My husband and his brother were finally diagnosed with dyslexia in high school. They both had struggled through elementary and junior-high school. We now have a 1-year-old son. I want him to do well in school; however, I have heard that dyslexia runs in families. How can I recognize if our son is dyslexic? How can I help him if it turns out he is dyslexic? -- Worried About Heredity
Answer: Pay attention now as your young son starts talking. Most children will begin to say words by their first birthday. Is he talking now? By the time he's 2, he should be using phrases. If he doesn't do these things, it could be an early warning sign of dyslexia since there is a history of reading problems in his family.
Once your young son begins to speak, listen carefully to how he pronounces words. By 5 or 6, most children will not have any problem saying words correctly. On the other hand, children who are still leaving off beginning sounds such as saying "potamus" for "hippopotamus" are showing another possible early sign of dyslexia. Plus, 4-year-olds should be able to repeat nursery rhymes. And by the time your child is ready for kindergarten, he should be able to tell if two words such as "fair" and "hair" rhyme.
Since you know that dyslexia runs in your husband's family, you do need to watch for early warning signs like we mentioned above. Please remember that having these signs does not mean your son will be dyslexic. If you think he might be, get help as early as you can from people (doctors, psychologists, teachers, child-care providers) who know your child. You also need to become as familiar as you can with dyslexia. Visit such Web sites as www.greatschools.net and www.ncld.org/. You might also want to read "Overcoming Dyslexia" by Sally Shaywitz. She lays out what parents can do to help their children year by year, grade by grade and step by step.