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From Concern to Clarity: A Parent’s Role in Identifying Dyslexia in Your Child

If you’ve noticed your child struggling with reading or writing in ways that seem different from their peers, you’re not alone in wondering why. Learning challenges encompass skill areas like reading, spelling, writing, and numeracy.  

Under the diagnostic manual (DSM-5-TR) that many clinicians use, dyslexia is an alternative term used to refer to a pattern of learning difficulties characterised by problems with accurate or fluent word recognition, poor decoding, and poor spelling abilities. Dyslexia is not the only specific learning disorder that exists. Not all children with specific learning disorders have the same learning strengths and challenges. Some children may read at grade level but struggle to spell.

Dyslexia or specific learning disorder in reading is the most prevalent academic challenge in school-aged students. These difficulties typically result from challenges in phonological processing. To distinguish variations in academic achievement from dyslexia, children with dyslexia often perform lower than expected in relation to their cognitive abilities, even after effective instructional teaching. It’s crucial to understand that dyslexia is not a sign of low intelligence. Children with dyslexia usually have typical cognitive abilities for their age. Early identification of learning challenges is key to providing timely and effective support.

Early Signs of Learning Difficulty

Observing your child’s learning patterns can be crucial. Not all signs need to be present. The pattern and persistence of these difficulties, despite adequate instructional teaching, are key indicators.

Here are some common indicators to look for across various age groups:

Kindergarten years

  • Difficulty with rhyming and identifying sounds in words (phonological awareness).
  • Trouble learning the alphabet or linking letters (graphemes) to sounds (phonemes).
  • Mispronouncing familiar words.

Early Primary (Kindergarten – Grade 2)

  • Effortful or inaccurate reading. 
  • Appearing to guess the sound of the entire words based on the first sound.
  • Appearing to confuse similar-looking letters (e.g., b/d, p/q).
  • Struggling to decode new words (sounding them out).

Later Primary & Beyond (Grade 3+)

  • Persisting difficulty in sounding out words
  • Avoiding activities that may require reading.
  • Difficulty with understanding and comprehending meaning of sentences despite good oral comprehension.
  • May have mastered correspondence between letters and sounds but still reads slowly.
  • Persistent spelling difficulties, even with common words.
  • Difficulty with organising and writing their thoughts out.

How Can You Support Your Child?

Your active involvement as a parent is vital in supporting the identification and intervention for your child’s learning challenges.

Observe and Document

  • School academic reports.
  • Samples of your child’s written work such as writing assignments and spelling tests
  • Note any family history of reading or learning difficulties, as dyslexia often has a genetic component.

Communicate with their School

  • Schedule a calm and collaborative meeting with your child’s teacher. Share your specific observations and concerns. Teachers are usually first to notice any learning concerns of children and ask if they have noticed anything similar.
  • Ask about classroom strategies implemented in the classroom to support your child. Enquire if the school implements a structured synthetic phonics approach towards reading.
  • Inquire about the school’s process for identifying and supporting learning difficulties. Ask to speak with the school’s Learning Inclusion or Learning Support team.

Advocate for Assessment

  • Understand that while teachers can identify struggles, a formal diagnosis of dyslexia typically requires a comprehensive cognitive and educational assessment by a qualified professional such as a psychologist.
  • If the school suggests a screening, understand what it covers and whether it provides a diagnostic conclusion.
  • Advocate for a full diagnostic assessment if your concerns persist and school interventions are not yielding significant progress. This assessment provides a clear diagnosis and informs specific, evidence-based interventions.
  • Be prepared to consider seeking a private assessment if school resources are limited or if the school’s assessment pathway is not meeting your child’s needs. In Australia, access to school-based assessments can vary.

Support Strategies at Home (while waiting for/after diagnosis)

  • Continue to read aloud to your child frequently to foster a love of books and build vocabulary.
  • Focus on their strengths and build their confidence in areas where they excel.
  • Create a supportive, low-pressure learning environment at home. Avoid making reading/writing a battleground.
  • Incorporate multi-sensory learning activities (e.g., using sand to trace letters, clapping out syllables, visual aids).
  • Celebrate your child’s effort and small victories to keep them motivated.

It is imperative that your child’s learning support needs are always met first! Supporting your child’s learning can feel overwhelming but remember that you are their most important advocate. By understanding the signs, communicating effectively with the school, and seeking appropriate assessments, you can pave the way for the right support and help your child thrive.

Helpful Resources

Helpful Websites

Looking for an assessment?

Minds of All Kinds Psychology offers assessments of learning difficulties, including dyslexia. For more information, including what’s involved in an assessment and prices, click here.

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