Dyslexia?

Patricia - posted on 08/21/2010

It is to early for him to be tested cause he is just learning how to read the basics are being taught to him this year don't jump the gun be patient and see what happens this school year. If he shows signs then they can set him up in 2nd grade to be tested so if he is dyslex he can have a IEP in place to help him in his weak areas.

Lynn - posted on 08/21/2010

My 7 y/o son was diagnosed with dyslexia this summer. There were many signs, but no one thought it was severe as dyslexia except me. I am glad I stuck to my gut feeling and got him tested privately. Let me know if you want to chat more!

Beth - posted on 08/06/2010

You are your child's #1 advocate. You know him/her better than anyone else. When school starts bring it to the schools attention. Talk to the school counselor or social worker.

Jennifer - posted on 08/06/2010

You should get him evaluated. If they are still doing reversals with numbers and letters after first grade it is something to worry about(not to badly though). It would be a great idea to get him tested. Better safe than sorry, right?

Angie - posted on 08/01/2010

Some kids will continue to get numbers and letters transposed or backwards for quite some time. Keeping that in mind, I would be patient.

I would also take into consideration, however, that some teachers do not pay close attention to detail and some do not have the proper training to distinguish something that can be as sly as dyslexia. So, I wouldn't personally wait around for a particular teacher to notice.

Further, there are some things to consider to better pinpoint what is troubling your LO. When does he get mixed up? Are the letters/numbers transposed or backwards? Are the mix ups jumbled? A misspelling? Or just downright confusing? How does he do when you give him verbal instruction to write down something (a 2 digit number, 3, 4, etc. or a word, short and long, silent letters, etc.) vs. reading something and then copying it down on his paper? Does this happen when he reads?

I definitely suggest you look up dyslexia and read ALL about it. You may find you're mistaken. Then again, you may find your boy needs some guidance.

My son (also 7) frequently gets this all wrong:

I say or write "nineteen" or "thirteen"; he writes "91" or "31".
After some poking around, I found that he is sounding out the number in hopes to write it correctly. But there are rules, that he has not yet memorized that differentiate "nineteen" from "ninety-one". Schools teach spelling/reading at the same time they teach numbers/math so this was a challenge for us as first graders (last year). Just like how you wouldn't expect a just learning how to read 1st grader to know the "i before e, except after c" rule or the difference between conscious and conscience -- or simply: bear and bare - the animal and nothingness.

Lastly, make sure you understand the difference between transposed and backwards. No need to take offense - I'm not condescending, I just know that not EVERYONE knows all the same stuff, and things that are so closely related can get mixed up.

Backwards is simply that.. an 'E' as '3' (please imagine the three is an E facing the other way lol). Or "d" as "b". D's and B's are tricky in lower case though, because not only do they look alike, but they sound alike. If you ask him to spell a word with these letters and they end up backwards, you might want to see if he heard you right.

Transposed is two numbers/letters beside eachother (next in sequence) that swap positions. "123" as "132" or "cars" as "cras".

And then of course you'll want to look into things that could cause these mixups. Can he hear okay? See okay?

Should you decide to get the little guy checked out, depending on your school system, you might be better off going straight to your pediatrician. Your PEDI can refer you to ear or eye doctors, hearing/ seeing specialists, as well as somewhere to test for learning disabilities. Some schools do offer this testing for free, but think of the school nurse. Assuming she was trained, would you take her as an assigned OBGYN?? Or would you want to pick your own - maybe based on education, experience, extensive study and practice, etc.?

Betty - posted on 08/01/2010

Yes you might want to get him tested. He may also learn differently then other children. Try using visual activities and multi sensory strategies. Using sand play doh and simple writing techniques to help him. I have been teaching children with dyslexia other reading issues for ten years and the best way to teach them is through phonics and sensory techniques.

Christie - posted on 08/01/2010

my daughter just turned 6 and completed kindergarten. She often writes letters backwards and mixes up B/D too. As I was very concerned, her teacher told me this was quite normal for this age group and it should improve in the next couple of years...

Angie - posted on 07/31/2010

What signs is he showing. Keep in mind that at this age, they will mix up letters when they read and write. If it's something more than that, I think it's not a bad idea to have him evaluated. A couple of weeks before school starts, when the staff is in place getting ready for the school year, call the principal of your school and ASK to have your son evaluated. If they won't do it, you have a couple of choices:
1. Wait and see what his new teacher says after school starts and if you both continue to see signs, I'm sure the school will reevaluate his need for evaluation.
2. Get him tested yourself. I'm sure the school can direct you to a testing center.

Good luck. I hope things work out well for him.