“I ain’t going to school today”.
“Why not? Everything was fine yesterday!”
“There was no reading class yesterday”.
How many times have you heard such words? How many mornings have begun with tears and persuasion?
“I saw real fear in my son’s eyes – real of reading aloud, of being laughed at by classmates. And it will only get harder in the upper grades, where they read long works. What should I do?” says Olena, mother of 8-year-old Illia.
And Illia is not alone. He is one of many children who brilliantly solve problems verbally but struggle to write them down; gifted artists who cannot spell the title of their own painting; future engineers for whom reading an instruction manual feels like a heroic feat.
Dyslexia is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions affecting a child’s ability to read and write. Despite growing awareness, it remains surrounded by myths and misconceptions.
So, what exactly is dyslexia? How can it be recognised? And, most importantly, how can we help a child unlock their potential despite learning challenges?
We discuss these questions with Iryna Hordiieva from the Centre of Psychological Help “Confidence” – a speech therapist, special education teacher with extensive experience of working with children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Ms Hordiieva, people often say that dyslexia is just a “trendy” diagnosis. What do you think?
Dyslexia is a specific neurodevelopmental disorder that requires serious work. In my practice, I work with such children from one to three years of age, and it’s not simply “poor reading” — it is a complex of features that can already be noticed in preschool age.
How can dyslexia be recognised in preschoolers?
The first signs often appear between ages three and five. Such children often show reduced mobility, avoid physical games, and have balance problems. Their fine motor skills can also be affected – these kids hold a pencil incorrectly and press too hard when drawing. One clear indicator is that at the age of three a child can’t draw a circle, at four – a square or cross, and at five – a triangle.
What happens when a child starts school? Do the symptoms change?
At six or seven, the symptoms become more obvious. Children may struggle with coordination – they find it difficult to ski, catch a ball, tie shoelaces, use cutlery, handle scissors and draw complex geometric shapes and patterns. Quite common is a delay in lateralisation, as children confuse right and left and “mirror” letters and numbers when writing. They may have difficulty distinguishing similar letters and make errors in pronunciation and grammar. For them, it may be hard, for example, to arrange drawings by elements based on a model, or notice details that distinguish pictures, shapes or letters.
Many people believe that dyslexia only means slow reading or even laziness. Is that true?
It is far more complex. Such children often misuse prepositions that describe spatial relations, find it hard to memorise poems, songs and longer names. They may struggle to remember sequences, such as days of the week or number series. They also have difficulties differentiating similar sounds (phonemic processing disorders) and performing sound and syllable analysis and synthesis.
What is your main message for parents who notice these signs in their kids?
The most important thing is not to ignore these signs, blaming laziness or unwillingness to learn. At the same time, there is no reason to panic – with timely and professional support, children with dyslexia can learn successfully. Early identification and proper guidance are key.
