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 withb)?
• 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.