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
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 schoolIn 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
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.
Questions? Contact us at DyslexiaRx@aol.com