Dyslexia vs Anxiety or Overwhelm
No study we hold tests home signs for telling dyslexia from anxiety. The studies we hold link learning difficulties with frustration, lower self-esteem and higher anxiety. That is an association, not a cause. In our view, keep teaching the reading, and ask about worry too. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first.
TL;DR
- No study we hold tests home signs for telling dyslexia from anxiety. So we do not give a list of signs that sorts them.
- The studies we hold link learning difficulties with frustration, lower self-esteem and higher anxiety. That is an association, not a cause. Some of these studies report that support reduces these risks.
- To us, a child who cannot yet read the page can look worried. In our view, the look alone does not tell you why.
- Dyslexia is a name for a pattern of trouble reading words, spelling, or both. In our view, a name would not change what you do first. Our rule is to describe patterns on these pages. We do not put a name on a child.
- If it looks like worry, check the reading too. If it looks like reading trouble, ask about worry too. In our view, keep teaching the reading, and ask about worry too. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first.
Dyslexia is a name for a pattern of trouble reading words, spelling, or both. Struggling to read says nothing about how smart your child is.
”DyslexiaCan you tell dyslexia from anxiety at home?
A child who will not settle to the work is showing you a behavior. The behavior alone does not tell you why.
No study we hold tests home signs for telling dyslexia from anxiety. So we do not give a list of signs that sorts them.
What the research we hold says
The studies we hold link learning difficulties with frustration, lower self-esteem and higher anxiety. That is an association, not a cause. Some of these studies report that support reduces these risks.
Why worry and reading trouble can look alike
To us, a child who cannot yet read the page can look worried.
Here is some of what we see when reading is hard.
Avoiding reading. The book stays shut. There is something else to do first.
Not wanting to read aloud. Reading in front of others puts the trouble on show.
In our view, none of these tells you why the reading is hard. They are worth writing down, and taking to the teacher. Our page on the emotional side of reading difficulty has more.
When it all gets too much
Sometimes the reading ends in a meltdown.
What we do is stop the work and stay close. Come back to it when your child is calm.
What to check
If it looks like worry, check the reading too. If it looks like reading trouble, ask about worry too.
Have hearing and vision checked too. A child who cannot hear well needs that found. So does a child who cannot see the print clearly.
What helps
In our view, the first step is usually to work out what is hard. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first.
Reading improves with reading instruction. In our view, keep teaching the reading, and ask about worry too.
When to ask for help
Each of these is a reason to ask for help on its own.
- Little change, even with steady practice and good teaching.
- Reading well below what school expects.
- A teacher who raises a concern about reading.
- Extreme upset about reading.
- Complete avoidance of reading.
- Hopelessness about learning.
- Sadness or worry that lasts.
- Significant delays in speech, language or motor development.
- A skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.
Start with the teacher. Say what you are seeing at home, and what you have tried. Beyond the teacher, the right person depends on what it turns out to be about. If the work is too hard, someone who works on that school skill. If worry or mood is the thing, someone who works with children's mental health. In our view, delays in speech, language or movement are worth raising with your child's doctor. In our view, if you are worried enough to ask, a professional evaluation is worth asking about.
Any talk of hurting themselves is a same-day call to your doctor or a crisis line.
In the classroom
In our view, do not ask a child to read aloud without warning. Give the passage the day before, or ask for volunteers.
Two sentences for an email home: "She went quiet in reading today and asked to stop. What do you see when she reads to you at home?"
Key Takeaways
No study we hold tests home signs for telling dyslexia from anxiety. So we do not give a list of signs that sorts them.
The studies we hold link learning difficulties with frustration, lower self-esteem and higher anxiety. That is an association, not a cause. Some of these studies report that support reduces these risks.
If it looks like worry, check the reading too. If it looks like reading trouble, ask about worry too.
In our view, the first step is usually to work out what is hard. In our view, keep teaching the reading, and ask about worry too. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first.
Pick a book your child can read most of. Read it together, taking turns. Stop while your child is still calm. Write down one thing you saw, and take it to the teacher.
”What to do tonightWhat to use next
A set of questions you answer about what you see at home. A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing, or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too — that's the only route to those supports.
A short reading and spelling practice. Each word appears letter by letter. The picture comes only once the word is complete. So guessing from the image is not available. It includes writing words from memory. That practices the spelling and the writing of a word at the same time.
Common questions from parents
Is my child's reading trouble anxiety or dyslexia?
No study we hold tests home signs for telling dyslexia from anxiety. So we do not give a list of signs that sorts them. If it looks like worry, check the reading too. If it looks like reading trouble, ask about worry too.
Can anxiety cause reading problems?
We cannot tell that for your child from here. The studies we hold link learning difficulties with frustration, lower self-esteem and higher anxiety. That is an association, not a cause. Some of these studies report that support reduces these risks. One study followed first and second graders over a school year (Ramirez and colleagues, 2019). Reading worry and reading skill each predicted the other. No study we hold shows that one causes the other. Sadness or worry that lasts is a reason to ask for help.
Can a child have both dyslexia and anxiety?
Worry and reading trouble can come together. The studies we hold link learning difficulties with frustration, lower self-esteem and higher anxiety. That is an association, not a cause. Some of these studies report that support reduces these risks. In our view, keep teaching the reading, and ask about worry too. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first.
Who should we talk to?
Start with the teacher. Say what you are seeing at home, and what you have tried. Beyond the teacher, the right person depends on what it turns out to be about. If the work is too hard, someone who works on that school skill. If worry or mood is the thing, someone who works with children's mental health. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first.