Author
Bowtie Team
Updated on
2025-08-07
Disclaimer: This article is translated with the assistance of AI.
Is your child struggling to focus on studies or forgetting words right after learning them? Before jumping to conclusions about laziness or lack of smarts, consider this: difficulties in reading, writing, and remembering text could point to dyslexia, a common type of Special Educational Needs (SEN). How can you spot dyslexia in kids? What are the key signs? And what treatments or programs are available to help? We’ve compiled essential info on dyslexia, plus reliable assessment and testing fees from trusted organizations for your reference.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia (Specific Learning Difficulties in Reading and Writing) is a type of Special Educational Needs (SEN) , mainly caused by congenital abnormalities in brain structure and function. Even children with dyslexia have normal intelligence and sensory functions, they often struggle with processing word sounds and structures, making it hard to accurately and quickly recognize or dictate words, and they face difficulties in comprehending passages.
Some kids might read less as a result, limiting their vocabulary and overall cognitive growth, which can lead to poorer performance in language subjects—and even others that rely on reading—compared to their peers.
According to figures published by Hong Kong education authorities , the number of students assessed with dyslexia has risen notably in recent years; around 9.7% to 12.6% of children have it, with about 70% mild, 20% moderate, and the remaining 10% severe.
What are Dyslexia Characteristics?
Dyslexia shows different characteristics as children grow.
Here are some common ones—not every child with dyslexia will have all of them:
| Stage | Characteristics |
| Preschool |
|
| Early Primary |
|
| Upper Primary |
|
| Secondary School |
|
| Teens and Adults |
|
What Are the Types of Dyslexia? What Difficulties Are Faced?
Currently, dyslexia has no diagnostic subtypes, but its symptoms generally fall into the following areas:
-
Phonological Awareness
Children with weak phonological awareness have insufficient ability to recognize the sounds of words, making it hard to match word pronunciations with their written forms. They also struggle to use phonetic clues to remember new words.
-
Orthographic Knowledge
Children with weak orthographic awareness find it difficult to identify and correctly write the strokes and components of characters, and they have limited understanding of word structures.
-
Rapid Naming
Children with weak rapid naming struggle to quickly and automatically read out letters, numbers, or simple common words, which greatly reduces reading fluency and affects comprehension.
-
Phonological Memory
Children with weak phonological memory have trouble briefly remembering word pronunciations, making it hard to recall recently read words during reading, which hinders understanding of sentences and passages.
-
Morphological Awareness
Children with weak morphological awareness struggle to use individual morphemes to understand the meanings of composed words and to form new words from morphemes. Therefore, when learning new words, even if they’re made from familiar morphemes, they treat them as entirely new and don’t apply existing knowledge to comprehend them.
How Can Parents Identify Dyslexia?
Dyslexia can only be accurately diagnosed around age six or in Primary One, but signs of potential dyslexia can be screened for during preschool years.
To determine if a child has dyslexia, refer to the following characteristics. If a child faces difficulties in reading, writing, and memory, pay extra attention to whether dyslexia might be the cause.
| Reading | Children with dyslexia often confuse similar words, those with related meanings, or words with similar/same sounds during reading, and they struggle to understand sentences. |
| Writing | Children with dyslexia make frequent errors in writing, often writing wrong characters, misspelling, or omitting strokes, and their copying speed is slower.
Due to possible difficulties in visual-spatial perception, their handwriting may have disproportionate components or go outside the lines. Additionally, their written expression is weaker than their spoken language, leading to grammatical errors and poorly organized paragraphs in writing. |
| Memory | Children with dyslexia have short-term memory issues; even if they respond well during learning, they forget quickly afterward.
Since they can’t properly remember heard sentences, they struggle with dictation, memorizing numbers or instructions, and fall behind in note-taking during class. They not only take more time than average to recognize new words but also forget them soon after learning. |
What Are the Causes of Dyslexia?
The causes of dyslexia include the following:
- Genetic Factors: Family history of dyslexia or other learning disabilities
- Premature Birth: Premature babies or those with low birth weight
- Brain Structure and Function Abnormalities: Differences in the structure, function, and connections of brain areas responsible for reading compared to the general population
How to Assess or Test for Dyslexia?
***This section’s information is collected and provided by Bowtie***
To assess children for dyslexia, there are generally 3 common pathways, including:
- Child Assessment Service under the Hong Kong Education Bureau and Department of Health
- Non-profit organizations
- Private institutions
Department of Health Child Assessment Service: Child Physical and Intellectual Assessment
Details:
Provided by the Child Assessment Service under the Department of Health and Hospital Authority, offering medical diagnosis, assessment, treatment, training, and referral services for infants or children with developmental issues.
** Requires referral from a registered Western medicine doctor, clinical/educational psychologist
Price: First visit HK$135; subsequent visits HK$80 each
Heep Hong Society: School-Age Children Dyslexia Assessment
Details:
- Pre-assessment interview with parents
- Assessment/observation of the child
- Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition (Hong Kong)
- Hong Kong Test of Specific Learning Difficulties in Reading and Writing for Primary School Students (Third Edition) (applicable to primary students only) or Hong Kong Test of Specific Learning Difficulties in Reading and Writing for Junior Secondary School Students (Second Edition) (applicable to junior secondary students only)
- Post-assessment parent interview: Explanation of assessment results and suggestions for follow-up/training directions (30 minutes)#
- One assessment report (in English)
Price: HK$8,600／HK$9,460 (depending on time slot)
Edge Development Centre: School-Age Children Dyslexia Diagnostic Assessment
Details:
Conducted by educational psychologists, including the following items:
- Pre-assessment interview with parents and the case (about 45 minutes)
- Professional assessment (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition (Hong Kong)); Hong Kong Test of Specific Learning Difficulties in Reading and Writing for Primary School Students (Third Edition) (applicable to primary students only) or Hong Kong Test of Specific Learning Difficulties in Reading and Writing
- for Junior Secondary School Students (Second Edition) (applicable to junior secondary students only)
- Post-assessment explanation and suggestions (about 45 minutes)
- Assessment summary or detailed report
- Attachment for special examination arrangements application for DSE candidates with special needs (if required)
Price:
| Students without prior intelligence assessment | Assessment summary: HK$9,750
Detailed report: HK$11,750 |
| Students with prior intelligence assessment | Assessment summary: HK$7,500
Detailed report: HK$9,500 |
Pathfinders: Preschool and Primary Dyslexia Screening Test Service (KPSS)
Details:
Targeted at primary (must be at least 6 years and 1 month old) and junior secondary students; through the preschool and primary dyslexia screening test service, it assesses students’ dyslexia status and provides follow-up assessments based on their developmental needs.
Price: HK$800 (including test summary)
Hong Kong Specific Learning Difficulties Research Team: Hong Kong Preschool Children Learning Behavior Scale (Parent Version)
* This is a screening assessment, not a diagnosis
Details:
Issued the “Hong Kong Preschool Children Learning Behavior Scale,” which includes a behavior scale, counseling suggestions, and a user manual, allowing parents to self-identify children showing signs of reading and writing difficulties.
Price: Not applicable
Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Counselling Service: Preschool Children Dyslexia Early Identification Scale
* This is a screening assessment, not a diagnosis
Details:
Provides preschool and primary dyslexia screening test services, using the “Preschool Children Dyslexia Early Identification Scale” to test reading and writing abilities for children aged 4 or above, identifying students with dyslexia tendencies. Based on the test results, provides appropriate support service suggestions for students and parents.
* The “Preschool Children Dyslexia Early Identification Scale” is a tool developed by local experts for comprehensive assessment of preschool children at risk of dyslexia. Users must be specialists in child physical, intellectual, and behavioral development, pediatric neurologists, pediatricians, professional clinical psychologists, or educational psychologists, and have obtained the assessment qualification.
Price: HK$2,000 (including report)
Mind Health Medical Centre: Preschool Children Comprehensive Development Assessment
* This is a screening assessment, not a diagnosis
Details:
The preschool children comprehensive development assessment is designed for preschool children aged 18 months to 6 years; assessment tools include the Hong Kong Comprehensive Assessment Scales for Preschool Children and other relevant applicable tools.
Price: HK$6,300 (including report and referral letter fees)
Assessments provided by school-based educational psychology services in subsidized schools are free, but waiting times vary, and whether you can get an assessment depends on school referrals. Government-provided assessment services are affordable, but waiting times are longer, currently averaging about a year, which may delay children’s treatment. Non-profit and private organizations also offer professional assessment services that can skip the waiting time, but they charge higher fees. Therefore, parents can consider both price and waiting time when choosing services.
Dyslexia Treatment and Training Methods
***This section’s information is collected and provided by Bowtie***
Currently, there are no medications to treat dyslexia. The focus is mainly on educational approaches, including evidence-based reading guidance methods, teaching methods tailored to children’s needs, and providing accommodations and assistive devices in the learning environment. Individual learning plans are also developed for children, along with accommodations and assistive devices related to teaching and examinations.
Other treatments for dyslexia, such as medications, special nutrients, specialized lenses, sensory-motor training, vestibular-cerebellar mechanism training, psychological therapy, and exercise therapy, mostly have weak theoretical foundations and insufficient scientific validation. Parents should carefully consider which treatments to apply.
Bowtie has compiled a list of training programs / courses offered by various institutions and their fees for reference:
| Training / Courses | Institution | Price |
| “Special Education Needs Student Tutoring · Training” Program |
Edge Development Centre | Individual Tutoring Training:
HK$2,750 / 10 hours HK$1,250 / 10 hours (Low-Income Family Subsidy Program) |
| Dyslexia Training | Hong Kong Children’s Association Child Development Centre | HK$850 / session (50 minutes) |
| SEN Primary 1 Adaptation Class | Shining Family Child and Family Development and Assessment Centre | HK$2,600 / 4 sessions
HK$5,200 / 8 sessions |
| Sensory Integration Group | HK$700 / session | |
| iLs Listening Therapy | HK$7,500 (includes 5 hours of listening training and 5 sessions of 30-minute sensory integration training) | |
| Literacy Group | HK$2,600 / 8 sessions | |
| Green Onion Program “Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing” Support Training | Heep Hong Society | HK$3,000 (Eligible students can receive HK$2,250 subsidy per term) |
How Can Parents Help Children with Dyslexia?
Parents play a key role in spotting early reading issues in their children. By spending time reading and recognizing words together, they can help kids with dyslexia regain interest and confidence in language learning:
- Read together with your child
Reading articles or stories alongside your child can boost their vocabulary and comprehension skills, while sparking a genuine interest in reading.
- Dialogic reading
While reading books or afterwards, encourage your child to discuss the story’s plot or their thoughts on it. This builds their expression and summarization skills.
- Repetitive learning
Read your child’s favorite books over and over again. This repeated exposure strengthens their grasp of the text and helps them become familiar with the content.
- Silent reading
Give your child chances to read on their own, fostering independence and smoother reading flow.
- Use a ruler
A ruler can guide straight-line reading, helping your child stay focused and avoid skipping lines.
- Make reading fun
Pick books on topics your child loves, and read in a relaxed, comfy setting. This turns reading into a joy, not a chore. Plus, timely encouragement from you can skyrocket their learning confidence.
- Leverage tech for learning
Electronic devices often have layouts that suit kids with dyslexia better. Tools like spell checkers and auto-correct catch writing errors on the spot. Interactive educational software and voice recognition offer multi-sensory fun that’s way more effective than old-school notebooks.
Can Dyslexia Be Cured? Effects in Adulthood?
Dyslexia is a congenital learning difficulty that can’t be prevented or fully cured. However, special teaching, targeted training, and parental support can help children minimize and adapt to the challenges it brings.
Overcoming dyslexia looks different for everyone. Parents should watch for early signs and seek training or treatment promptly. With personalized learning approaches, kids with dyslexia can learn just as effectively—albeit differently—as their peers. Even if it persists into adulthood, they can still pursue education and lead normal lives.
1. What conditions often co-occur with dyslexia?
Other developmental disorders, such as ADHD, specific language impairment, and motor coordination disorders, often appear alongside dyslexia.
2. Are people with dyslexia hopeless at learning?
Beyond reading and writing challenges from congenital brain differences, people with dyslexia have normal intelligence and abilities in areas like sports or arts. Parents should spot and nurture their child’s strengths.
3. Are there famous people with dyslexia?
- Lowell Lo : Renowned musician
- Lee Kuan Yew : Former Singapore Prime Minister, known as the “Father of Singapore”
- Albert Einstein : Physicist
- Tom Cruise : Hollywood actor
- Steven Spielberg : Acclaimed director
- Richard Branson : Virgin Group founder
- Steve Jobs : Late Apple CEO
Not every child will have dyslexia, but kids have weak immunity and get sick easily. Want them to receive the best treatment and care when ill? As a parent, there’s one thing you need to prepare
Sources
- 1 Department of Health Child Assessment Service
- 2 Department of Health Child Assessment Service
- 3 Department of Health Child Assessment Service
- 4 Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Counselling Service
- 5 Heep Hong Society
- 6 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- 7 The University of Hong Kong
- 8 UK National Health Service (NHS)
- 9 Mayo Clinic
- 10 WebMD
- 11 Yale University
- 12 Childmind.org
- 13 Medicine.net
- 14 Department of Health Child Assessment Centre
- 15 Pathways Foundation
- 16 Hong Kong Specific Learning Difficulties Research Team
- 17 Heep Hong Society
- 18 Edge Development Centre
- 19 Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Counselling Service
- 20 Healthy Mind Medical Centre
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