Characteristics of a Dyslexic Child

Dyslexic children present a series of common characteristics that manifest in their way of reacting, their personality and school performances. Even though all children are different and not all of them present all the characteristics, they still have many of them in common.

Dyslexia is a special learning disability, whose symptoms change as the child grows and develops. From as early as the preschool stage, it is possible to notice small details that could make us suspect that a child is dyslexic. Between ages 6 and 11, the symptoms are more obvious, or, at least, better known. From the age of 12, learning disorders become more clear.

For a child to be dyslexic, he doesn’t need to show all the symptoms described below. At the same time, it doesn’t mean he is dyslexic for only showing one of them.

Characteristics at personal level:

Lack of attention. Due to the great intellectual focus he must sustain in order to overcome his characteristic difficulties of perception, the child will present a high level of fatigue, which will result in variable attention. Thus, acquiring literacy will require a great effort on their part if they are not interested and they find no intrinsic motivation that could attract their attention.

Lack of interest for learning. His school grades and general performance are usually low, which causes demotivation and low self-esteem for the student. Some children may be very hard-working, and they still won’t see any result to their efforts. This will often make them become uninterested, work less and eventually fall behind.

Personal maladjustment. Sometimes we find dyslexic students showing features that denote an emotional imbalance; these features include low self-esteem and behavioral problems, even violence.

A feeling of insecurity and obstinacy.