She’s not lazy—she’s masking dyslexia. Hear the sneaky signs of dyslexia in girls and why so many teachers miss them. A real story that looks at sex differences in dyslexia.

In this episode, we cover how late diagnosis is common when girls compensate. You'll discover behavioral myths, research gaps, and a checklist of red flags for dyslexia in girls. This information will highlight why dyslexia is diagnosed more frequently in males and how societal issues create the impression of sex differences in dyslexia. All of this is important to understand when thinking about testing your child for dyslexia.

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Links:

Go to the homepage of our website to download the Dyslexia Symptoms by Age mentioned in this episode.

Cheers,

⁠Tracy Young, Orton Gillingham Tutor⁠

⁠The Literacy Keys ⁠

You can watch episodes with Alex on ⁠YouTube⁠

Episode Timestamps:

• 00:00 Welcome and why we’re talking about dyslexia in girls

• 01:40 The “behavior bias”: why girls often fly under the radar

• 07:00 Masking and classroom dynamics that hide reading struggles

• 09:15 Red flags we missed and what parents often notice first

• 16:30 Teacher training gaps and why schools may overlook dyslexia

• 22:45 Early-childhood warning signs (ages 5–12)

• 25:55 Rhyming/tongue twisters: an easy at-home clue

• 30:35 Subtle symptoms + what “looks fine” can really mean

• 35:35 Social masking + perfectionism/people-pleasing pressure

• 41:40 What helped + practical supports to try

• 43:25 Quick wrap-up takeaways