Warning Signs of Dyslexia

If a child has 3 or more of the following warning signs, encourage that child's parents and teachers to learn more about dyslexia.

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

can't create words that rhyme

a close relative with dyslexia

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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
- can't sound out unknown words

terrible spelling

often can't remember sight words (they, were, does) or homonyms (their, they're, and there)

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

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In High School

All of the above symptoms plus:

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

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In Adults

Education history similar to above, 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

This “Warning Signs of Dyslexia” list is provided through the web site of Susan Barton, the founder of Bright Solutions for Dyslexia, LLC. www.BrightSolutions.US Copyright © 2002 by Susan Barton. All Rights Reserved.

Click here to see a one-page summary of the warning signs.

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Questions? Contact us at DyslexiaRx@aol.com