Most children with dyslexia are identified in their early elementary school years as their difficulties with reading can be easily discerned by teachers and parents.
However, for teenagers, their reading deficit may go unnoticed for many years and may present very differently than others with dyslexia.
These children are often able to ask their reading deficit by using other cognitive strengths. For example, some children have very strong visual memory ability and can learn sight words with ease, but never really understand how to decode words. This can help them get by in early elementary school, but as they age, the difficulty reading will become more pronounced.
How to recognize dyslexia in teens?
Specifically, teenagers with dyslexia may show some of these symptoms:
- Significant difficulty reading unfamiliar material
- Needing more time to read then complete other comparatively difficult academic tasks
- Difficulty understanding the subtle hints in literary passages
- Not getting the overall picture or purpose of an essay
- Constantly rereading sentences and paragraphs because they do not understand on the first time through
- Problems learning a foreign language
- Discrepancy between their ability to solve numerical math problems and word problems
- Need for test or homework questions to be explained
- Difficulty answering inference questions from a text using specific evidence from what they are reading.
- Problems on reading portions of standardized tests (e.g., PSAT, ACT)
Even though a child has been able to get through the early years of school and sometimes even excel, their underlying problems with reading will eventually catch up and limit their ability to succeed in future academic areas.
For these children, it is essential to have a comprehensive evaluation of their skills and weaknesses so that they can remediate what is hard for them and succeed.
Recognizing Dyslexia Across Ages
- Emphasize the continuum of dyslexia signs across childhood, linking the teenage signs to earlier indicators found in preschoolers and toddlers.
When examining signs of dyslexia in teenagers, it’s essential to consider how these manifestations might have roots in earlier developmental stages. Early Signs Of Dyslexia In Preschoolers can give insight into the foundational indications that might later become apparent in adolescence. Transitioning from the early stages to teenage years allows for a deeper understanding of how certain challenges evolve and persist over time.
Moreover, Early Signs Of Dyslexia In Toddlers underscore the importance of recognizing these signs from a very young age. It’s crucial to highlight that identifying and addressing dyslexia early on can significantly impact a child’s educational journey and overall well-being as they progress through their teenage years.
Additionally, understanding the Signs And Symptoms Of Dyslexia In Kids provides a holistic view of the continuum of dyslexia signs across childhood. By delineating specific age groups, particularly focusing on kids, we can comprehend how dyslexia presents and evolves throughout different developmental phases, leading to its manifestation in the teenage years.
Identify Dyslexia In Teenagers With Dr. Malkin
Identifying dyslexia in teenagers isn’t always easy, but it can make a world of difference in their success in academics and beyond. A dyslexia evaluation with Dr. Malkin can help. He can identify if your teenager has a learning disability and determines the cause or causes of the issue with a comprehensive assessment. He also helps determine the most effective learning techniques to help your student succeed through high school and beyond.
