Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). Also called a reading disability, dyslexia is a result of individual differences in areas of the brain that process language.

Dyslexia is not due to problems with intelligence, hearing or vision. Most children with dyslexia can succeed in school with tutoring or a specialized education program. Emotional support also plays an important role.

Though there’s no cure for dyslexia, early assessment and intervention result in the best outcome. Sometimes dyslexia goes undiagnosed for years and isn’t recognized until adulthood, but it’s never too late to seek help.

Signs of dyslexia can be difficult to recognize before your child enters school, but some early clues may indicate a problem. Once your child reaches school age, your child’s teacher may be the first to notice a problem. Severity varies, but the condition often becomes apparent as a child starts learning to read.

Before school

Signs that a young child may be at risk of dyslexia include:

School age

Once your child is in school, dyslexia symptoms may become more apparent, including:

Teens and adults

Dyslexia signs in teens and adults are a lot like those in children. Some common dyslexia symptoms in teens and adults include:

When to see a doctor

Though most children are ready to learn reading by kindergarten or first grade, children with dyslexia often have trouble learning to read by that time. Talk with your health care provider if your child’s reading level is below what’s expected for your child’s age or if you notice other signs of dyslexia.

When dyslexia goes undiagnosed and untreated, childhood reading difficulties continue into adulthood.

Dyslexia results from individual differences in the parts of the brain that enable reading. It tends to run in families. Dyslexia appears to be linked to certain genes that affect how the brain processes reading and language.

A family history of dyslexia or other reading or learning disabilities increases the risk of having dyslexia.

Dyslexia can lead to several problems, including:

Children who have dyslexia are at increased risk of having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and vice versa. ADHD can cause difficulty keeping attention. It can also cause hyperactivity and impulsive behavior, which can make dyslexia harder to treat.

There’s no single test that can diagnose dyslexia. A number of factors are considered, such as:

There’s no known way to correct the underlying brain differences that cause dyslexia. However, early detection and evaluation to determine specific needs and appropriate treatment can improve success. In many cases, treatment can help children become competent readers.

Educational techniques

Dyslexia is treated using specific educational approaches and techniques, and the sooner the intervention begins, the better. Evaluations of your child’s reading skills, other academic skills and mental health will help your child’s teachers develop an individual teaching program.

Teachers may use techniques involving hearing, vision and touch to improve reading skills. Helping a child use several senses to learn — for example, listening to a taped lesson and tracing with a finger the shape of the letters used and the words spoken — can help in processing the information.

Treatment focuses on helping your child:

If available, tutoring sessions with a reading specialist can be helpful for many children with dyslexia. If your child has a severe reading disability, tutoring may need to occur more frequently, and progress may be slower.

Individual education plan

In the United States, schools have a legal obligation to take steps to help children diagnosed with dyslexia with their learning problems. Talk to your child’s teacher about setting up a meeting to create a structured, written plan that outlines your child’s needs and how the school will help your child succeed. This is called an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Early treatment

Children with dyslexia who get extra help in kindergarten or first grade often improve their reading skills enough to succeed in grade school and high school.

Children who don’t get help until later grades may have more difficulty learning the skills needed to read well. They’re likely to lag behind academically and may never be able to catch up. A child with severe dyslexia may never have an easy time reading. But a child can learn skills that improve reading and develop strategies to improve school performance and quality of life.

What parents can do

You play a key role in helping your child succeed. You can take these steps:

What adults with dyslexia can do

Success in employment can be difficult for adults who have dyslexia. To help achieve your goals:

Academic problems don’t necessarily mean a person with dyslexia can’t succeed. Capable students with dyslexia can be highly successful given the right resources. Many people with dyslexia are creative and bright and may be gifted in math, science or the arts. Some even have successful writing careers.

Emotional support and opportunities for achievement in activities that don’t involve reading are important for children with dyslexia. If your child has dyslexia:

You may first bring up your concerns with your child’s pediatrician or family health care provider. To ensure that another problem isn’t at the root of your child’s reading difficulties, the provider may refer your child to a:

You may want to ask a family member or friend to come along, if possible, for support and to help you remember information.

Bringing school records is especially helpful for the evaluation done by health care providers. These records can include your child’s IEP or 504 Plan, report cards, written communications from school noting concerns, and a limited number of your child’s work samples.

Here’s some information to help you prepare for your appointment:

What you can do

Before your appointment, make a list of:

Questions to ask may include:

Feel free to ask other questions during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor

The health care provider is likely to ask you a number of questions, such as:

Be ready to answer questions to make the most of your appointment time.

© 1998-2024 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved.

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