Signs of Dyslexia

If a child has 3 or more of the warning signs below; you may want to learn more about dyslexia.

In Preschool, Kindergarten

Delayed speech
Mixing up the sounds and syllables in long words
Chronic ear infections
Severe reactions to childhood illnesses
Constant confusion of left versus right
Late establishing dominant hand
Difficulty learning to tie shoes
Trouble memorizing their address, phone number or the alphabet
Can’t create words that rhyme
A close relative with dyslexia

Elementary School Signs of Dyslexia
If a child has 3 or more of the following warning signs, that child’s parents and teachers may want to learn more about dyslexia.

Dysgraphia (slow, non-automatic handwriting that is difficult to read)
Letter or number reversals continuing past the end of first grade
Extreme difficulty learning cursive
Slow, choppy, inaccurate reading:
– guesses based on shape or context
– skips or misreads prepositions (at, to, of)
– ignores suffixes
– can’t sound out unknown words
Terrible spelling
Often can’t remember sight words (they, were, does) or homonyms (their, there, they’re)
Difficulty telling time with a clock with hands
Trouble with math
– memorizing multiplication tables
– memorizing a sequence of steps
– directionality
When speaking, difficulty finding the correct word
– lots of “whatyamacallits” and “thingies”
– common sayings come out slightly twisted
Extremely messy bedroom, backpack and desk
Dreads going to school
– complains of stomach aches or headaches
– may have nightmares about school
Giftedness in “right brain” area such as art, music, athletics, mechanical abilities, intuition, business/people skills, ability to think “outside the box,” problems solving, logic.

High School and Adult Signs of Dyslexia

In High School

All of the symptoms of Preschool and Elementary Age plus:

Limited vocabulary
Poor grades in many classes
Difficulty reading music
Extremely poor written expression:
– large discrepancy between verbal skills and written compositions
May drop out of high school
Great difficulty learning a foreign language

In Adults

Education history similar to younger ages, plus:
Slow reader
May have to read a page 2 or 3 times to understand it
Terrible speller
Difficulty putting thoughts onto paper
– dreads writing memos or letters
Still has difficulty with right versus left
Often gets lost, even in a familiar city
Sometimes confuses b and d, especially when tired or sick

Signs of Dyslexia check list courtesy of www.bartonreading.com