How can I know if my brother is dyslexic?

Question

My brother is 8 years old and in 2nd grade, he has a really hard time reading and spelling, writing his Bs like Ds and vice-versa. My mom also noticed he learns a bit better backwards like the word catch he stuggled with for 15 mins or but when he said it backwards he got it really well. In math he's really smart but again he sometimes gets he's 6s and 9s. Anyway my question is if theres a way to test him for dyslexia?

Answer 1

Hi there, I'm a certified reading specialist and I have some VERY important information to share:

When students are learning to write it is very important to realize that they are transitioning between a 3-D world (what they see with their eyes every day) to a 2-D world (the written word...it's 2 dimensional!) When making this transition it's absolutely normal for letters to be reversed.  b, d, p, and q are the most commonly reversed letters. The numbers  6 and 9 are also very common.

If a student is in 3rd grade and still doing this then there may be some cause for concern.  

8 is a bit late to be straightening out these letter issues, but it's not unheard of.

Dyslexia is NOT defined by reversals. This is the most common misconception about dyslexia. Dyslexia is a complex reading disability. There is also something know as dysgraphia which is a writing disability.  That's where the reversals come into play!  

Dyslexia is soooooo misunderstood.  Please go to wikipedia and do a search on Dyslexia. You'll get a much better understanding of it if you can read up on it there.

good luck.

Ps. Practice with him...practice practice practice...every night!

Answer 2

Ask the public school to do a MFE  (multifactor evaluation) With the no child left behind federal mandate, if a parent asks for this test the school has to do it by law. In Ohio they have to complete the test within 90 days or they can be sued. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Sit him down with a pen and paper and ask him to write down the following :- " The pseudo psychiatrist patently preferred psychopaths to schizophrenics.

If he can complete this task he is more than likely not to be suffering from dyslexia.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

There is a test but you cant really do it yourself you would have to go to a doctor and get them to send you to a specialist.

Answer 5

Your mom needs to speak to his teachers/school about this. The school district can/should test him for dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

If he has a learning disability they are required to give him special services, etc to help him figure out how he learns stuff best.  

I don't know of anything you can do on your own that would be really accurate, sorry. Its best if your mom has it done by professionals, then he can get some professional services at school to help him with his reading.