# How do I know if my child has Dyslexia or Dysgraphia?

Canonical: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-do-i-know-if-my-child-has-dyslexia-reading-impairment-or-dysgraphia-written-expression-impairment
Publisher: Pinnacle Blooms Network / Bharath Healthcare Laboratories Private Limited

Dyslexia mainly affects reading and decoding words, while dysgraphia mainly affects the physical writing and getting thoughts onto paper; a child can have one or both. These are usually identified around ages 6–8 once formal literacy teaching is underway, and only a structured clinician-administered assessment can tell them apart clearly. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

*When reading and writing feel harder than they should, knowing whether the struggle is with decoding words or putting them on paper is the first step to the right help.*

## In short
Dyslexia and dysgraphia can look alike from the outside, but they affect different skills. **Dyslexia** mainly affects *reading* — recognising, sounding out and decoding words — while **dysgraphia** mainly affects *written expression* — the physical act of writing and getting thoughts onto paper. A child can have one, the other, or both together. You cannot tell which from home alone; a structured educational and developmental assessment is what tells them apart clearly.

## How they tend to show up differently
**Signs that lean towards dyslexia (reading):**
- Slow, effortful or inaccurate reading; guessing words from the first letter or picture.
- Trouble sounding out new or unfamiliar words and blending letter-sounds.
- Difficulty with rhyming, breaking words into sounds, or remembering letter names.
- Reading is tiring and avoided, though spoken understanding may be strong.

**Signs that lean towards dysgraphia (written expression):**
- Handwriting that is messy, slow, painful or hard to read despite effort.
- An awkward pencil grip, tiring hands, or inconsistent letter sizing and spacing.
- A big gap between what a child can *say* and what they can write down.
- Spelling errors, missing words, and trouble organising ideas on paper.

**The overlap:** spelling difficulty can appear in both, and many children have features of each. Importantly, these are usually identified around ages 6–8, once formal reading and writing instruction is well underway — earlier, it is more appropriate to watch and nurture pre-literacy skills (rhyme, letter play, drawing, fine-motor games) rather than label.

## When to seek a check
Seek a structured check if, after age 6–7, your child still reads or writes well below classmates, dreads literacy tasks, tires quickly when reading or writing, or if their written work falls far short of their clear verbal ability. Early, accurate identification means the right teaching and support can begin while learning is still being built.

## The Pinnacle way
AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app or an online checklist. Our clinicians use a structured, clinician-administered assessment to map exactly where the difficulty lies — reading, writing, or both — and shape a plan around your child's strengths. Explore [how the AbilityScore® is formed](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated), see how targeted [learning and educational therapy](/special-education) supports literacy skills, and start at our [home page](/) to find your nearest centre.

## Trusted sources
WHO ICD-11 developmental learning disorder framework (with impairment in reading and in written expression); American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) guidance on learning differences; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidance on written and spoken language disorders.

**Next step —** Want clarity on what your child is really finding hard? [Book a learning assessment with a Pinnacle clinician](/special-education).

This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

## Sources
- WHO ICD-11: Developmental learning disorder: https://icd.who.int
- AAP HealthyChildren.org: Learning differences: https://www.healthychildren.org
- ASHA: Written and spoken language disorders: https://www.asha.org

## Connected topics and perspectives
- Conditions: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/conditions
- Parent: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/stakeholder/parent
- Adaptive: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/domain/adaptive
- Support: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/intent/support
- Screen: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/lifecycle/screen
- Special Education: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/route/special-education
- Early Clarity: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/empowerment/early_clarity

## Related question paths

### Understand the subject
- Dysgraphia vs Dyslexia in Young Children: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-the-difference-between-dysgraphia-written-expression-impairment-and-dyslexia-reading-impairment-in-young-children
- What is Dyslexia (Reading Impairment) and what does it look like in early childhood?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-dyslexia-reading-impairment-and-what-does-it-look-like-in-early-childhood
- How Dysgraphia Affects a Child's Daily Life: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-does-dysgraphia-written-expression-impairment-affect-a-child-s-daily-life
- Dysgraphia vs Specific Learning Disability in young children: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-the-difference-between-dysgraphia-written-expression-impairment-and-specific-learning-disability-in-young-children

### Explore therapy & support
- Dyslexia vs Dysgraphia in Children: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-the-difference-between-dyslexia-reading-impairment-and-dysgraphia-written-expression-impairment-in-children
- How do I know if my child has Dyslexia or a Specific Learning Disability?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-do-i-know-if-my-child-has-dyslexia-reading-impairment-or-specific-learning-disability