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Have your child tested -- a complete evaluation. Don’t let the name bother you; professionals call it a “psycho-educational” evaluation. This evaluation should include intelligence testing, achievement testing, perceptual process testing (the “psycho”-logical part) and visual motor testing. There is no single test to determine if a person is dyslexic or not. Many tests are given and an interpretation is based on the results of all tests.

DII does not provide testing. You can have your child tested by your school or DII can recommend a psychologist. Either way, we’ll be able to help.

Your child is entitled to have an evaluation conducted by your school if you request one. You must make all requests for testing, case conferences, and other services in writing. Make sure the request is dated and send copies of the request to the school principal, the director of special services, and keep copies in a file of your own.

Under Indiana law (Title 511, Article 7), schools have 60 full school days from the date of your written consent/request to complete the evaluation and convene a case conference committee.

DII can help -- contact us at 545-5451, ext. 228, or vmills@dyslexiaindiana.org for more information and more resources.

Look for these early childhood signs of dyslexia:

• Late language development (age 2-3)
• Trouble accurately repeating syllables of words (age 2-3)
• Trouble learning rhymes and songs (age 3)
• Difficulty learning alphabet (age 4)
• Difficulty identifying letters of the alphabet (age 5)
• Persistent mispronunciations of basic and familiar words (age 4-5)
• Requires more than usual repetition of simple requests and instructions (age 4-5)
• Difficulty learning sounds associated with letters (age 5)
• Persistent letter and number reversals: b-d, p-q, etc. (age 5-6)
• Difficulty spelling simple words such as “cat” “dog” “pig” (age 5-6)
• Poor recognition of simple and familiar words (age 5-6)
• Poor comprehension of stories and poor explanations (age 5-6)
• Letter formation shows little improvement in quality (age 5-6)
• Difficulty learning sounds associated with basic letter combinations such as “ch” “sh” “ow” “st” (age 6)
• Persistently transposes letters and numbers (age 6)

Know that these characteristics may accompany dyslexia:

• Lack of awareness of sounds in words – sound order, rhymes, or sequence of syllables
• Spelling difficulty
• Poor sequencing of numbers or letters in words, when read or written, for example; sing-sign; left-felt; 12-21
• Problems with reading comprehension
• Difficulty expressing thoughts in written form
• Delayed spoken language
• Imprecise or incomplete interpretation of language that is heard
• Difficulty in expressing thoughts orally
• Confusion about directions in space or time (right and left, up and down, early and late, yesterday and tomorrow, month and days)
• Confusion about right or left handedness
• Similar problems among relatives
• Difficulty with handwriting
• Difficulty in mathematics – often related to sequencing of steps or directionality or to the language of mathematics