Some signs for parents and teachers to look for are:
PRE-SCHOOL
- Delayed speech development, pronunciation problems
- Slow vocabulary growth, using the wrong word
- Difficulty rhyming words
- Trouble learning numbers, the alphabet, days of the week
- Poor ability to follow directions or routines
- Awkward when running, jumping, skipping
- Trouble interacting socially with peers
- Difficulty controlling pencil, crayon, scissors
- Difficulty buttoning, zipping, tying
GRADES K-4
- Slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds
- Confusion of basic words (e.g., run, eat)
- Consistent reading and spelling errors
- Reversing or transposing letters or numbers
- Difficulty understanding what is said or expressing thoughts
- Trouble learning basic math concepts
- Poor handwriting
GRADES 5-8
- Reverses letter sequences (e.g., soiled/solid, left/felt)
- Slow to learn prefixes, suffixes, root words, and other spelling strategies
- Avoids reading aloud
- Continued difficulty with grade level reading, written language or math skills
- Difficulty organizing and expressing thoughts when writing or speaking
- Difficulty making friends
GRADES 9-12
- Frequently spells the same word differently in the same writing assignment
- Avoids reading and writing tasks
- Either pays too little attention to details or focuses on them too much
- Weak grasp of abstract concepts
- Poor memory skills
- Works slowly and misreads information
