Is My Child Dyslexic? Signs, Support and When to Consider an Assessment

When your child finds reading or spelling difficult, it’s natural to wonder why. You might notice that they work hard but still struggle to remember spellings, that reading takes a lot of effort, or that homework is beginning to affect their confidence.

Perhaps school has raised concerns. Or perhaps you’ve been told that your child is doing well enough, but you can see how much effort it takes behind the scenes.

These experiences deserve attention. They don’t automatically mean that your child has dyslexia, but you don’t need to have all the answers before asking for help.

What signs of dyslexia might I notice?

Dyslexia primarily affects the development of reading and spelling skills. Every child’s experience is different, so it is more helpful to consider a pattern of persistent difficulties than to focus on one particular mistake.

You might notice that your child:

• Finds it difficult to connect letters and letter combinations with the sounds they represent.

• Struggles to sound out unfamiliar words or blend sounds together.

• Reads accurately but slowly, with considerable effort.

• Finds spelling difficult, including words they have practised many times.

• Needs a great deal of help to complete reading and spelling tasks.

• Avoids activities involving reading or becomes tired or frustrated during them.

For example, your child might learn a spelling for Friday’s test but find it difficult to use that spelling in their writing the following week. Another child might read a passage correctly, but so slowly that keeping up with classroom tasks becomes difficult.

These observations can help you describe your concerns. They are not, on their own, a diagnosis.

Can my child have dyslexia if they can read?

Yes. Having dyslexia does not mean that a child cannot read.

Some children develop accurate reading but continue to find it slow or effortful. Others manage familiar books well but struggle when they encounter unfamiliar words or more demanding texts. Spelling difficulties may remain noticeable even when reading has improved.

A child may also develop ways of managing their difficulties. They might spend much longer on homework, rely heavily on adult help or choose activities that involve less reading.

This is why I am interested in more than whether a child can complete a task. How much effort does it take? How much support do they need? And how do they feel about it?

An apparently successful piece of work does not always show what it took to produce it.

Could something else explain the difficulties?

Reading and spelling difficulties can have several explanations. An assessment needs to consider the child’s development, language background, education, opportunities to learn and the support they have received.

Difficulties with understanding or using spoken language can also affect literacy. Dyslexia and developmental language disorder (DLD) are distinct conditions: a child can have either one separately, or both together.

Attention difficulties can occur alongside dyslexia too. A child who loses track of instructions or struggles to get started may need support with attention as well as reading and spelling.

The aim is to understand the child’s individual needs. Where concerns fall outside the scope of a dyslexia assessment, an appropriate onward referral may be recommended.

What should I ask school?

Start with your child’s class teacher and, where appropriate, the school’s special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo). Share specific examples rather than feeling that you need to prove your child has dyslexia.

You could ask:

• What have you noticed about my child’s reading accuracy, fluency and spelling?

• What teaching or additional support are they receiving?

• How often does that support take place, and what does it involve?

• How are you checking whether it is helping?

• What can we do to make classroom tasks more manageable?

• When can we meet again to review progress?

It is useful to discuss confidence and participation as well as attainment. Is your child avoiding reading aloud? Are they reluctant to start written work? Do they seem worried about making mistakes?

School does not need to wait for a formal dyslexia diagnosis before providing appropriate support.

How can I help at home?

Home support should be manageable for both of you. It should also leave room for enjoying books and spending time together.

Keep reading practice short and achievable

Ask school which skills your child is working on and which books are suitable for independent or supported practice. Short, regular sessions are usually easier to manage than continuing until your child is tired or upset.

Give them time to work out unfamiliar words, with support to use the sound–letter relationships they have been taught.

Let them enjoy books beyond their reading level

Read aloud to your child, share stories or listen to audiobooks together. This gives them access to ideas, vocabulary and stories that they may not yet be able to read independently.

Enjoying a story and practising word reading serve different purposes. Both have a place.

Agree a realistic approach to homework

If homework regularly takes much longer than expected, let school know. Explain how much help your child needs and how the experience is affecting them.

It may be helpful to reduce copying, break tasks into smaller steps or allow some answers to be given orally when reading and spelling are not the skills being assessed.

Try recommendations and review them

A strategy needs to work for your child in their current situation. Agree what you are trying, what you hope it will help with and when you will review it.

If it does not help, discuss why and consider adapting it. Some approaches may become more useful later, as your child’s skills and demands change.

How can I protect my child’s confidence?

This is central to my work. Persistent learning difficulties can affect how children see themselves, particularly when they compare their progress with their friends.

Listen to what your child says about learning. Statements such as “I’m stupid” or “I’m no good at anything” deserve a thoughtful response.

You might say:

“Reading is taking a lot of effort at the moment. That doesn’t mean you aren’t trying or that you aren’t capable. We’re going to find out what will help.”

Notice their interests, achievements and qualities across everyday life. They do not need to have an exceptional talent to balance out a reading difficulty. Their worth does not depend on how quickly they read or how accurately they spell.

If dyslexia is identified, explain it in language your child understands. It can help them make sense of why certain tasks are harder, without becoming the whole story of who they are.

When might a dyslexia assessment help?

An assessment may be helpful when reading or spelling difficulties persist, progress remains a concern despite support, or you need a clearer understanding of your child’s learning needs.

At Lexety Education, I offer diagnostic dyslexia assessments for children aged eight and above. If your child is younger, the immediate priority is appropriate teaching, support and monitoring of progress.

A diagnostic assessment brings together background information, the child’s experiences, observations during assessment and standardised test results. The conclusion is based on the overall evidence, rather than a single score.

The report explains the findings and provides individual recommendations. If dyslexia is not identified, your child’s difficulties still matter: the findings can help clarify their needs and inform next steps.

An assessment can support discussions with school, but it does not automatically guarantee a particular provision or exam arrangement.

A clearer understanding and a way forward

For me, an assessment is about helping a child and their family make sense of their experiences, as well as establishing whether dyslexia is present.

My priority is that children feel understood, that their confidence is protected and that the adults around them have useful information to guide support.

If you are wondering whether a dyslexia assessment in Cornwall would help your child, you are welcome to get in touch through the Book a Call page. We can talk through your concerns and consider whether an assessment is an appropriate next step.

You can also explore my free courses, videos and self-help guides for more information about dyslexia and supporting learning.