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If your child has difficulty with any of this.

Dyslexia shows up differently at every age. These are the signs that most often bring a family to us.

In Preschool

Small footprints leading across rippled sand dunes toward a soft, misty sky.
  • Difficulty with rhyming
  • Getting to the right word when speaking
  • Hard time learning to name colors
  • Hard time learning to name letters and the sounds associated with them
  • Have a family history of dyslexia

In Kindergarten & 1st Grade

Two sisters walking together across wide, rolling sand dunes, one waving an arm in the air.
  • Child does not sound out words phonetically, or makes phonetic spelling mistakes
  • Difficulty learning and remembering the sounds to the letters in the alphabet
  • Lack of fluency in reading compared to peers
  • Reading errors with no connection to the sound of letters on the page (saying “puppy” instead of the written word, “dog”)

In 2nd & 3rd Grade

A young person standing alone on the crest of a wide sand dune, looking out into the mist.
  • Difficulty acquiring reading skills; slow and awkward reading
  • Confusing words that sound alike when speaking, such as saying “lotion” for “ocean,” or “pacific” for “specific”
  • Difficulty with rote memorization (remembering dates, names, telephone numbers and random lists)

In High School & the Teenage Years

A child standing at the very top of a huge sand dune, arms stretched wide, against a pale sky.
  • Poor standard of written work compared with oral ability
  • Spells the same word differently in one piece of work
  • Difficulty with punctuation and/or grammar
  • Difficulty with organization of homework
  • Appears to know more than they can commit to paper
  • Difficulty following a list of instructions
  • Has difficulty finding the name for an object
  • Difficulty with numeracy work
  • Omits, repeats or adds extra words when reading
  • Difficulty using dictionaries and other reference tools
  • Hesitant and labored reader, especially when reading aloud
  • Disorganized, forgetful or easily distracted

Overall, has little or no desire to read.

And, has strengths in

The Strengths of the Dyslexic Mind

Dyslexia is not a measure of intelligence. A child’s difficulty with reading or spelling can exist alongside remarkable strengths in thinking, reasoning, creativity, and understanding. Those strengths deserve to be recognized, nurtured, and celebrated.

The sun setting over golden hills, with a blanket of fog below and an orange glow along the horizon.
  • Curiosity and an eagerness to explore new ideas
  • Advanced vocabulary and sophisticated verbal understanding
  • Excellent comprehension of stories and information presented orally
  • Strong conceptual thinking, reasoning, and imagination
  • Creativity and original thinking
  • Ability to see the big picture
  • Recognizing patterns and making unexpected connections
  • Innovative and unconventional problem-solving
  • Strong visual and spatial thinking
  • Understanding complex ideas and abstract concepts
  • Learning through meaning, context, and real-world connections rather than rote memorization
  • Thinking independently and approaching challenges from different perspectives
  • Strong storytelling and verbal communication abilities
  • Resourcefulness, adaptability, and perseverance

Dyslexic people are often strong in:

  • Communication
  • Picturing things in their mind
  • Spatial reasoning
  • Seeing how things connect
  • Storytelling
  • Exploring and imagining
  • Empathy
  • Creativity
  • Big-picture thinking

Many dyslexic people become engineers, artists, and business owners.

References: Signs of Dyslexia — Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity; Indicators of Dyslexia in Teenage Years — Sunshine Support, using information from the British Dyslexia Association

A small child sitting on a sand dune, reaching up toward a bright sun shining through the mist.

In a child’s own words

I have dyslexia, which means that…

  • I am gifted.I often think in pictures more than in words.
  • I have a creative mind.I have a big imagination and lots of new ideas.
  • I have deep empathy.I can feel what other people are feeling.
  • I have a sense of humor!I can be funny, kind, and clever.

What I want you to do:

  • Trust me.
  • Don’t shout at me.
  • Be patient with me.
  • Help me learn in my own way.
  • Give me the time I need.
  • Help me believe in myself.
  • Stay by my side, and help me up when I fall.
  • Encourage me when I struggle.
  • Treat me the same as everyone else.
  • Focus on my strengths.

Adapted from Upbility.

If you notice these signs in your child, don’t wait. KLIMB can help you understand what you are seeing, what to ask your school for, and what to do next. Early intervention makes all the difference.

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