There are many reasons why a child may have difficulty reading or learning to read. But when does a reading difficulty constitute a “reading disability”?
The journey of learning to read – and continuing to develop as a confident and enthusiastic reader – is often a bumpy one.
However, some people have more serious difficulty with the process than others. In some cases, there are specific reasons why a child is having trouble with reading – and alternative forms of help may be needed.
Reading difficulties can affect anyone. Sometimes a condition, impairment or difference may affect a child’s reading, either mildly or severely.
In general, the term “reading disability” is used to describe any condition that affects certain parts of the brain responsible for making sense of words and/or sounds.
This is different from a “learning disability” (like dyslexia) – although most learning disabilities will also, in turn, affect the person’s ability to learn to read.
There are also other disabilities or conditions which may affect a child’s reading.
Where a child (or adult) has difficulty reading, it is important to try to identify the reason/s as early as possible, as the sort of help needed can differ dramatically.
Evidence suggests that early intervention is key.
For example, the kind of help a child needs to overcome problems with making sense of the sounds generated by letters or letter combinations is very different from that needed by a child who has “visual” problems reading.
There is more detail on these below – but do remember that these are just a few of the possible reasons a child may have difficulty reading or learning to read. Professional expertise/advice is essential in identifying a problem.
Research shows that dyslexia is usually linked to inherited differences in the parts of the brain which process vision and language, making learning language excessively hard. Acquired dyslexia can be caused by damage to these areas, for example from trauma, strokes or tumours.
The process of “translating” the letters on a page into the sounds of the words is disturbed, so that the whole business of decoding a word or sentence is made difficult.
From a very early age, a dyslexic child may well have trouble learning to understand speech and make him/herself understood and may have trouble recalling words and sequencing words or letters.
Learning to read by traditional approaches can therefore be extremely difficult – but there are alternative methods available, which are proven to be more effective. For example, children with dyslexia need direct instruction in the relationship between letter and sound.
Dyslexia can be difficult to recognize as many of its characteristics are those which most children go through as a natural part of growing up. It is when these phases seem to last longer than normal and child seems to be “stuck” in difficult stages that there may be an indication of dyslexia.
Someone with dyslexia may avoid difficult tasks (especially if they involve reading, writing or spelling), guess words instead of reading them, prop up the head when writing, and know a word one day but forget it the next.
They can often be very talented in other areas and may have a vocabulary which exceeds his/her reading ability. Sometimes a dyslexic child appears to be lazy, not trying hard enough, or just slow.
In fact, the dyslexic mind is working harder to bridge the gap between what s/he sees, hears and feels in the outer world, his/her thoughts about these things in his head and how to put them into words.
Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) is an umbrella term used to describe difficulties with communicating – including understanding, speaking and forming sounds.
A child may have difficulty understanding and/or using words to communicate. Or they may find it difficult to speak without hesitating, or have a stammer or stutter. Or they may struggle to join words together into sentences or understand words in a conversation or in written material. Speech and language challenges can often accompany specific conditions such as dyslexia.
Where reading development is concerned, children with SLCN may find it difficult to recognise and use the sounds in spoken language so this can affect their understanding of things like rhyming, identifying syllables and recognising alliteration. They may have difficulties relating to vocabulary, grammar, or they may find it hard to follow the plot, characters or themes of a story.
This term is used to describe situations where the information taken in by the senses is disturbed or distorted. This might include visual, hearing and motor deficits.
Although they are classed as learning disabilities, these difficulties overlap with speech and language disorders and specific learning disabilities like dyslexia.
Letters can be reversed and a child can easily lose his/her place while reading or forget simple instructions.
Neurodivergence is a term used to refer to differences in brain development and function that can affect learning, social interaction, and emotional regulation.
Autism is one type of neurodivergence. Autism is widely understood to be a spectrum, so one child’s experience can be very different from another. Autistic children might have different communication styles, skills and preferences to neurotypical people. They might perhaps use and understand words differently. They may also use tone of voice and body language (such as gesture and facial expressions) differently.
Being on the autistic spectrum can involve challenges in reading, including difficulties in attention, motivation and problems with decoding. Autistic spectrum conditions can be combined with learning difficulties and often seem to run in families.
ADHD is another neurodevelopmental difference. Some people with ADHD experience difficulty with attention, while others struggle more with hyperactivity and impulsivity. Some people may have a combination.
Having ADHD might affect a child’s ability to learn to read if they have difficulty focusing and following instructions. Or a child with ADHD may find it hard to stay still and maintain attention, which can in turn affect reading. A child may struggle with word recognition, making it difficult to connect sounds with letters and decode words accurately. ADHD can affect reading fluency and speed, hindering comprehension. It can also affect memory, so a child with ADHD may struggle to remember details or make inferences, impacting understanding of a text.
ADHD can often co-occur with specific learning disabilities like dyslexia.
Accessibility of books (and other written material) can represent a barrier for many blind and partially sighted people, and children with a vision impairment.
There are many organisations which offer services and support for reading, including:
Deafness need not be a barrier to reading, and sharing books with Deaf children is an important way for them to experience language. Bookstart Shine is our programme that provides books specially selected for Deaf children. There are useful articles on reading with Deaf children on the following links:
Parents are almost always the first to sense a problem or difference in a child’s development. However, they often assume that the child will catch up, just needs more time, or is simply not as “bright” as other children.
Sometimes their observations are a sign that there really is a problem – there is a disability or difference that is affecting the child’s reading. In this case, an alternative type of help in reading development can often provide the answer.
Many people who have been diagnosed as being dyslexic, for example, have in fact average to above average intelligence. All they need is the right type of help and support to become confident readers.
It’s therefore important to trust your instincts and insist on getting the professional help and the extra support your child needs.
Ask your child’s teacher, doctor or health visitor for help – and insist you get it.