Part III of The Nuts & Bolts of Dyslexia, a four part series designed to give a comprehensive view of dyslexia. In the second series, we covered the wiring of a dyslexic brain, national dyslexia statistics, dyslexia testing and management, reading with dyslexia, and dyslexia and ADD. You can read the first series by clicking here.
To help you determine if you or your child may be affected by dyslexia, the following are general warning signs. If there are three or more warning signs present, along with a history of Dyslexia in your family, seek an assessment for Dyslexia if your child is 5.5 years or older.
In Preschool
- 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 a dominant hand
- Difficulty learning to tie shoes
- Trouble memorizing their address, phone number, or the alphabet
- Cant create words that rhyme
- A close relative with dyslexia
In Elementary School
- 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
- Cant sound out unknown words
- Terrible spelling
- Often cant remember sight words (they, were, does) or homonyms (their, theyre, and there)
- Difficulty telling time with a clock with hands
- Trouble with math-memorizing multiplication tables and a sequence of steps, and 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 (stomach aches, headaches; may have nightmares about school
In High School (All of the above symptoms plus the following)
- Limited vocabulary
- Extremely poor written expression
- Large discrepancy between verbal skills and written compositions
- Unable to master a foreign language
- Difficulty reading printed music
- Poor grades in many classes
- May drop out of high school
Most Dyslexics are happy and well-adjusted BEFORE they start school. Their emotional problems begin when early reading instruction does not meet their individual learning styles. They may: become frustrated with when they are unable to meet parent and teacher expectations; have difficulty reading social cues and reading body language of others; exhibit anxiety due to tremendous inconsistencies of daily performance; be inconsistent in their errors; have trouble finding the right words so they stammer or pause before answering questions.
If you notice your child has three or more warning signs listed above, and you have a history of Dyslexia in your family, seek an assessment for dyslexia for your child beginning at 5 ½ years or older.
Following are dyslexia symptoms in adults (Education history similar to above, plus the following):
- 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
Without the right type of reading instruction, most adults with dyslexia no matter how smart they are cant read or write above the third-grade level. In the United States, that is considered functionally illiterate. An adult at the third-grade reading level means they dont read well enough to fill out a job application read a memo from their boss, pass the drivers license test, write a note to their childs teacher, or read their child a bedtime story. Their job options and earning power are limited, their success in college is rare, and they drop out of high school at a much higher rate than the national average.
If you are an adult suffering from dyslexia, it is not too late to seek an assessment for dyslexia. Studies have found that theres no age limitation when it comes to cognitive improvements. With training and exercise, the brain can increase its capabilities in memory, concentration and clearer thinking at any age.
