The hidden disability

Dyslexia is often labeled as a hidden disability; however, it impacts 5-15% of Americans. Dyslexia is a learning disability that makes it difficult to read, write, and spell, no matter how intelligent. People with dyslexia have an enlarged right hemisphere of the brain, involving crucial reading skills. Children use strong coping skills to manage the disability, and signs go overlooked. Children are working very hard to make sense of work and complete tasks at school. Teachers and parents often tend to overlook or altogether miss the warnings of dyslexia, and little training is given to teachers. The good news is when caught at an early age, in preschool or kindergarten, children can thrive. Below are some of the signs of dyslexia.

Preschool
Delayed speech – not talking by 1 year
Mixing up the sounds or syllables in long words such as "aminal" or "bucket"
Confusion of left versus right
Late established dominant hand
Difficulty learning to tie shoes
Trouble memorizing address, phone number, or the alphabet
Can't create words that rhyme

Elementary
Dysgraphia (slow, non-automatic handwriting that is difficult to read)
Letter or number reversals
Extreme difficulty learning cursive
Slow, choppy, inaccurate reading—guesses based on shape or context, skips or misreads prepositions (at, to, of) ignores suffixes, can't sound out unknown words
Terrible spelling
Often can't remember sight words (they, were, does) or homonyms (their, they're, there)
Difficulty telling time on a clock with hands
Trouble with math: memorizing multiplication tables, memorizing a sequence of steps, directionality
Extremely messy bedroom, backpack, and desk
Dreads going to school
A close relative with dyslexia – the biggest warning sign of all

Highschool and Beyond
Limited vocabulary
Difficulty putting thoughts onto paper, dreads writing papers, memos, and letters
Unable to master a foreign language
Difficulty reading printed music
May have to read a page 2 or 3 times to understand it
Terrible spelling
Still has difficulty with left versus right
Often gets lost, even in a familiar city
Sometimes confuses b and d, especially when tired or sick
Poor grades in many classes

Many of the difficulties people with dyslexia face impact social and behavioral interactions. Daily tasks can become increasingly difficult for a person with dyslexia but can be minimized with learning strategies. If you suspect your child might have dyslexia, talk to your child's teacher. Document these encounters for reference and persist as seeking help can be a timely process. Having an outside advocate can be helpful. JAM Teaching and Consulting is here to help with tutors trained in programs to meet the needs of dyslexic learners. JAM is equipped to help parents and learners navigate the process. Below is one parent's story of discovering her daughter struggles with dyslexia and her approach to seeking help and advocating for her daughter.
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