5 things you can do to find out
First, it is important to remember that children learn at different paces. That said, if you are looking at this website you probably have concerns about your child's communication, pre-literacy, reading, spelling, writing, organizational, or social skills.
Here are a few tips to get you started finding answers to your questions.
- You can refer to the Developmental Milestones page to help you identify your child's skills in relation to his or her peers.
- You can also go to the Clues to Dyslexia page, click on your child's age, and complete the checklist to help you determine the next step.
- The next order of business if you are still concerned is to talk with a professional. This may be your child’s doctor or teacher or it could be someone who specializes in dyslexia, such as a speech-language pathologist or learning disabilities specialist.
- Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability and falls under the auspices of special education in the public schools as a specific learning disability (SLD). Contact your local school district to request a referral for special education. Be sure to know your rights!
- After a preliminary interview, the professional may suggest a comprehensive language and literacy evaluation to assess oral language, phonemic awareness, naming, decoding, reading fluency and comprehension, spelling, and/or writing skills—in other words, the areas of dyslexia. Based on your child’s performance, the practitioner will identify your child’s profile of strengths and weaknesses and make recommendations for an intervention plan, if appropriate.
If you're looking to investigate what may be the early signs of a learning disability in your child, read about the Early Learning Observation Rating Scale.
Read about the two common myths regarding dyslexia and early screening as well as what an early screening should look like.