BikeBookBread Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 What are the main symptoms of dyslexia? My daughter has corrected vision (only to 20/30...she's very near-sighted) and loves wearing her glasses, which remains a sign to me that she really, really needs them. I've been stuck at consonant short-vowel blending for about 6 weeks now. She just does NOT get it on paper. Fridge magnets, train game (we do Phonics Pathways) etc. work for her...because she's touching them and manipulating them I think. If it's on paper, she is constantly trying to read right to left. Is this a sign of dyslexia? Other symptoms? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Here's an article I found very helpful. Excerpt: Clues to Dyslexia in Early Childhood The earliest clues involve mostly spoken language. The very first clue to a language (and reading) problem may be delayed language. Once the child begins to speak, look for the following problems: The Preschool Years Trouble learning common nursery rhymes such as "Jack and Jill" and "Humpty Dumpty" A lack of appreciation of rhymes Mispronounced words; persistent baby talk Difficulty in learning (and remembering) names of letters Failure to know the letters in his own name Kindergarten and First Grade Failure to understand that words come apart; for example, that batboy can be pulled apart into bat and boy, and, later on, that the word bat can be broken down still further and sounded out as: "b" "aaaa" "t" Inability to learn to associate letters with sounds, such as being unable to connect the letter b with the "b" sound Reading errors that show no connection to the sounds of the letters; for example, the word big is read as goat The inability to read common one-syllable words or to sound out even the simplest of words, such as mat, cat, hop, nap Complaints about how hard reading is, or running and hiding when it is time to read A history of reading problems in parents or siblings. In addition to the problems of speaking and reading, you should be looking for these indications of strengths in higher-level thinking processes: Curiosity A great imagination The ability to figure things out Eager embrace of new ideas Getting the gist of things A good understanding of new concepts Surprising maturity A large vocabulary for the age group Enjoyment in solving puzzles Talent at building models Excellent comprehension of stories read or told to him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 What are the main symptoms of dyslexia? My daughter has corrected vision (only to 20/30...she's very near-sighted) and loves wearing her glasses, which remains a sign to me that she really, really needs them. I've been stuck at consonant short-vowel blending for about 6 weeks now. She just does NOT get it on paper. Fridge magnets, train game (we do Phonics Pathways) etc. work for her...because she's touching them and manipulating them I think. If it's on paper, she is constantly trying to read right to left. Is this a sign of dyslexia? Other symptoms? She is simply on the stage of needing manipulatives. The manipulatives make it clearer than a written page that a particular symbol (represented by an object) has a specific sound. When she gets better at the manipulatives, she will eventually move to paper. (The same thing happens in math--a child who can do something with manipulatives may not be able to do it with paper right away.) The fact that she can match sound to symbol and that she "gets" that you can blend the sounds to make a word tend to be reassuring about the issue of phonemic awareness. Her reading from right to left simply means that she hasn't had enough exposure to remember which way to read yet. Other languages are written right to left, or top to bottom--which way a language is written is a convention. It's fine to give her other cues as to where to start for a while (like a little green dot at the beginning of a sentence for "go" and a red dot at the end for "stop") The list published is a good one. For now, I would not worry unless she has several characteristics on that list. If you've just begun reading work, just stick with it. How old a "5" is she? Just turned 5, 5 1/2 , or almost 6? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 How old a "5" is she? Just turned 5, 5 1/2 , or almost 6? 5 1/2. I'm not being a nervous nellie, at all, and I'm not concerned. Just trying to figure out the differences between normal development and something bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz from your library. There is a long list in the book. That is how I realized my daughter was dyslexic. I always thought dyslexia was reversing letters, which my daughter did infrequently. However, after reading the book, which led me to have her tested, we have been able to move in a better direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 There is a pretty comprehensive list of symptoms on this website: http://www.dys-add.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz from your library. There is a long list in the book. That is how I realized my daughter was dyslexic. I always thought dyslexia was reversing letters' date=' which my daughter did infrequently. However, after reading the book, which led me to have her tested, we have been able to move in a better direction.[/quote'] Just as an FYI, the list I posted above is from an article by Shaywitz. I agree with the recommendation of "Overcoming Dyslexia". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 (edited) Here's an article I found very helpful. Excerpt: I think Perry's list is very good for identifying severe dyslexia. In truth there are various "strengths" of dyslexia. A friend's son couldn't remember the name of the letter T, though he *could* make the sound when he saw the letter. My dd had no trouble with rhyming, remembering nursery rhymes, or beginning phonics, but she consistently had trouble following from R to L on the page and would overlook letters. She was evaluated by a behavioral opthomologist (for tracking, convergience, etc.) and we went to Children's Hospital where we were told "dyslexia." She constantly loses her place on the page and doesn't seem to see all the letters within words. If I slow her down and make her sound things out, she is fine, but on her own...(?) She could actually write all of her letters at 3.5 years old. She would sound out whole sentences and write them phonetically in her free time, but she couldn't read them back. Isn't that interesting?! She confused lowercase b and d until very recently. Anyway... all of that to say that dyslexia doesn't look the same in all kids. I never thought dd had it because she could read above grade level and picked up early phonics easily. But... there you go. We have found out that dyslexia (though undiagnosed -- but the same symptoms as dd) runs in the family. Dd still struggles with the varous sounds of vowels, and although she can tell you the short sounds, long sounds, etc when you ask, will frequently use the *wrong* one when sounding out a word. She mainly reads by sightwords/ wordshape. We're working with her using an Orton-Gillingham method (which I strongly recommend) spelling program called All About Spelling. It has helped. Good luck! Edited July 21, 2009 by zaichiki I forgot to add that she was found to have no tracking etc issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Just in case it helps, I'll also post the signs of dyseidetic dyslexia. I knew something was going on with my youngest dd at an early age, but I didn't know what. I didn't think it was dyslexia, because my dd's issues were primarily visual. She didn't have any problems with rhyming or segmenting or even blending (if you supplied her with the sounds). My dd still had every symptom on this list when she was 7yo, even after vision therapy. Author Corinne Roth Smith lists the reading and spelling patterns of children with dyseidetic dyslexia (also called visual dyslexia): * Confusion with letters that differ in orientation (b-d, p-q). * Confusion with words that can be dynamically reversed (was-saw). * Very limited sight vocabulary; few words are instantly recognized from their whole configuration — they need to be sounded out laboriously, as though being seen for the first time. * Losing the place because one doesn’t instantly recognize what had already been read, as when switching one’s gaze from the right side of one line to the left side of the next line. * Omitting letters and words because they weren’t visually noted. * Masking the image of one letter, by moving the eye too rapidly to the subsequent letter, may result in omission of the first letter. * Difficulty learning irregular words that can’t be sounded out (for example, sight). * Difficulty with rapid retrieval of words due to visual retrieval weaknesses. * Visual stimuli in reading prove so confusing that it is easier for the child to learn to read by first spelling the words orally and then putting them in print. * Insertions, omissions, and substitutions, if the meaning of the passage is guiding reading. * Strengths in left hemisphere language-processing, analytical and sequential abilities, and detail analysis; can laboriously sound out phonetically regular words even up to grade level. * Difficulty recalling the shape of a letter when writing. * Spells phonetically but not bizarrely (laf-laugh; bisnis-business). * Can spell difficult phonetic words but not simple irregular words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Overcoming Dyslexia is a fabulous book. It has lists of symptoms even in young children. Also, you mention that she has vision issues. Have you had her evaluated by a developmental optometrist? They check for things like tracking problems. But Laurie4B is right, she is young and it could just be that she needs more time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Angie, Thanks for posting this. I had never heard that there were other types of dyslexia and that the symptoms like my dd's were actually dyslexia, too. I wish I had seen your list when dd was younger. I'm sure I would have done something earlier. Maybe it would have taken some of the frustration off of dd's shoulders. I was constantly told that she was fine: too young to worry... most kids don't read until 6 or 7 anyway...it's normal... I was told this by a pediatric opthamologist when I had her eyes tested (who looked at me like I was this insane, pushy mother). I was told this by teachers and tons of other moms. But mothers frequently just know when something is going on and we should listen to our gut. It took a behavioral opthamologist and a neurodevelopmental psych to figure it out. I'm still surprised I went that far with everyone telling me she was just normal and fine. I'm glad I did, though. Hopefully we can prevent a lot of the frustration and teach her coping skills now so she can love reading, like she really wants to. (Dh and Df-i-l avoid reading like the plague and now I know why!) Anyway... Thank you. Just in case it helps, I'll also post the signs of dyseidetic dyslexia. I knew something was going on with my youngest dd at an early age, but I didn't know what. I didn't think it was dyslexia, because my dd's issues were primarily visual. She didn't have any problems with rhyming or segmenting or even blending (if you supplied her with the sounds). My dd still had every symptom on this list when she was 7yo, even after vision therapy. Author Corinne Roth Smith lists the reading and spelling patterns of children with dyseidetic dyslexia (also called visual dyslexia): * Confusion with letters that differ in orientation (b-d, p-q). * Confusion with words that can be dynamically reversed (was-saw). * Very limited sight vocabulary; few words are instantly recognized from their whole configuration — they need to be sounded out laboriously, as though being seen for the first time. * Losing the place because one doesn’t instantly recognize what had already been read, as when switching one’s gaze from the right side of one line to the left side of the next line. * Omitting letters and words because they weren’t visually noted. * Masking the image of one letter, by moving the eye too rapidly to the subsequent letter, may result in omission of the first letter. * Difficulty learning irregular words that can’t be sounded out (for example, sight). * Difficulty with rapid retrieval of words due to visual retrieval weaknesses. * Visual stimuli in reading prove so confusing that it is easier for the child to learn to read by first spelling the words orally and then putting them in print. * Insertions, omissions, and substitutions, if the meaning of the passage is guiding reading. * Strengths in left hemisphere language-processing, analytical and sequential abilities, and detail analysis; can laboriously sound out phonetically regular words even up to grade level. * Difficulty recalling the shape of a letter when writing. * Spells phonetically but not bizarrely (laf-laugh; bisnis-business). * Can spell difficult phonetic words but not simple irregular words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktyler Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 PP is a solid program, however its layout is atrocious. All the pictures, borders, text for adults, and text spacing make it visually confusing; there is nothing leading the eye in the correct motion. I would suggest retyping the words in a cleaner format. I suggest putting a small graphic in the upper left of the page. You can put light guide lines under the letters and words. I then place an arrow line going from the end of one line to the beginning of the next. Have your daughter slide her finger under the letters as she reads. When she comes to the end of the line have her slide her finger along the arrow line, guiding her eyes to the right spot. If you do this consistently, she will comfortably develop proper eye motion. Here is an example from an early lesson. I can't figure how to show the arrow lines, so you'll have to use your imagination.:001_smile: :)pe ac me an ne me ec ma ap Hope that helps, Melissa Minnesota Reading Program Junkie dd(11) dd(7) ds(5) ds(1) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I like writing out words in uppercase from left to right on a whiteboard in large print. It helps them see the L to R movement, is large enough to comfortably read, and helps hold interest. Uppercase letters are more distinct than lowercase and if B and D are overlearned as uppercase letters, then b is easier and there is less chance of having b/d confusions. (The b/d confusion is common to most students taught with a lot of sight words and also some students taught with a good phonics program with few sight words.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I wasn't saying that you were being a Nervous Nellie. I have two sons with dyslexia, am trained as an Orton Gillingham tutor using Wilson materials, tutor students with reading difficulties, and have a degree in special education. I was giving you the information that you were asking for. In short, I see nothing in your post that says, "Dyslexia." Unless there are other signs that are included in the list that Perry posted, it is very unlikely that this is dyslexia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.