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How to Recognize Early Signs of Dyslexia

Written on . Posted in Dyslexia, Sensory Solutions, Sensory Tips


As a hidden disability, dyslexia symptoms can often be hard to recognize, especially the early signs of dyslexia in children and toddlers. It's important as parents, caregivers, or teachers to know how to spot dyslexia in children; the sooner a child is diagnosed with dyslexia, the sooner their development and learning can be suitably aided by sensory products and tools. 

Educational tools will help teach dyslexic children the valuable skills needed to navigate daily tasks throughout their childhood and adulthood.


How to Spot Dyslexia in Children

Dyslexia impacts an individual's ability to read, write, concentrate and memorize, as well as their speech development, spelling, and numeracy skills. According to the International Dyslexia Association, the following are the most common signs of dyslexia in toddlers and children under 12.

  • Lack of interest or difficulty learning the alphabet
  • Misunderstanding of nursery rhymes or rhyming words
  • Delayed speech development in comparison to others their age
  • Often muddling or murmuring words – for instance, instead of saying 'butterfly,' they might say 'flutterby'
  • Spelling out words phonetically
  • Forming sentences incorrectly or struggling to remember the correct word to use in a sentence
  • Seeing letters or numbers when they’re not there in a sentence, or switching letters and numbers around – for instance, using 'p' instead of 'b'
  • Compared to others their age, struggling with coloring, sticking and cutting
  • Finding learning to read difficult, with a lack of focus on certain words or phrases
  • Struggling to remember numbers and names of teachers or friends
  • Finding it challenging to tell the time and understand the numbers around the clock 
  • Testing well in verbal tests but not written tests
  • 'Daydreaming’ frequently – they may be described as losing focus often
  • Being easily distracted by sounds
  • Being described as clumsy; they might fall or bump into objects often
  • Difficulty with physical activities like skipping and jumping
  • Finding the motions of tying shoelaces, doing up buttons, catching, throwing or kicking a ball difficult
  • Difficulty following a sequence of two or more instructions at once

early signs of dyslexia


What to Do If You Notice Early Signs of Dyslexia

If you believe that your child has any of the above early signs of dyslexia, first speak to their teachers to see how they are progressing and developing compared to their classmates. It's important to note that diagnosing dyslexia can be challenging as not all dyslexia symptoms are obvious in every child. 

Following this, book a doctor's appointment to rule out potential visual or hearing difficulties or other conditions, like ADHD. After any other potential problems or conditions have been eliminated, there will be an assessment and testing to evaluate if your child has dyslexia.

Evaluating for Dyslexia

According to the International Dyslexia Association, the dyslexia evaluation is a thorough process of screenings and verbal, written and listening evaluations. Afterwards, there will be a diagnosis where appropriate. It’s important to note that the levels of dyslexia vary in every individual diagnosed. Dyslexia can run in families, so your family history will also be examined.

Remember that dyslexia doesn't impact your child's level of intelligence. The testing and screening process can highlight your child's strengths, making educational intervention centered around areas your child understands more easily, such as verbal learning and communication.


What Sensory Tools Can Help with Dyslexia?

Whether your child is learning and developing at home, pre-school, or elementary school, the early signs of dyslexia in children can be found when learning to read, write, and focus on certain tasks. There are many and speech and language tools for dyslexia to best support your child's development. Check out our top three dyslexia learning tools for more suggestions on supporting dyslexic students in school.

Here we have a quick overview of our favorite sensory tools for dyslexic children to help them increase concentration, confidence, and stimulation.


  1. Balance Beam

Brilliant for motor planning and color recognition, the balance beam is a fun way to support both dyslexia and the development of gross motor skills. 

child using balance beam

2. Bubble Tubes 

Bubble tubes have many uses, including aiding in motor skill development. They can also be useful for helping to calm a frustrated or distressed child.


3. Fiber Optics

These strands of colorful light are tactile and interactive, making them ideal for engaging color recognition and concentration skills.

fibre optic for dyslexia

4. Sound Boards

Great for engaging conversation, telling stories, and improving fine motor skills, sound boards can even be customized with your own message!

engaging sound board

5. Sensory Room

All the child’s senses are engaged in a 'full body' experience to aid in the development of vocalization and cause and effect skills.



We hope that you now understand how to spot dyslexia and what the early signs of dyslexia in toddlers and children are. If your child has shown any of the early signs of dyslexia or if you would like to invest in dyslexia-friendly sensory products, please contact us to talk to one of our expert sensory advisors. Together, we can explore the best sensory products or services for your child’s needs.