RED FLAG for ALL AGES: If you have a Family History of Language, Learning or School Problems (e.g. your dad or brother was a poor speller, your mom or grandparent couldn't read well, etc...), then you or your child may be at a higher risk for learning difficulties too.   Note: These warnings signs vary with each individual child or adult and one or more signs are enough reason for concern and further investigation.

Red Flags for Children 2 ½ - 4 years of Age   Speaking -Trouble with articulation, mispronunciation of words; using correct verb tenses, plurals, pronouns   Listening - Trouble appreciating rhyming, sound or word games   Word finding - Knows colors, but can’t name them when asked   Sequencing - Difficulty telling an event/story in order   Auditory memory - Difficulty holding multi-step directions   Fine motor skills - Has difficulty learning to cut with scissors, tying shoes, blowing nose   Coordination - Clumsy, messy eater

Red Flags/Warning Signs for Children 5-8 years of Age   Speaking - Mispronunciations, slow  word finding, grammatical errors persist   Phonological awareness - Cannot appreciate the individual sounds in words heard, spoken, or read   Reading and Spelling - Difficulty learning to sound-out words for reading and spelling - relies on sight words, reading is slow and effortful and common errors include adding or omitting sounds in words   Sequencing- Errors when reading - says "was" for saw or "steam" for stream, telling an event in order   Auditory memory - Has difficulty holding multi-step directions   Handwriting - Awkward pencil grip, presses hard on the paper   Focus - Trouble concentrating/ wears out before a task is done   Self esteem- Begins to experience failure and frustration

Red Flags/Warning Signs for Children 9 + years of Age & ADULTS   Speaking - Mispronunciations and slow word finding, e.g. says "flustrated" instead of frustrated or "pacific" instead of specific   Auditory memory - Has difficulty remembering multiple-step directions; difficulty remembering alphabet in head for phonebook, and dictionary use; easily forgets telephone numbers   Reading - Slow, avoids it; relies on sight words; guesses words from story content,   Spelling - Easily forgets spelling words after spelling tests, many errors when spelling words, commonly leaves out or adds letters to words   Writing - Avoids it; only write when he/she has to, sentences are short; avoids job promotions that would require more writing   Handwriting - Effortful, very messy letter formation, awkward pencil grip   Language expression - Has difficulty putting thoughts/ideas into words; can be hard to understand him/her because their story's sequence is not logical or not easy to follow   Foreign language - Hard to learn   Focus - Trouble concentrating; wears out before task is done   Achievement tests - A discrepancy between performance in math vs. reading, very poor spelling performance, verbal language skills are much better than performance on written achievement tests   Self esteem - Increasing frustration and poor self-esteem, commonly hides reading or spelling difficulties from others, self-described as a "black cloud" hanging over their head that they don't want others to know about

Download And Print An Easy To Read Copy Of These Warning Flags

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