What Are the Signs of Dyslexia?

General

The problems displayed by individuals with dyslexia involve difficulties in acquiring and using language--reading and writing letters in the wrong order is just one manifestation of dyslexia and does not occur in all cases. Other problems experienced by dyslexics include:

• Learning to speak
• Organizing written and spoken language
• Learning letters and their sounds
• Memorizing number facts
• Spelling
• Reading
• Learning a foreign language
• Correctly doing math operations

Not all students who have difficulties with these skills are dyslexic. Formal testing is the only way to confirm a diagnosis of suspected dyslexia.
 
Adults 

The difficulties noted below are often associated with dyslexia if they are unexpected for the individual's age, educational level, or cognitive abilities. A qualified diagnostician can test a person to determine if he or she is truly dyslexic.

• May hide reading problems
• May spell poorly; relies on others to correct spelling
• Avoids writing; may not be able to write
• Often very competent in oral language
• Relies on memory; may have an excellent memory
• Often has good "people" skills
• Often is spatially talented; professions include, but are not limited, to engineers, architects, designers, artists and craftspeople, mathematicians, physicists, physicians (esp. surgeons and orthopedists), and dentists.
• May be very good at "reading" people (intuitive)
• In jobs is often working well below their intellectual capacity
• May have difficulty with planning, organization and management of time, materials and tasks.
• Are often entrepreneurs

Young Children

Signs of dyslexia in young, preschool children include talking later than expected, a slowness to add new words, difficulty rhyming, and trouble following multistep directions.  After a child begins school, the signs of dyslexia include:

• Difficulty reading single words, such as a word on a flashcard
• Difficulty learning the connection between letters and sounds
• Confusing small words, such as at and to
• Letter reversals, such as d for b
• Word reversals, such as tip for pit

Having one of these signs does not mean your child has dyslexia; many children reverse letters before the age of 7. But, if several signs exist and reading problems persist, or if you have a family history of dyslexia, you may want to have your child evaluated.

Younger Students 

Does your 1st, 2nd or 3rd-grader:

• Remember simple sequences such as counting to 20, naming the days of the week, or reciting the alphabet?
• Have an understanding of rhyming words, such as knowing that fat rhymes with cat?
• Recognize words that begin with the same sound (for example, that bird, baby, and big all start with b)?
• Easily clap hands to the rhythm of a song?
• Frequently use specific words to name objects rather than words like “stuff” and “that thing”?
• Easily remember spoken directions?
• Remember names of places and people?
• Show understanding of right-left, up-down, front-back?
• Sit still for a reasonable period of time?
• Make and keep friends easily?

Answering “no” to some or most of these questions may indicate a learning disability. Not all students who have difficulties with these skills are dyslexic. Formal testing is the only way to confirm a diagnosis of suspected dyslexia. The information stated above is from the International Dyslexia Association’s website.