learning dysfunction that affects a child’s reading and writing ability. Children with dyslexia are often seen as dumb, lazy and stubborn. Many dyslexic adults on the other hand are highly creative and successful in their fields. This is because they were able to manage the condition and turn it to their advantage.

Below are 10 typical signs a child is dyslexic.

1. Daydream Zone

They have difficulty maintaining focus over a period of time. They usually tend to zone out into a daydream or they get restless and can’t stay in one place.

2. Dimly Lit

They appear bright and may get high IQ scores but they will also exhibit difficulty in reading, writing and mathematics. But this doesn’t mean they are not intelligent. One just has to find the way they can grasp what’s being taught. For instance, experts believe dyslexics learn better with images and direct experience.

3. Dizzy And Breathless

They experience dizzy spells, head & stomach aches while reading. This is probably because they are trying too hard. We’ll come to the reason why they try so hard to the point of being seen as retards.

 4. 20/20

They may behave like they have impaired vision and need glasses or something but eye tests show that their vision is on point and they might even see the future. Psych!

READ ALSO: Speech & Language Milestones for Children Below 6 Years: What to Expect

5. Incomplete Jumble

It might be easy to read the jumbled up words because you already know how to read but remember these kids are still learning to read.

A dyslexic lady describes her reading experience as “letters seem(ing) to swap in and out of place” hence the jumbled up erxcieseseweesgylinfdaorunehtternteni. (That’s how a dyslexic will see “exercises we see flying around the internet”.)

For some, it’s even worse. They don’t see the complete letters that make up the words. A dyslexic who has grown up to be successful made some fonts (letters) to show how he saw them (see below).

One can only imagine how frustrating reading in this condition will be.

6. Stutters and halters

It will be hard for a dyslexic to even explain what they’re going through because it’s equally difficult speaking the words that’s in their minds. While some speak haltingly taking 2 or 3 words as a time, others don’t pronounce complete words or sentences. What more, dyslexics tend to stutter when under pressure.

READ ALSO: Speech & Language Milestones for Children Below 6 Years: What to Expect

7. Memories Of Yesteryears

They tend to have long term memory of information they learn through experiences and short term memories of stuff they have not experienced. This shows that the best way to teach a dyslexic is by hands-on experiences. According to www.dyslexia.com, it is easier for them to process information in the form of images and feelings than words and numbers.

8. Missing! The Last Few Moments

Dyslexic kids may find it hard to remember things they just heard, especially if it’s a sequence of words, static pictures and moving scenes like comics or movies. Commands like “go to my room and bring my slippers and red hand bag” might frustrate the person sending because dyslexic kids will probably get to the room and realise that they can only remember one of the things they were meant to bring or even none at all.

9. The Left Is The Right Turn

Kids that have dyslexia can be ambidextrous meaning they can use both right and left hands to eat, write or handle stuff. This is because they often confuse right from left and over for under.

10. Naughty For A Cause

You may think the child is just being naughty but the naughtiness has a purpose. It’s meant to both escape and distract others from the difficulty of learning to read, write or solve complex problems. It’s because the child is twice as frustrated at his difficulty than you are, so be understanding and wise in situations like this.

Though dyslexia is a lifelong condition and has no cure, it can be managed. Think about these people that “suffered” dyslexia: Thomas Edison (father of electricity); Graham Bell (invented the telephone); legendary movie director Stephen Spielberg; Tom Cruise; Albert Einstein, Will Smith, Leonardo daVinci; Whoopi Goldberg and the world swimming champion, Michael Phelps, amongst many others. Stephen Spielberg didn’t even know he was dyslexic until he had grown up.

Think about them and please don’t lose faith in your “slow learning” kid no matter how long it takes. There is greatness in them. Be patient. Be loving.