Reading the Signs of Dyslexia

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- One in five students have dyslexia -- a disability that makes learning, and especially reading, difficult. Most cases aren't diagnosed until third grade or later. By then, their chances of catching up in reading are just one in seven. But some educators are tackling the problem before a child even knows how to open a book. Spotting the signs early may lead to a lifetime of success.

Six-year-old Kennedy Woodward devours books.

"Now I can read all the words, but sometimes I need some help because it's a long word," Kennedy told Ivanhoe.

But her hunger for reading and writing wasn't always this strong.

"She would start writing some of her letters and her numbers backwards," Kennedy's mom Sandy recalled.

In preschool, Kennedy showed early signs of dyslexia.

"We want to identify children early because this is basically a treatable condition and we want to catch them really before they have a chance to fail," Laura Bailet, Ph.D., a neurocognitive specialist and executive director of Nemours Brightstart Initiative in Jacksonville, Fla., said.

Having a parent with dyslexia boosts a child's chances of having it by 30 to 40 percent. Other red flags include trouble recognizing their names in print, struggling with letter names, sounds and rhyming.

A new test looks for dyslexia in kids as young as three. If they fail a series of rhyming and letter questions, they're enrolled in a nine week alphabet-intensive program.

"The children who were all below average when they started our educational intervention, two-thirds of them -- almost 70 percent -- moved to the normal range," Dr. Bailet said.

After getting help, Kennedy raised her test score from 40 to 95 percent.

"My belief is if you can be successful in reading, then you can be successful in anything in life," Sandy said.

Together, they're taking on childhood one page at a time.

It's a common myth more boys are dyslexic than girls, but one study shows boys are more likely to get noticed because they tend to act out when frustrated. Famous women who overcame dyslexia include Whoopi Goldberg and crime novelist Agatha Christie.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Laura Bailet, lbailet@nemours.org

For more information about dyslexia, click here.