Because dyslexia is primarily associated with difficulty in learning to read, it cannot be reliably diagnosed until your child is the age at which reading typically begins. Although most children are ready to begin to read at about age six, individual development is variable. It is normal for some children to pick up basic reading skills as early as age four, and it is also normal for many children to be delayed in learning to read until age seven or eight.

Symptoms of Dyslexia

Identifying signs of dyslexia can be a difficult task. Many of the problems that are tell-tale symptoms of dyslexia in older children are part of normal development in a three-year-old. In order to assess whether your very young child could have dyslexia, it's best to look at her overall learning pattern.

The following are some common characteristics that may be signs of dyslexia in preschool-age children:

• Jumbling sounds of words in speech, such as saying “pasgetti” for “spaghetti” or “mawn lower” for “lawn mower.”

• Confusing words signifying direction in space or time, such as “up” and “down,” “in” and “out,” “yesterday” and “tomorrow.”

• Forgetting or confusing the word for known objects, such as “table” or “chair.”

• Delayed speech development.

• Unusual speech patterns, such as frequent hesitations or stammering.

• Difficulty with behavior or learning.

• Difficulty remembering and following directions.

• Extremely low tolerance for frustration.

• Difficulty getting dressed, buttoning clothes, and putting shoes on the correct feet.

• Excessive tripping, bumping into things, and falling over.

• Difficulty with catching, kicking, or throwing a ball; with hopping and/or skipping.

Reading and Writing

If you've noticed that your child has difficulty learning to form letters or frequently reverses letters, it's understandable why there's cause for concern. However, many small children do not have the small-motor coordination needed for writing, and reversals of some letters in writing is common in many children up until age 7. Reversals of entire words — “mirror” writing — are less common, but are not significant in isolation; they are only a sign of dyslexia if accompanied by other symptoms.

Although most children will learn to recognize some letters of the alphabet in early childhood, many children are unable to learn to recite or write the letters of the complete alphabet until they reach school age.

Here are some problems with pre-reading skills that may be early signs of dyslexia:

• Difficulty learning nursery rhymes and rhyming words.

• Difficulty in learning (and remembering) names of letters.

• Enjoys being read to but shows no interest in letters or words.

• Difficulty with clapping a simple rhythm.

Keep in mind that it is important to look at the overall pattern of learning, including strengths as well as weaknesses. Many children simply are not ready to read until they are somewhat older than average; that does not mean they have dyslexia.

Speech and Language

A child who shows significant language delays or difficulties with speech can and should be evaluated by a speech and language therapist. If you or your child's pediatrician suspect a possible hearing problem, you should also seek evaluation from an audiologist. These language problems can be an early sign of dyslexia; they can also indicate hearing or auditory learning problems.

If a child is merely late to begin talking, perhaps not speaking or only saying a few words until age three or later, consider how he responds to language. If your child seems to understand what you are saying to him and responds appropriately to simple instructions, his delayed speech may just be part of his normal developmental pattern.

Expression and Articulation

You should be more concerned if your child has continued speech difficulties once he begins talking. Children with dyslexia or other language problems often have difficulty expressing themselves or with understanding what is said to them. Your child may have difficulties with articulation, which is the ability to pronounce specific words correctly. While all young children mispronounce difficult words at first, a child with dyslexia is particularly prone to making errors that confuse the order or sequence of sounds in a word or phrase.

Problematic Speech Patterns

Your child may stutter, hesitate, or stammer. This is called dysfluency, an interruption in the rhythm of speech. Some children have difficulties with voice tones, pitch, and volume. An odd or halting manner of speech can also be an early sign of dyslexia.

Your child may show signs of word retrieval problems. He may often hesitate or be unable to remember the word for common objects, or mistakenly substitute the wrong word, saying one thing when he means something else. He may frequently confuse words related to direction or time; for example, mixing up words like “over” and “under,” or “yesterday” and “tomorrow.” This word confusion may be apparent in his receptive language as well as his expressive language; that is, he may be easily confused by directions or statements that others make to him using these words.

Your child also may seem to have difficulty learning correct grammar and syntax, such as the use of pronouns. She may have a hard time learning the difference between “he” and “she,” or difficulty learning to use “I” rather than “me” when beginning a sentence. All of these problems are very normal at early stages of development, but most children show steady progress and outgrow them over time.

Persistent problems can indicate that your child has difficulty understanding and processing language. These early oral language problems can indicate that your child has difficulty thinking with and understanding the meaning of words. Even though she may outgrow the speech problems, her language issues may remain, leading to problems recognizing and understanding words in print.