According to the International Association Dyslexia, "dyslexia is a specific learning disorder that is neurobiological in origin". This means that  research using MRIs has shown that there are differences between dyselxic and non-dyslexic brains in the way they process letters into sounds.

An Individualized Education Plan or Individualized Education Program is a legal document that lays out learning goals and teaching plans that are SPECIFIC to the needs of your child.

1. The teacher. Perhaps this will open their eyes to something they've not noticed in the classroom. Now that they know, they can give your child the support they need.

2. The pediatrician. They can help rule out any problems with vision and hearing and talk with you about your concerns. They may know some other experts to refer you too.

3. If you've done steps 1 and 2 and have ongoing concerns, then it's time to request testing from the school. This MUST be done in writing (email is ok).  The school will likely respond by setting up a meeting to hear your concerns and decide if they think testing is needed.

No, not necessarily.

Reversing letters, such as confusing "b" and "d" or confusing "p" and "q", is considered developmentally normal until about age 7.

Think of it this way:

If I showed you 🙂 and asked you to name it, you would say it's a smiley face.

If I showed you 🙃 and asked you to name it, you would still say it's a smiley face.

This is because our brains are powerful and can quickly process that we are seeing the same symbol in reverse.

So when kids see "b" and "d", their brains automatically would see them as the same symbol. The process of learning to read requires training your brain NOT to see them as the same. Tricky, right?!

1. Get them to look an ANY kind of text:

• read street signs
• cook together using a recipe
• tell jokes from a joke book
• Madlibs (remember those?!)
• poems
• song lyrics
• comic books

2. Help them learn to enjoy listening to stories by listening to audiobooks together or reading out loud to them.

This is a VERY common question. 

Is she having trouble focusing because she doesn't understand the school work?

Or is she having trouble learning because she can't focus?

Or both?

To address this question you should set a time to meet with the teacher AND make an appointment with your pediatrician.