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Tests and diagnosis

By Mayo Clinic staff

Dyslexia diagnosis involves an evaluation of medical, cognitive, sensory-processing, educational and psychological factors. Your doctor may ask about your child's developmental and medical history as well as your family medical history.

Your doctor may also suggest that your child undergo:

  • Vision, hearing and neurological evaluations. These evaluations can help determine whether another disorder may be causing or contributing to your child's poor reading ability.
  • A psychological assessment. This can help determine whether social problems, anxiety or depression may be limiting your child's abilities.
  • An evaluation of educational skills. Your child may take a set of educational tests and have the process and quality of his or her reading skills analyzed by an expert.
References
  1. Lyon GR. Specific language and learning disabilities. In: Kliegman RM. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.; Saunders Elsevier: 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/142934465-3/0/1608/82.html?printing=true. Accessed June 11, 2009.
  2. NINDS dyslexia information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dyslexia/dyslexia.htm. Accessed June 11, 2009.
  3. Learning disabilities. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec19/ch299/ch299d.html. Accessed June 11, 2009.
  4. Dyslexia. National Center for Learning Disabilities. http://www.ncld.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=454. Accessed June 11, 2009.
  5. What are the signs of dyslexia? International Dyslexia Association. http://www.interdys.org/SignsofDyslexiaCombined.htm. Accessed June 11, 2009.
  6. Grizzle KL. Developmental dyslexia. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2007;54:507.
  7. Hamilton SS. Interventions for children with reading difficulty. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 22, 2009.

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Aug. 27, 2009

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