If you've found yourself typing "signs of dyslexia in children" into Google late at night, you're not alone. Most parents who reach out to us have been quietly noticing something for months — a bright, capable child who seems to struggle disproportionately with reading, spelling, or writing — before they ever pick up the phone.

This guide walks through what dyslexia actually is, how it can show up at different ages, and what steps make sense if you're seeing these signs in your own child.

Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder that primarily affects the accuracy and fluency of word reading, spelling, and decoding. It's neurological in origin, meaning it is brain-based and lifelong. It is not a result of low intelligence, poor teaching, or a lack of effort, and it often runs in families.

Dyslexia is estimated to affect around 1 in 10 to 1 in 20 (5-10%) of Australians. Dyslexia is frequently missed or misunderstood in the early years, and there are common myths and misconceptions that can contribute to this.

Importantly, characteristics of dyslexia can vary between individuals. Some children have mild difficulties that are easy to miss; others have more pronounced challenges that affect multiple areas of learning. This is one reason a formal educational assessment, rather than guesswork, is so valuable: it identifies not just whether dyslexia is present, but the specific profile of strengths and difficulties involved.

Early Signs by Age

Kindergarten (3–5 years)

At this age, dyslexia doesn't look like a "reading difficulty" yet, but it shows up in the building blocks that reading depends on:

Difficulty learning nursery rhymes or recognising rhyming words
Trouble remembering the names of letters
Confusing similar-sounding words
Difficulty with remembering or naming numbers and colours
Late talking, difficulty pronouncing longer words, or problems with forming words correctly
Trouble following multi-step directions

Primary School

This is often when signs become harder to ignore, particularly when formal literacy instruction is introduced at school:

Slow, effortful progress in learning letter-sound relationships
Difficulty blending sounds together to read words
Reading or spelling well below the level expected for their age, despite adequate instruction
Reversing letters (b/d, p/q) or numbers past the age when this is typical
Missing words when reading or writing
Reading accurately but very slowly, or "guessing" words from context rather than decoding them
Spelling that doesn't match their oral vocabulary or verbal skills
Avoiding reading aloud, or becoming anxious around reading tasks
Avoiding tasks that involve reading or writing, or taking much longer than peers to complete homework

Secondary School

In high school, the gap between a student's intellectual ability and their literacy skills often becomes more obvious:

Written work that doesn't reflect what the student clearly understands verbally
Continued slow reading speed, affecting performance on timed tests and exams
Difficulty with note-taking or essay planning
Ongoing spelling difficulties despite years of instruction and correction
Anxiety, avoidance, or a drop in confidence and motivation around academic subjects involving high literacy demands

"My child is just lazy." Persistent, disproportionate difficulty with reading and spelling (especially alongside strong effort in other areas) is rarely about laziness. It's usually a sign that something specific needs to be understood, as indivdiuals with dyslexia are usually putting substantial effort into literacy task despite these challenges.

"They read fine, so it can't be dyslexia." Many individuals with dyslexia learn to read and decode words accurately but remain very slow and effortful, especially under time pressure. Accuracy alone doesn't rule out dyslexia.

"It’s a problem with vision." Dyslexia is a neurological difference, and is not caused by vision difficulties. Importantly, vision issues must be ruled out as the main cause of literacy difficulties. Similarly, the concept of ‘Irlen Syndrome’ (a visual processing disorder which was said to cause difficulties with areas such literacy, concentration, and depth perception) has often been incorrectly described as a cause of dyslexia. Scientific evidence does not support the existence of this condition or its associated treatments for literacy difficulties.

What to Do Next

If several of the signs above sound familiar, it may be worth having a conversation with your child's teacher, your GP or paediatrician, or contacting a psychologist with experience in educational assessments to help you understand whether a full assessment makes sense for your situation. Before considering a full assessment, it can also be helpful to consider:

Getting vision and hearing checks, to ensure these are not any contributing issues that may look like dyslexia
Implementing adjustments and educational interventions at school, such a synethic phonics program, and monitoring if these inteventions improve difficulties over time

If challenges with literacy have persisted despite adequate support, a comprehensive educational assessment can help clarify:

Whether dyslexia is present, and how it presents specifically for your child
Whether other learning or cognitive factors are also contributing to these challenges
Your child's cognitive profile, including areas of genuine strength to build on
Appropriate and practical recommendations for school and home

This clarity is what allows schools to put meaningful supports in place, rather than relying on general "try harder" strategies that don't address the underlying difficulty.

Book a Dyslexia Assessment

Our educational assessments can help to identify specific learing difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia, and to give families and schools clear and practical guidance. If you are wishing to discuss your concerns further and see whether an educational or dyslexia-focused assessment is right for your situation, get in touch with us to learn more.

Resources & Further Reading

Dyslexia Victoria Support (DVS)

Dyslexia - Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation (DSF)

Dyslexia in Australia - Austalian Dyslexia Foundation

Irlen Syndrome Position Statement (2018) - The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists

Signs of Dyslexia in Children & Teens: A Guide for Australian Parents

What is Dyslexia?