Dyslexia or dysphasia: how to tell them apart?

Yes, and it is common. About one child in two with DLD develops dyslexia when learning to read. In that case, care must target both levels: oral language first, because it serves as the foundation, then reading in parallel. A single speech-language pathologist can follow both axes if the assessment was properly cross-checked.

Not before around age 7-8. Diagnosis requires at least 18 months of formal reading instruction to distinguish a true persistent disorder from a slow start. Before that, we speak of predictive signs (difficulty with rhymes, syllables, letter names) and we can begin preventive intervention without using the word “dyslexia”.

A firm diagnosis is generally made between ages 4 and 6, after several repeated assessments showing that the language delay does not resolve despite stimulation. But the first warning signs are visible much earlier: a 2-year-old who does not say about ten words, a 3-year-old who does not make 3-word sentences — that is already grounds for an SLP assessment. The rule: do not wait.

No, in the medical sense. Dysphasia is a structural disorder that persists into adulthood. But with early, intensive and well-led speech-language therapy, the child compensates considerably: they develop functional oral language, follow an adapted school path, become an independent adult. Many adults formerly identified with DLD lead very accomplished careers, sometimes without their current circle suspecting their childhood diagnosis.

No, but it is compensated. The dyslexic adult reads at a normal pace for their job, makes few visible mistakes, but often pays a hidden cost: cognitive fatigue, difficulty with foreign languages, spelling that remains a sensitive area. Recognising a child's dyslexia early spares the future adult from putting all their energy into camouflage.

Dysphasia affects the conception of language: vocabulary, syntax, comprehension. Verbal dyspraxia (Childhood Apraxia of Speech) affects the motor production of sound: the child knows what they want to say but their tongue, lips and larynx do not coordinate the gesture correctly. The two can coexist in the same child, and it is precisely on the motor planning of speech that vocal work brings a useful complement.

Three criteria to examine: duration (does the delay persist beyond 18 months of instruction?), gap (does the gap to the average exceed 18 months as measured on the assessment?), and specificity (are the other learning areas — maths, reasoning — within the norm?). If all three are checked, we speak of dyslexia. Otherwise, simple delay that catches up with adapted stimulation.

No, never. The speech-language pathologist is the health professional who makes the diagnosis, monitors progress, and has the widest range of exercises for language disorders. Singing intervenes as a complement: it provides a rhythmic and emotional frame that the SLP session cannot always offer, and it engages the four pillars at once (breathing, rhythm, articulation, auditory memory). At CALYP, we always work in liaison with the child's SLP.

The speech-language pathologist is the first point of contact in the vast majority of cases. The paediatric neurologist intervenes if the picture is complex: several specific learning disorders associated, neurological history (prematurity, seizures, trauma), suspicion of a broader syndrome. The family doctor or paediatrician makes the referral. There is no benefit in skipping steps by going straight to a paediatric neurologist for a difficulty that will be handled in speech-language therapy.

A hereditary component is documented for both, more pronounced for dyslexia: a child with a dyslexic parent has a 30 to 50% risk of being dyslexic too, depending on the study. For dysphasia, undiagnosed language disorders are often found in the family among parents or siblings. A family history is a serious reason to consult early, without waiting for difficulties to settle in.