How can I tell if a child may
have Dyslexia or if he's just 'slow'?
HANDY HINTS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL
TEACHERS ON HOW TO SPOT A DYSLEXIC CHILD
(Source: DFES; SEN division)
We've all come across the situation. A child who is struggling with his
spelling, his
writing, or his reading, or perhaps his numeracy. A child who doesn't
progress as
quickly as his classmates - or worse, doesn't seem to progress at all.
At first you put it down to slowness, or laziness. You think he will
improve in time. But
he doesn't.
Then someone mentions dyslexia, and you start to wonder. But you tell
yourself that
children often get over such early difficulties, and you hope for the
best. Yet you still
feel uneasy.
So how do you tell if a child may have Dyslexia or if he's just slow or
lazy? There
are some obvious signs, if you know what to look for. And it vital that
you do
know, because dyslexic children need special help. If they don't get it,
they'll fall
further and further behind. They'll become frustrated and lose their
self-esteem.
This list gives some hints on identification. It's worth printing off
and keeping handy - the chances are there's at least one dyslexic child
in each of your classes.
Written Work
Look out for a child who.....
has a poor standard of written work compared with oral ability
produces messy work with many crossings out and words tried
several times eg wippe, wype, wiep, wipe
is persistently confused by letters which look similar,
particularly
b/d, p/g, p/q, n/u, m/w,
has poor handwriting, with many 'reversals' and badly formed
letters
spells a word several different ways in one piece of writing
makes anagrams of words eg tired for tried, breaded for bearded
produces badly set-out written work, doesn't stay close to the
margin
Reading
makes poor reading progress, especially using look-and-say
methods
finds it difficult to blend letters together
has difficulty in establishing syllable division or knowing the
beginnings and endings of words
is hesitant and laboured in reading, especially when reading
aloud
misses out words when reading, or adds extra words
fails to recognise familiar words
loses the point of a story being read or written
has difficulty in picking out the most important points from a
passage
Numeracy
shows confusion with number order eg units, tens, hundreds
is confused by symbols, such as + and x signs
has difficulty remembering anything in a sequential order eg
tables,
days of the week, the alphabet
Time
has difficulty in learning to tell the time
shows poor time keeping and general awareness
has poor personal organisation
has difficulty in remembering what day of the week it is, his
birth
date, seasons of the year, month of the year
Skills
has poor motor skills, leading to weaknesses in the speed,
control
and accuracy of the pencil
has a limited understanding of non-verbal communication
is confused by the difference between left and right
has indeterminate hand preference
performs unevenly from day to day
Behaviour
employs work avoidance tactics, such as sharpening pencils and
looking for books
seems to 'dream', does not seem to listen
is easily distracted
is the class clown, or is disruptive or withdrawn (these are
often
cries for help)
is excessively tired, due to the amount of concentration and
effort
required
If a child has a cluster of these difficulties, he may be
dyslexic.
Your next step should be to consult the school's SENCO immediately, and
to decide whether the child should be placed on the school's SEN
register and given appropriate help.
With acknowledgements to the Department for Education and Employment SEN
Division.
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