Dyslexia in Children: Symptoms, Causes and How to Help
Updated: Sep 15
Dyslexia in children is a complex pattern of persistent difficulties that most often become noticeable when learning to read, but may also affect writing, spelling, mathematics, attention, sense of time, sequencing and organization of actions.
According to various estimates, signs of dyslexia are present in 5 to 17% of children. It is one of the most common learning difficulties worldwide.
Dyslexia is not linked to low intelligence. A child may understand complex ideas quickly, have a vivid imagination, think in unconventional ways, and at the same time experience serious difficulties with reading and writing.
5–7 %
of children show signs of dyslexia — one of the most common learning difficulties
5 days
basic intensive program
using the Davis approach
30 hours of work
40 +
parameters in the PRIMA System diagnostic interview —
a whole-picture map, not a list of symptoms
In brief
A child with dyslexia may know letters, rules and correct answers, yet not always be able to use that knowledge consistently while doing a task.
They may read a word correctly on one page and fail to recognize it on the next, know a rule but make the same mistake again, answer well orally yet struggle with written work.
This does not mean the child is lazy, inattentive or not trying hard enough. Their performance may depend not only on what they know, but also on how stable their attention and perception remain while working with symbols.
What dyslexia means in simple terms
A child with dyslexia may find it difficult to read accurately, fluently and consistently.
They may:
confuse similar letters;
omit, add or rearrange sounds;
change the order of letters in a word;
read the same word differently each time;
fail to recognize a word they have seen many times before;
lose their place in a line;
take a long time to blend letters into syllables and words;
guess a word from its first letter or overall shape;
read mechanically but fail to retain the meaning;
not notice their own mistakes.
At the same time, the child often understands spoken text much better than the same text when reading independently.
WHY THIS HAPPENS
The problem may not be an inability to understand meaning. A large part of the child’s attention and effort is spent on recognizing words, leaving too little capacity for understanding what has been read.
BEYOND READING
Dyslexia is not only about reading
In the Davis®–PRIMA approach, dyslexia is understood as a broader functional profile rather than a single isolated reading problem.
Difficulties may involve:
–– reading;
–– reading comprehension;
–– writing;
–– spelling;
–– handwriting;
–– remembering letters, words and rules;
–– mathematics;
–– sense of time;
–– understanding sequence;
–– distinguishing directions;
–– attention;
–– organization and planning;
–– motor coordination;
–– self-regulation.
In different children, this profile looks different.
One child may read very slowly but make almost no spelling mistakes. Another may have learned to read at a reasonable speed but fail to retain the meaning. A third may read familiar text well yet become confused by mathematical symbols, time concepts or multi-step tasks.
That is why dyslexia cannot be assessed only by reading speed or the number of errors in a dictation.
BEYOND READING
Strengths of children with dyslexia
Children with dyslexia often think in images, spatial models, sensations and internal pictures.
a vivid imagination
creativity
spatial thinking
the ability to see the bigger picture
unconventional problem-solving
strong intuition
quick understanding of complex systems
the ability to notice connections others may miss
The difficulty arises when the child encounters conventional symbols that must remain exact and unchanged.
A real object does not stop being itself when viewed from another angle. But a letter, number or mathematical symbol can completely change meaning depending on position, direction or sequence.
This is why a strong visual way of thinking can be both a source of ability and a source of difficulty when mastering written symbols.
SIGNS BY AGE
Preschool age
Signs of dyslexia in preschool children
The first signs can appear even before formal reading instruction begins.
The child may:
have difficulty recognizing rhymes;
have difficulty hearing which sound a word begins with;
take a long time to remember letter names;
confuse letters and their corresponding sounds;
have difficulty remembering new words;
mispronounce long or complex words;
confuse the sequence of events;
have difficulty understanding concepts such as “before,” “after,” “first,” and “then”;
have difficulty remembering the days of the week;
avoid games involving letters and words;
understand much better through images and practical action than through verbal explanations.
One sign on its own does not indicate dyslexia. It is important to look at the child’s overall developmental picture.
Primary school
Signs of dyslexia in primary school
In the first years of school, difficulties become more noticeable because the child is expected to process written symbols accurately and quickly.
The child may:
confuse sounds when building words;
fail to recognize simple words they have already read many times;
read the same word differently each time;
omit or rearrange letters;
quickly forget how familiar words are spelled;
spend a long time learning a rule but fail to apply it consistently;
read slowly and with effort;
guess words;
lose their place in a line;
confuse left and right;
have difficulty understanding the sequence of actions;
answer well orally but perform poorly on written tasks;
avoid reading;
tire quickly;
cry, become angry or refuse to do homework.
From the outside, this behavior may look like laziness, inattention or unwillingness to learn. In reality, the child may be putting enormous effort into a task that is almost automatic for others.
Middle school
Signs of dyslexia in middle school
By middle school, a child can often read, but that does not mean the difficulties have disappeared.
The following may remain:
slow reading;
a large number of spelling errors;
the need to reread a text several times;
difficulty retaining meaning;
avoiding reading aloud;
difficulty taking notes;
difficulty following multi-step instructions;
problems with time planning;
inconsistent performance;
strong oral answers but weak written ones;
high fatigue;
putting off difficult tasks;
anxiety before tests.
A child may compensate for difficulties through memory, intelligence, parental help or excessive effort. But such compensation often comes at a high cost.
Adolescence
Signs of dyslexia in teenagers
A teenager may:
process large amounts of text slowly;
skip short words;
avoid reading even for pleasure;
put off written assignments;
prefer multiple-choice tests;
understand the material well but fail to complete the answer in time;
spend much longer on homework than peers;
confuse dates, formulas and sequences;
hide difficulties behind humor, silence or deliberate indifference;
believe they are lazy or not intelligent enough.
By this age, the main problem is often no longer only the learning difficulty itself, but also the teenager’s developed view of themselves.
What difficulties may be part of a dyslexia profile
Difficulties with writing and spelling
A child may know the rule but fail to apply it consistently. They may spell the same word differently even within a single text.
Handwriting difficulties
Handwriting may be inconsistent: size, slant, shape and placement of letters can change. The child may grip the pen too tightly, tire quickly or fail to keep up with the pace of the class.
Mathematical difficulties
The child may confuse symbols, order of operations, place values, directions, time concepts and sequences.
They may understand the mathematical idea but struggle with its symbolic notation.
Attention difficulties
The child may find it hard to maintain focus, switch between tasks, identify what matters most, or regulate their own pace.
These signs may be part of a broader dyslexic profile or may occur together with ADHD.
Executive-function difficulties
Problems may arise with:
planning;
organization;
working memory;
starting and finishing a task;
controlling the sequence of actions;
estimating time.
Difficulties with time and sequence
The child may find it difficult to understand:
how long a minute lasts;
what happened earlier and what happened later;
in what order actions should be performed;
how to plan time;
how to relate clock time to the actual duration of an event.
Emotional consequences
Years of being misunderstood can lead to:
fear of making mistakes;
anxiety;
avoidance;
lower self-esteem;
giving up on learning;
the belief that “I’m stupid” or “something is wrong with me.”
These are not signs of low ability. They are consequences of experiences in which the child was repeatedly judged by the result without anyone understanding the mechanism behind the difficulties.
Why dyslexia occurs
Family tendency
Dyslexia often runs in families.
If parents or close relatives had difficulties with reading, writing, mathematics or attention, the likelihood of similar signs in the child increases.
But heredity does not determine a child’s future.
What matters greatly is how early adults understand the child’s way of thinking and whether the child receives tools that fit that way of thinking.
Visual thinking
A person who thinks mainly in images may create internal pictures much faster than they can put thoughts into words.
Yet many function words, symbols and abstract concepts do not have an obvious image.
When a child does not understand what a symbol or word means, confusion arises.
Disorientation
In the Davis® model, confusion can disrupt a stable oriented state. As a result, perception of letters, words, directions or sequences becomes unstable.
This is why a child may know a letter or a rule but not always have stable access to that knowledge while performing a task.
Read more about this mechanism in a separate article:
How dyslexia is identified
A reading-speed test alone is not enough.
It is important to explore:
how the child reads;
what kinds of mistakes they make;
when exactly those mistakes occur;
whether the child notices their own mistakes;
how they understand what they read;
how they process spoken information;
how their attention works;
how they remember information;
how they perceive symbols;
how they understand time and sequence;
how they plan their actions;
what happens in their body and emotions during a difficult task;
which strengths help them compensate for difficulties.
It is also important to check vision and hearing, because problems in these areas can produce similar outward signs.
An official diagnosis may be important for obtaining school accommodations. But you do not have to wait for a formal conclusion before beginning to understand the child’s functional profile and helping them.
How to help a child with dyslexia
Simply making a child read more is not enough.
If the child repeatedly performs tasks while perception is unstable, extra repetition may only reinforce tension, errors and a sense of failure.
Support should address not only the outcome but also the mechanisms that prevent the child from using their knowledge consistently.
In a Davis® program, the child learns to:
recognize changes in their own state;
return to a stable oriented state;
consciously manage attention;
resolve confusion around letters, words, numbers and mathematical symbols;
develop an accurate understanding of basic concepts;
manage their own state;
use the tools they have learned independently.
The basic intensive program usually lasts about 30 hours over five consecutive days.
During this time, the child learns tools that allow them to manage attention and perception rather than remain dependent on constant help from an adult.
Further work is needed to consolidate the skills, but an important shift often occurs during the program itself: for the first time, the child understands that their difficulties can be managed.
What not to do
Avoid:
calling the child lazy;
demanding that they simply try harder;
comparing them with classmates;
forcing them to read aloud as punishment;
doing their homework for them every evening;
explaining every mistake as inattention;
waiting for the problem to disappear on its own;
reducing the child’s whole profile to a single school grade.
The child needs a clear, usable tool, not additional pressure.
What parents should remember
Dyslexia is not linked to low intelligence.
It can affect more than reading.
Inconsistent performance does not mean the child lacks knowledge.
Errors may change depending on the state of perception.
The child may be making far more effort than it appears from the outside.
Repetition does not always remove the cause of the difficulty.
Understanding the child’s profile accurately changes not only their learning but also how they see themselves.
Frequently asked questions
Can a very intelligent child have dyslexia?
Yes. Dyslexia does not determine intelligence. A child may have high abilities, strong visual thinking and at the same time experience difficulties with written symbols.
Do all children with dyslexia reverse letters?
No. Letter reversals are only one possible sign. Some children never reverse letters but read slowly, fail to retain meaning or make inconsistent errors.
Can dyslexia affect mathematics and attention?
Yes. Difficulties may involve mathematical symbols, sequencing, time, organization, attention and other functions.
Does a child outgrow dyslexia?
Without appropriate tools, the difficulties often do not disappear but change form. A child may learn to hide or compensate for them, but that does not mean the underlying difficulty has been resolved.
Is an official diagnosis required before starting support?
No. A formal conclusion may be needed for school accommodations, but the child’s functional profile and possible forms of support can be explored independently of it.
Do you suspect dyslexia in your child?
During a PRIMA diagnostic interview, we do not look for a single symptom or reduce the child to their school performance.
More than 40 parameters help build a whole-picture map of how the child functions: how they perceive and process information, how different types of attention and memory work, their executive functions and self-regulation, where their strengths lie and where there is real potential for change.
Start with the dyslexia test if you want to structure the signs you are seeing. If the picture is more complex or you need an individual assessment, choose the PRIMA diagnostic interview.
Tamara Khabarova
Licensed Davis® Facilitator
500+ children from 9 countries
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