Dyslexia? - San Antonio,TX

I think dyslexia is writing letters in the wrong order, not so much writing them backward. When I was a kid I wrote several letters backward for a while (it is very normal) and I do not have dyslexia. You could always ask the ped. if you are still concerned.

My daughter is 5 and she also writes letters backwards sometimes. Letter reversal is not necessarily part of dyslexia and can be very normal in young children. I would worry more about dyslexia if I saw a five year old who couldn't connect the sounds of a letter to its shape and didn't get the rhyming concept.

As a teacher, I will tell you that this is very normal. Most school districts won't even consider testing for dyslexia until 2nd or 3rd grade because it is so common until then. Hope this helps.

Don't worry! I teach Kindergarten and it is completely normal for them to do this. Even the "smartest" kids will randomly do this... they're still developing their little minds and their writing skills. I believe it is still too early to see if they are dyslexic. Just wait it out and it will hopefully be a stage she passes right through. I wouldn't be concerned until at least 1st or 2nd grade. Hope this helps! God bless you!

Hello Elisa, I am not an expert on Dyslexia but if you even suspect this in your daughter please have her tested. My son was a Junior in High School before it was discovered that he has it. It is very frustrating for the child that has it. It never even occured to his Dad and I to have him tested and all we heard was "your child is very slow" it took his keyboarding teacher to tell us that she thought that was the situation and so we immediately went and had him tested. Turns out that is why he was "so slow" he was trying to process the information that he was reading and had always "overcompensated" I do know that children with dyslexia are very bright. He is now in his last semester in college and is doing very well. There is much help available to those students who qualify. Hope this was helpful. Good luck. T. D. Holcomb

Hello Elisa, being a mom myself and also having Dyslexia I would really push to get your daughter checked for it. I can't spell, it has gotten better of the years, but it was a real strugle. My mother keep on the school until they finally checked me. When I was in high school, the school decided they would try and help me. Well, they put me in a Speacial ed class, I was so embaressed. I was upset at the fact that they could have done somthing when I was in Elemt. and also in Middle school. Letting me go threw school and doing nothing until Hich School was crazy. The school where I live now, always said we don't like to check kids until they are at least in the 3rd. grade. My daughter was showing signs, just like with your daughter. I made them test her, I wont let them wait when somthing can be done now. Sorry for rambling on..... Have a wonderful day......M.

my daughter too has dyslexia. She was not tested until she was in the 2nd grade, bc prior testing would be in-accurate. the Number and letter flipping is common in the early eays. I would just try to watch it from here on out. there is testing that can be done, but until the child is of a certain age, they will not even attempt it.
try not to loose your cool when they are having trouble with something. as for my daughter she had the hardest time with math, and she repeated the 2nd grade, i just felt that if i allowed her to go on to the 3rd grade with her piers that would just put her even more behind. I wanted her to be able to go into the next grade without worring about lagging behind any of her piers. she is now 15 and in the 8th grade she still takes classes on how to deal with and cope with dyslexia on a day to day basis. But overall is doing well. She is not a straight A student, but C's are ok if that is the best that she can do.

Don't worry about it at this point. My son, who is 10, still sometimes writes letters (b, d, q, p, s) and numbers (3, 5, 7, 9) backwards. If the parents are not seeing it, that does not mean it is not happening. Remember, at this age the teacher is right there with them, checking their work as they go and pointing out errors along the way. So when little Susie writes her "s" backwards, Mrs. Smith corrects her on the spot and Susie corrects it then, at school, before the paper ever makes it home. I know in the Fort Worth ISD you can request that the school test your child for dyslexia at no cost to you (my doctor told me about that). The school put me off several times, but they have to do it if the parent or the child's doctor request it. So, if you are really concerned about it, you should have that avenue as well as I believe that is the case throughout Texas. However, I doubt that it is anything to worry about. Remember, they are learning SO VERY MUCH right now. Sometimes it is hard to keep it all straight. Just like we adults sometimes transpose numbers when we are in a hurry; their brains are going rapid-fire and sometimes they reverse a number or letter. One thing that may help is to start teaching her cursive at home. It is much harder to reverse letters when written in cursive. Also, pay attention to her reading. If she is not having trouble reading and is on target with that, don't worry about the rest. She's got it, she is just in a hurry. Simply point out that it is backwards, have her correct it and go on.

Hope this helps.

Elisa, I am a former special education teacher. It is very normal for your daughter to write some of her letters and numbers backwards. My daughter is in Kindergarten and was doing the same thing. You will see less of it as she gets more practice. Remember, that this is all new to her and it may take a little while to "get it right". Keep the communication open with her teacher. She will answer all your questions and let you know when/if it time to worry!

I am no expert, other than being a mom myself. But my T. older children (now ages 8 and 5) both wrote their letters backwards, and neither of them are dyslexic. In fact, they both excel at language arts in school! My 8 year old did this well into first grade, but eventually, she corrected herself on her own.

I believe that letter writing is just one small indication of whether or not a child has dyslexia. Your child's teacher should help you identify if any other factors are present.

Hope this helps!
M.

Don't compare your child to others, but listen to the teacher. I had the same issue with one of my children and now she islder and at the top of her class. The backwards issue will straighten itself out in 1st grade.

this is a hard thing, i wrote everything and read backwards i had/have dislexia the teachers at that time (of course along time ago almost 20 yrs) put it off saying most kids do this, i struggled through until i had a teacher in 8th who said i should be tested, on the other hand my littlest sister did the same thing she wrote some letters and numbers backwards and she is now in the 7th grade and an excellent student with no problems. I would suggest getting her teseted, i know alot of people dont agree with this at her age, but all they can do is tell you she doesnt have it and will out grow it eventually, it is very hard and frustrating as a kid to have this it will be so much easier on her if you catch it early (if she has it), they can teach her tricks and things to do. Good Luck!!

My daughter is 6 and she still does the same thing. I've asked her teacher and some other parents and they say that it's normal for their age. I guess it just takes a while because my eight year old nephew did the same thing until about a year ago and is now writing them just fine.

Y. A

NO worries. Even if it is sings you just help them a little more in that area. I had this up until about 3rd grade where I would confuse 'b's and 'd's just give extra help and she will be just fine.

My son (age 12 now) is dyslexic and dysgraphic. I started noticing the same things when he was in kindergarten. He had always excelled far beyond other children and now he was starting to fall behind. His teachers told me that it was developmentally appropriate at this age to write letters backwards and such, but I was still concerned. I had difficulty getting testing and so we went through the International Dyslexia Association of Dallas and found a private therapist to test him and work with him (We actually received a scholarship for private therapy from IDA after he was diagnosed.) He still struggles with grammar and spelling but he has better self esteem because he understands that he is not "stupid." He used to say that he knew the answers in his head but couldn't get them out on the paper. He was extremely frustrated and hated school to the point he was hiding under his desk and such. BTW, he really isn't stupid. Most people with dyslexia have an above average IQ. My son is in gifted and talented and in advanced placement courses. He also was one of seven students in the 7th grade at his school who was asked to take the SAT/ACT this year and is in a college gifted and talented program for academic achievement.

Most schools do not test until the 2nd or 3rd grade but, just like anything else, the sooner the diagnosis the easier it is to cope with and overcome.

As his mother, I knew in my heart that something just wasn't right. Also, when I spoke to his teachers about it they all suggested that he was ADD, but I knew that something else was going on. Sometimes dyslexia presents as ADD because the children are so frustrated.

Sorry that this is so long but we really struggled with this and I did so much research on my own. I hope that this will ease your mind rather than causing more concern. Let me know if you would like any other information.

It could be. There are several things to look for: spelling, word recognition, phonological memory, decoding, phonological awareness, fluency. Where does she go to school? We typically give students a year or 2 in school to build a foundation before we evaluate them.
I hope that helps; www.altaread.org is a great site to look at for Dyslexia.
Good Luck!

Reversing and mirroring letters and numbers is age appropriate even past kindergarten. I have taught Kinder and now teach Pre-K. It is very common and I usually have many parents asking me the same thing. No worries!

DONT WORRY!!!! I have a 6 year old daughter and sometimes she still writes her letters backwards. I was a nanny a few years ago and the when little girl was in Kindergarten and 1st grade she did the same thing ALL the time. She is now 10 and is in Gifted and Talented and one of the brightest children that I know. Just work with your daughter and be patient, it will all work out!!

Hi Elisa,

Hopefully this is just normal development, but I just read a posting on the Prevent Blindness America website. A former teacher posted that it's not always normal and suggested to someone else having similar problems that they have the child's eyes checked. Apparently in some children this can be a sign that the eyes aren't working together.

I don't mean to alarm you - just thought you might like to know what I found.

Best,
L.

My experience is that at 5 it's very common. Trust your teacher.

K.

My son has Dyslexia and has struggled with it for years. he also wrote letters backwards when he was in kinder and first and they told me all kids his age do. The one difference was that it was very consistenly the same letters I noticed. I asked them about that and they dismissed it as well, so i hired a specialist and had him tested and she told me that writing the same letters backwards is one sign that it may be dyslexia related but until other testing is done they really couldn't diagnose him without further test which if you request it from the school they must do. he also on a blank piece of paper could not write a sentence in a straight line which is another sign of dyslexia. good luck and keep in mind if it is there are good programs out there for them but sometimes you must fight the schools for them. As a side note my son is now a freshman in high school who tutors elementary students. hope this helps a bit

My son is also five and occasionally does the same, we had Dominick tested and the doctor said this is not unusual. My 11 yr. old does the same and he was tested when he was seven. Kids sometimes are in a hurry and put numbers and letters backward. Tell your daughter to slow down and take her time and see if her problem solves it's self. If it doesn't have her checked she may be able to be tested through her school. Hope this helps.

Hi Elisa,
My 5 year old son does the very same thing sometimes! My friend is a stay at home mom, former kindergarten teacher and says that it is very common, her daughter who is 5 also, does the same thing. Don't worry, it is very common at this age!
K.

I am a first grade teacher and see reversals all of the time. It is very common at this age. As long as your daughter is beginning to read and it doesn't seem to be affecting her learning I would trust the teacher.

My son has written some numbers and letters backward too. I think when they are first learning them it is easy to get confused because some can work either way, i.e. 9,P. My son kept writing 5's backward until just this year. He is now in 2nd grade. Listen to the teacher, and don't worry about it. I think next year when she really starts reading, you will know if there is truly a problem.

S.

Hi Elisa,
Dyslexia can be a difficult and frustrating thing to deal with. I was diagnosed with it when I was about 6, I was in the first grade. My mom and teachers noticed that I didn't want to read I would semi-read and then try to guess what a book was about by discribing what was in the picture. I also would read words backwards, like instead of "I saw that", I would say "That I saw". Also another sign would be we she writes not writing in a straight line. I struggled all through school with dyslexia. I eventually grew out of most of it, b/c mine was not really bad. I would talk to her doctor about referring her to get tested. The sooner you find out the sooner you can get her help at school. I hope everything works out.

is your child left-handed? I have been a southpaw all my life & I still sometimes write backward

I can remember flipping 5's, 3's, etc. through kindergarten, 1st, 2nd grade. Generally there were a few specific characters that troubled me. My son was a classic one for writing 5's backwards, too. It never hurts to ask, but neither of us is dyslexic, some characters I think pose more of a challenge to kids to remember their spatial orientation.
I think your friends would probably see a few flipped letters if they looked carefully, or eraser marks!

M. S

It's very common. My own child did it in kindergarten and first grade and now I teach k-2 math part-time and I would say that 90% of the students I see do it. No need to worry until closer to second grade.

Hi Elisa,

I have a 7-year-old son in first grade, and he still sometimes writes letters or numbers backwards. He's a great reader, though, and his writing has become much more consistent the last few months. If your daughter's teacher says she's on track as far as learning the letters reading-wise, I don't think you should worry about dyslexia. Writing them correctly will come with time, and probably sooner than you expect!

Cheers,
H.

I am a 30year teacher who has worked with dyslexic kids for the last 6 years. It is a normal evelopmental process for kids to experiment with spatial placing of letters and numbers. While letter reversals after the age of 7 or 8 may be an indication of dyslexia, number reversals don't indicate dyslexia. Check this site or read Shaywitz book, OVERCOMING DYSLEXIA for more good info. http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.aspx?r=718
Now take a deep breath and know that your child is probably NORMAL!
DWhisenant

Dear Elisa,
Don't worry I have 4 kids and all of them wrote their letters and numbers backwards, little by little they will start writing them correctly. just spend a little extra time with her and show her the correct way to write and that will help her as well.
Elisabeth J. married w/ wonderful husband for almost 18 yrs.
4 kids: 16, 14, 9 & 4
good luck

My son did this also. His teacher's all said they wouldn't be concerned unless he still did it in the second grade. He started making more and more of them correct in the first grade and by the time the class was done reviewing during the first few weeks of second he made them all correct.

Another thing that comes to mind, his first grade teacher showed him a paper that had p b d q on it and asked him to point to the one she said, he did this correct 90% of the time so she knew he could tell them apart, he just wrote them wrong. You might try this with your little one.

Hi, my name is D.. My son did this also. He is also left handed. His 1st grade/kindergarten teachers told me it was normal just like the teacher told you, but I also asked and it seemed like no one else had this in common with me. Like the teacher said, he did grow out of it.

D.

Hi Elisa! Don't worry. I taught Kindergarten for 5 years, and this is SO common and completely normal. They can actually do this, and it be considered normal up until 2nd grade. They cannot diagnose them until after this point either.

WRONG!!! My SD did it when she was 5 and 6. She is now in 6th grade honor roll. She has NO learning disabilities. My son, age 4 also does it. When I worked in daycare with the preschoolers, I also found out that this is quite normal. They are just getting used to writing. It is just as normal as starting there name on the far right of the page and then running out of room and finishing on the left! lol

Now, my brother had a type of Dyslexia. I think it was called left brain dominance. He was a WIZZARD at math, he just couldn't read worth a darn. He's 37 and in the Navy and also works for the IRS. He reads fine now.

Every child is different. They each learn at different levels. Your daughter is only 5. Even my SD couldn't read after kindergarten. At the start of 1st grade, it was bad because she wouldn't try, but at the end of 1st she was at grade 3 level. She also still got her numbers backward, but it was more because she didn't care than anything else.

I would wait and see about mid way through 1st grade before worrying about it! I know you will worry anyway, but she needs to do a lot of memorizing of numbers, number orders and the same with letters. She'll get it.

hello :-)

my daughter is also 5 years old and does the same thing. my husband and i worried about it being dyslexia but her teacher and her doctor told us it is normal at this age. reading your post actually made me feel a little bit better about it :-) thank you!! :-)

I wouldn't worry about your daughter...my son is 8yrs. and he still writes his b's and d's, and his 6's and 3's backwards. I have had him tested when he was in 1st grade and this year in 3rd grade. They said some kids it takes longer for them to get their dirrections right. I hope that this has helped you.

I teach Kg. and it is VERY common for children at this age to write their numbers and letters backwards. She will most likely grow out of it. Their little minds are just beginning to learn the process of writing and letter/number recognition. Give her a time, and she will be a pro before you know it!

If this is something that you are stressing over; talk to the teacher about what tests are avalible. I know that it can ba a little worrisome. But really all kids do it at some point. Their little brains absorb things so quick sometimes it takes a minute to sort it all out and keep it stait. Have you evr mixed up an appointment time? switched a 6 & 9? Transposed a ph# ? None of this would indicate you have a problem, you just cannot be perfect all the time. I tell you tis because this is what I had to tell myself. My daughter doesn't do it all the time but every now and then. She haas been writing since she was three. This just started when she started school. If the other parents always just say no - well they are full of it or they are notconcerned about Dyslexia.

Hi Elisa, I was a Special Education teacher for 4 years. I worked with regular kiddos who had attention difficulties, and slight delays but were otherwise in their regular classrooms. The answer you received from the teacher is right, it is VERY common when children are first learning to write the alphabet to write a mirror image of letters and numbers (even through 1st-2nd grade they might occasionally make this mistake). Other indicators of dyslexia would be delays in acquiring reading skills, reading a list of sight words out of order, skipping words when reading, and reading words backwards (saw - was). Hope this helps.

Also, if you feel pretty strongly the possibility, formally request (in writing) that your child be tested for dyslexia. It is a lengthy process with lots of forms/meetings/and multiple screening tests. Once you get the ball rolling, it could take 3-6 months before she would begin receiving services (if she did indeed qualify). There are SO many parents who want their children tested in so many different areas; many times schools will put minor cases on the back burner.

Again, your daughter's issue doesn't sound like anything to worry about. I just share, having been on "the inside," to encourage mothers to be diligent if warranted.

Blessings,
A.

I would take the teachers advice. I have 2 sons that are 9 and 6 and they both did it and the 6 year old still does it on occasion. They also started writing very young because they were in Montessori school and their teachers have also told me it is very common.

Elisa,

Both of my kids got into a gifted academy beginning in kindergarten, and both wrote some letters backwards. My second son is in kindergarten now and still does it on occasion. He even mixes up m's and w's sometimes. He's been reading since age 4, can spell wonderfully for his age, and does well otherwise (as was the case with my oldest), so I do believe that this is very common and not something to worry about.

-C.

Hello Elisa,

My name is L. Irvin. I am a certified dyslexia testing specialist in Midland, Tx. Yes, some children with dyslexia write their letters and numbers backwards, but not all. A wonderful resource for current research on dyslexia is: www.brightsolutions.us. You can watch a 45 min. video there entitled "Could it be Dyslexia?". That website has a "Warning Signs for Dyslexia" checklist that every parent should read. 1 out of 5 people has dyslexia, so it is very common. If you have further questions, call my office at ###-###-####.

I work at a school for 5-12th graders with a variety of learning disabilities, dylexia and dysgraphia included. It could just be development, so you may find few specialists will see you. You might try contacting a Reading or Literacy Specialist; there is usually one at every public school. I would talk to your pedi first though.
Good luck, i know its frustrating.
-S.

One of the best indicators of dyslexia in young children is the ability to rhyme (hat, cat, ect.). Dylsexia is usually not tested for until around 2nd grade. My daughter is dyslexic and she also wrote numbers backwards but was never interested in my reading to her books like Cat-in-the Hat. She could never make the phonetic connection.

My 7-year old son frequently did this when he was younger, particularly w/ b's and d's and some numbers. He reads very well for his age and is in the gifted and talented program. My 5 year old daughter is in PK4 and often does this. She also does very well on her school work. I don't think it's anything to be concerned about. Particularly, if she seems to be reading, I would be less concerned.

B.

My best friend has a child who is dyslexic--and it took her 3 yrs and a lot of hasseling to get them to test her child. Supposedly, there are over 80 different types of dyslexia and so it is a very broad diagnosis. I would stay on them about having her tested. It's better to catch it early.

Elisa M,

My daughter did the same thing in Kindergarten. She also said her double digit numbers backwards. I was concerned and so I talked with her teacher and got the same response you did from your teacher. 3 years later we don't have any problems. Maybe it is just a stage!

Jen A

I would agree with your child's teacher. I am a kinder teacher and almost all of my students write their letters and numbers backwards or upside down at least some of the time. I would just remind your daughter which way the letter or number faces. I don't think Dyslexia is commonly diagnosed until first or second grade. She should just grow out of it. Try not to worry, but do let your school know if you have concerns in a few years.

My kids did that and still do sometimes (1st graders now). They still mix up b and d sounds when reading and writing. According to their teachers its very normal and they are considered some of the best readers and writers in their classes.

I tend to stray away from testing kinders for dyslexia because most 5 year olds write things backwards and later in their development, they're fine. Continue to work with your child and monitor what she/he does especially if you or dad have had reading problems in the past. If this continues into the middle of her first grade year, definitely look into testing.

Reading your post made me feel a bit better too. My daughter is 5yo and is doing really good in school but...she does the same thing. It has made me wonder about dyslexia as well. Thanks, now I don't feel like I am alone here. The teachers say the same to me... "normal at this age" - they are still learning. :)

My daughter did they same thing and her dad is a bit dyslexic so I was really worried. I spoke to her teacher and she said the same thing. Her friends at the time were much better spellers etc. She is now 8 and is reading 2 grade levels above. She still strugggles with spelling but I did too as a child. ITS REALLY NORMAL! I am not concerned anymorer. Dyslexia is MUCH more extreme. Just read to her often and correct her spelling and help teach her the spelling rules she learns at school. Shell catch on. Please excuse my spelling I just got a new mac and Im getting used to it.
Sam Evans LM CPM

I am an educator of 19 years, most of that teaching Kindergarten. It is very common to see children reversing letters. They are just learning left to right progression, and top down. The push now is however, for early intervention. Talk with her about how she sees the words on a page as you read to her. If she describes them as wavy lines or that the letters are all over the page, that would raise a level of concern. If she doesn't have a problem with letter identification or other gaps, it is most likely developmental. If this is still a big issue at six (they will sometime reverse letters then too) you might want to talk to a reading specialist.

When my son was about 3 1/2 to 5, he wrote some letters backwards (usually capitals) and even drew upside down (houses, people, etc.) and I was told this could be a sign of early dyslexia. However, he is now 6 and hasn't done any of that for at least 10 months. I think they grow out of it, but it will make you aware and keep in mind that they MIGHT be watched for problems later on in elementary/middle school.

Letter reversals a sign of dyslexia? Yes and no. Letter reversals can be common at early stages of reading and writing, but if this is combined with a difficulty blending and segmenting simple word sounds ( stop = s-t-o-p) as sounds (breaking a work into letters,not sounds) or manipulating individual sounds of language (as in "Say the word slip without the letter /l/ ") then the child may be demonstrating some characteristics of dyslexia. The only way to be sure is testing. Your public school can do that, or a licensed educational diagnosticiancan as well . I am a Master Reading Teacher trained in assessments for dyslexia and I work with dyslexic students at a local school as well as in private tutoring. Warning- do not trust just anyone who says they can give your child a simple test. She needs a complete assessment. I am working with one little girl now who is not dyslexic, just an at-risk reader. She could have been mis-identified by a company out for profit or an over-eager novice. Hope that info helps. For more, see the Texas Education Dyslexia Handbook online.

Go to wrightslaw.com for info on how to negotiate with the schools for services.
This site will also refer you to many other helpful resources.
If you suspect a reading disorder, intensive intervention K - 2nd grade is very, very important.
I trusted my daughter's school personel. They said her reading delay was 'developemental' and now she has to suffer with this the rest of her life because she was denied early intervention.
According to leading expert, Dr. Sally Shawitz, a Yale pediatric professor, in her book "Overcoming Dyslexia at Any Age", early intervention can be so successful, that by 3rd grade, not only is the dyslexic student reading the same as their non reading disordered peers, but active MRI's show the brain functioning the same as those peers.
Good Luck