Screen for persistent reading, spelling, and decoding difficulties
Review developmental, educational, and family history
Check for early language delays or late speech development
Assess phonological awareness, letter-sound knowledge, and rapid naming
Evaluate reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension
Test spelling, writing, and word recognition skills
Compare performance with age, grade, and cognitive expectations
Rule out vision, hearing, neurological, emotional, and instructional causes
Assess attention, memory, and other learning or developmental disorders
Use standardized psychoeducational testing by a qualified professional
Gather teacher, parent, and self-reports of symptoms across settings
Confirm that difficulties are persistent and not due to lack of instruction
Review response to targeted reading interventions
Make the diagnosis based on a comprehensive evaluation by a psychologist, neuropsychologist, or specialist clinician