Reading is among one of the most important things your child learns at school…
…and in the home; an everyday skill, reading is taught to children in every corner of the world. To see your child struggle to read may be frustrating or worrying; but don’t fret! There are resources and people here to help!
First off; evaluating if your child has a reading disorder in the first place is important. It’s crucial to remember that your child’s ability to read is not a:
- Reflection of his/her intelligence
- Developmental or learning disability (it is important to be screened for this, however!
- Reflection of a child’s desire to learn.
The three most common types of reading disorders are dyslexia, alexia, and hyperlexia.
| Name | Description |
| Dyslexia | Easily the most well-known of the lexias. An impairment of one’s ability to read without impairment to cognitive ability. As early readers, children with dyslexia may have struggles sounding out words or pronouncing the sounds in a word, spelling and understanding writing, and listing off objects quickly. |
| Alexia | A lost ability to read due to stroke or TBI; the least common of the 3 -lexias, especially among children. |
| Hyperlexia | An advanced ability to read but difficulty understanding text or what is being spoken aloud. May lead to social and cognitive problems. |
 | All of these reading disorders can and will impact a child’s fluency level, reading comprehension and literacy, and sound decoding (your child’s ability to sound out words.) Reading and writing disorders also affect a child’s social, academic, behavioral, and emotional performance. Learning how to read may be a tough thing for a child, so it is important to be patient and help him/her through any problems they may face. |
Not all reading impairments are caused by these reading disorders, however. Having your child screened for things like ASD, ADHD/ADD, and other onset speech-related cognitive disorders. The importance of early screening and early intervention. Early screening and intervention can prevent language lags and build the foundational tools for your child’s reading journey.
If your child is lagging behind on his/her reading and fluency level, you should seek to take action immediately. Early intervention is one of the best things you can do. 90% of children with reading difficulties catch up when given support or aid by the first grade. It becomes increasingly harder to catch a child up the longer they go without support. It takes a child four times as long to catch up when given help in the fourth grade, as opposed to the first. Despite this, 44% of parents wait a year before seeking help.
A speech pathologist or audiologist depending on the problem your child may have will be among your most valuable resources; the earlier the intervention the easier your child will be brought back up to speed.
If you see problems with your child’s acquisition of reading skills; say something.
WORKS CITED
Is it a reading disorder or developmental lag? | Reading Rockets. (n.d.). Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/struggling-readers/articles/it-reading-disorder-or-developmental-lag
Understanding Language Delay and Reading Challenges – Kutest Kids. (n.d.). https://www.kutestkids.com/blog/language-delay-and-reading-difficulties
What are reading disorders? (2020, March 5). http://www.nichd.nih.gov/. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/reading/conditioninfo/disorders
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, April 8). Dyslexia. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyslexia
Hulme, C., & Snowling, M. J. (2016). Reading disorders and dyslexia. Current opinion in pediatrics, 28(6), 731–735. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOP.0000000000000411
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Disorders of reading and writing. https://www.asha.org/Practice-Portal/Clinical-Topics/Written-Language-Disorders/Disorders-of-Reading-and-Writing/
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