As you read the following list of dyslexia symptoms, you may discover that you have one or two of these characteristics. This does not mean you are dyslexic. In fact, most people exhibit some of the characteristics listed below. However, individuals with dyslexia find they have several of these characteristics persisting over time and interfere with their day-to-day life. Because the impact of dyslexia varies from individual to individual, the severity of the symptoms below will also vary. The International Dyslexia Associationreports that between 3% and 6% of all school-aged children are believed to have Dyslexia and between 15% – 20% of the general population have some dyslexia symptoms.

Dyslexia Symptoms – Preschool

• Late learning to talk
• Difficulty pronouncing words
• Difficulty acquiring vocabulary or using age appropriate grammar
• Difficulty following simple one-step directions
• Confusion with over/under, right/left, beginning/middle/end, etc.
• Difficulty learning the nursery rhymes, or songs

Dyslexia Symptoms – PreK, Kindergarten and First Grade

• Difficulty learning the alphabet—even the letters in his/her name
• Difficulty with word retrieval
• Difficulty naming colors, common objects in the child’s environment, simple shapes and letters rapidly, in a sequence—Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN)
• Difficulty switching between naming colors, objects, shapes, and numbers rapidly, in a sequence –Rapid Automatic Switching (RAS)

Dyslexia Symptoms – Reading

• Difficulty learning to read –even the simplest words: dog, cat, dad, mom
• Difficulty identifying or generating rhyming words, counting the number of words in a spoken sentence, or counting syllables in words spoken (phonological awareness)
• Difficulty with hearing and manipulating individual sounds in words (phonemic awareness)
  /c/ /a/ /t/, /b/ /a/ /t/
• Difficulty distinguishing different sounds in words (phonological processing)
  /sh/ /u/ /t/
• Difficulty in learning the sounds of letters (phonics)
• Slow, laborious decoding of words and of oral reading
• Difficulty remembering names of letters in or out of sequence or recalling the shapes of letters
• Transposing the order of letters when reading or spelling
• Misreading or omitting common short words: on, no; saw, was; an, and;
• “Stumbles,” will even skip longer words
• Comprehension during oral or silent reading is normally poor due to rate of reading and/or number of words read incorrectly

Dyslexia Symptoms – Writing

• Difficulty putting ideas on paper in a coherent manner
• Many spelling mistakes—often spelling the same word different ways within the same assignment
• May do well on weekly spelling tests due to rote memorization, but may have many spelling mistakes in daily work including those spelled correctly on a previous spelling test
• Proofreading is difficult—even involving the simplest skills, such as, capitalization and punctuation
• Weak memory for lists, directions, or facts
• Needs to see, hear and manipulate (when possible) concepts many times to gain ownership
• Downward trend in achievement test scores or overall school performance when left undiagnosed and treated

The above dyslexia symptoms are not all inclusive.

As a parent, it can be difficult to determine if your child’s development is typical or if there are learning and developmental issues that may require special treatment. One question often asked is “Does my child have Dyslexia?” The International Dyslexia Association offers a great starting point for concerned parents who want to learn more. The following is reprinted from one of the IDA’s helpful fact sheets.

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. Dyslexia refers to a cluster of symptoms, which result in people having difficulties with specific language skills, particularly reading. Students with dyslexia usually experience difficulties with other language skills such as spelling, writing, and pronouncing words. Dyslexia affects individuals throughout their lives; however, its impact can change at different stages in a person’s life. It is referred to as a learning disability because dyslexia can make it very difficult for a student to succeed academically in the typical instructional environment, and in its more severe forms, will qualify a student for special education, special accommodations, or extra support services.

What causes dyslexia?

The exact causes of dyslexia are still not completely clear, but anatomical and brain imagery studies show differences in the way the brain of a dyslexic person develops and functions. Moreover, most people with dyslexia have been found to have problems with identifying the separate speech sounds within a word and/or learning how letters represent those sounds, a key factor in their reading difficulties. Dyslexia is not due to either lack of intelligence or desire to learn; with appropriate teaching methods, dyslexics can learn successfully.

How widespread is dyslexia?

About 13–14% of the school population nationwide has a handicapping condition that qualifies them for special education. Current studies indicate that one-half of all the students who qualify for special education are classified as having a learning disability (LD) (6–7%). About 85% of those LD students have a primary learning disability in reading and language processing. Nevertheless, many more people—perhaps as many as 15–20% of the population as a whole—have some of the symptoms of dyslexia, including slow or inaccurate reading, poor spelling, poor writing, or mixing up similar words. Not all of these will qualify for special education, but they are likely to struggle with many aspects of academic learning and are likely to benefit from systematic, explicit, instruction in reading, writing, and language.

Dyslexia occurs in people of all backgrounds and intellectual levels. People who are very bright can be dyslexic. They are often capable or even gifted in areas that do not require strong language skills, such as art, computer science, design, drama, electronics, math, mechanics, music, physics, sales, and sports.

In addition, dyslexia runs in families; dyslexic parents are very likely to have children who are dyslexic. Some people are identified as dyslexic early in their lives, but for others, their dyslexia goes unidentified until they get older.

What are the effects of dyslexia?

The impact that dyslexia has is different for each person and depends on the severity of the condition and the effectiveness of instruction or remediation. The core difficulty is with word recognition and reading fluency, spelling, and writing. Some dyslexics manage to learn early reading and spelling tasks, especially with excellent instruction, but later experience their most debilitating problems when more complex language skills are required, such as grammar, understanding textbook material, and writing essays.

People with dyslexia can also have problems with spoken language, even after they have beenexposed to good language models in their homes and good language instruction in school. They may find it difficult to express themselves clearly, or to fully comprehend what others mean when they speak. Such language problems are often difficult to recognize, but they can lead to major problems in school, in the workplace, and in relating to other people. The effects of dyslexia reach well beyond the classroom.

Dyslexia can also affect a person’s self-image. Students with dyslexia often end up feeling “dumb” and less capable than they actually are. After experiencing a great deal of stress due to academic problems, a student may become discouraged about continuing in school.

How is dyslexia diagnosed?

Schools may use a new process called Response to Intervention (RTI) to identify children with learning disabilities. Under an RTI model, schools provide those children not readily progressing with the acquisition of critical early literacy skills with intensive and individualized supplemental reading instruction. If a student’s learning does not accelerate enough with supplemental instruction to reach the established grade-level benchmarks, and other kinds of developmental disorders are ruled out, he or she may be identified as learning disabled in reading. The majority of students thus identified are likely dyslexic and they will probably qualify for special education services. Schools are encouraged to begin screening children in kindergarten to identify any child who exhibits the early signs of potential reading difficulties.

For children and adults who do not go through this RTI process, an evaluation to formally diagnose dyslexia is needed. Such an evaluation traditionally has included intellectual and academic achievement testing, as well as an assessment of the critical underlying language skills that are closely linked to dyslexia. These include receptive (listening) and expressive language skills, phonological skills including to phonemic awareness, and also a student’s ability rapidly name letters and names. A student’s ability to read lists of words in isolation, as well as words in context, should also be assessed. If a profile emerges that is characteristic of dyslexic readers, an individualized intervention plan should be developed, which should include appropriate accommodations, such as extended time. The testing can be conducted by trained school or outside specialists. (See the Testing for Dyslexia Fact Sheet for more information.)

What are the signs of dyslexia?

The problems displayed by individuals with dyslexia involve difficulties in acquiring and using written language. It is a myth that dyslexic individuals “read backwards,” although spelling can look quite jumbled at times because students have trouble remembering letter symbols for sounds and forming memories for words. Other problems experienced by dyslexics include the following:

• Learning to speak
• Learning letters and their sounds
• Organizing written and spoken language
• Memorizing number facts
• Reading quickly enough to comprehend
• Persisting with and comprehending longer reading assignments
• Spelling
• Learning a foreign language
• Correctly doing math operations

Not all students who have difficulties with these skills are dyslexic. Formal testing of reading, language, and writing skills is the only way to confirm a diagnosis of suspected dyslexia.
How is dyslexia treated?

Dyslexia is a life-long condition. With proper help, many people with dyslexia can learn to read and write well. Early identification and treatment is the key to helping dyslexics achieve in school and in life. Most people with dyslexia need help from a teacher, tutor, or therapist specially trained in using a multisensory, structured language approach. It is important for these individuals to be taught by a systematic and explicit method that involves several senses (hearing, seeing, touching) at the same time. Many individuals with dyslexia need one-on-one help so that they can move forward at their own pace. In addition, students with dyslexia often need a great deal of structured practice and immediate, corrective feedback to develop automatic word recognition skills. When students with dyslexia receive academic therapy outside of school, the therapist should work closely with classroom teachers, special education providers, and other school personnel.

Schools can implement academic accommodations and modifications to help dyslexic students succeed. For example, a student with dyslexia can be given extra time to complete tasks, help with taking notes, and work assignments that are modified appropriately. Teachers can give taped tests or allow dyslexic students to use alternative means of assessment. Students can benefit from listening to books on tape and using the computer for text reading programs and for writing. Students may also need help with emotional issues that sometimes arise as a consequence of difficulties in school. Mental health specialists can help students cope with their struggles.

Copyright 2008, The International Dyslexia Association (IDA).

As children, things can be good or bad; happy or sad; safe or scary. As adults, we know the world is not always so cleanly divided. So it is with dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a specific kind of learning disability. It affects a person’s ability to read, write and spell. It’s known that dyslexia begins with the brain, not the eyes or hands. It can’t be cured and will be part of a person’s life beyond school years. Its effects are apparent even to young children – a student with a disability likely feels different from the other students. They may even be targeted because of this difference. But, people with dyslexia, though literally different, are perfectly smart and capable.

And, different needn’t be categorized into ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ The following thoughts are meant to assist individuals, parents and teachers reframe their view of dyslexia as neutral or even positive.

Lesson #1

The saying, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” has been repeated and rephrased for years. Could disability be in the eyes of the beholder, as well?

Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift, though a lampoon of British society and politics written in the early 1700’s, illustrates the nature of normalcy and differences.

Gulliver leaves England and encounters foreign lands and peoples. He doesn’t change size, intelligence or his behavior. It is his environments that change. The people he meets are shocked and amazed by his difference from them. They display a range of reactions to his ‘disabilities’ as well. The Lilliputians grow bitter at having to accommodate his large difference in size and needs. The Brobdingnags humiliatingly adopt him as kind of “cute” mascot and charge money to see him; here, his difference even makes him vulnerable to being eaten or crushed. Next, among scientists, academicians and historians, Gulliver discovers they have no more certainty or answers than he does. Finally, in a land ruled by rational and speaking horses, Gulliver is accepted into nobility and happy; but, this comes to a quick end when the horses discover his physical difference from them – his body is like the savage Yahoo’s, to whom he is banished.

So, is Gulliver disabled? His encounters were merely coincidental, but he suffered because of his differences. Is his suffering the disability? Are the societies he interacts with disabled? Are they worth educating about his differences?

Lesson #2

Gulliver’s differences were obvious. Dyslexia is a hidden disability and easily misunderstood. Difficulty reading and writing in primary grades may get dismissed as immaturity or distractibility. Delays in elementary or middle school may get labeled as laziness, too many video games, improper early instruction or distractibility. These kinds of denials and doubts lead to self-questioning and low self-confidence. Low self-confidence may even be more crippling than dyslexia because it can affect many areas of life, not just school.

In the end, an emotionally wounded Gulliver isolated himself from other people. So we must always remember and never forget to help our children and our students capitalize on the good. This can be done in many ways:

• Use a fancy font and print a list of positive characteristics unique to your child or student – good friend, easy to get along with, good with money, courteous.
• Design a “Positive Me Scrapbook” – include photos from infancy to the present, photos of special activities, special people, first words, special cards or messages received.
• Create opportunities to shine – if your child or student is a young expert on turtles, local history, etc., help them design a workshop to deliver at the town library or outdoor education center.
• Learn other fun skills – your child or student might enjoy learning magic tricks, juggling, origami or drawing. These skills and talents can be drawn upon in many situations and can help bolster self-image.

Some people consider dyslexia a gift.

Diana Hanbury King, school founder, author, international speaker on dyslexia, once said, “If I were stranded on a deserted island, I would want to have a person with dyslexia with me.” Because, with dyslexia comes skills which are fundamental to humankind’s survival. These include abilities with science and engineering – useful for understanding one’s environment and physically adapting to it. A person with dyslexia tends to score high with visio-spatial related skills. These include thinking in pictures (non-verbal thought) and intuiting pictures (two dimensions) in three dimensions, including orientation, space, scaling sizes and proportions. These skills are necessary for building, critical/medical self-care, environmental safety and using location or mapping skills. Visio-spatial skills are also necessary for socializing – to be able to “read” and respond appropriately to a person’s emotions or state of mind. Indeed, these abilities would be welcome in any survivalist situation.

Even though parents and teachers know that sight word acquisition is essential for children learning to read, teaching sight words to children with dyslexia can be particularly challenging. Individuals with dyslexia have great difficulty processing language. Their biggest obstacles are recognizing words and spelling them, both key components of sight word learning. Despite these difficulties, there are a number of teaching strategies that have proven effective in teaching children with dyslexia sight words. Any of these approaches can be used alone or in combination at home or in the classroom.

Multi-sensory Presentation of Sight Words

An often used strategy for teaching children with dyslexia to read involves presenting material using a several modalities. When these learners are able to “see” an idea using more than one sense they are best able to integrate the information into their memories. Because individuals with dyslexia often have difficulty processing written language, it is important that parents and teachers present information orally. Sight words should be repeated out loud for these students. This verbal repetition of words should be combined with the written version of the word and ideally one other sensory representation of the word. Music, pictures or movement can be used in conjunction with the print and verbal representations of the word to help children with dyslexia learn new sight words.

Teaching “Puzzle Words” Separately From Phonetically “Friendly” Words

One of the reasons why some children, especially those with dyslexia, have trouble learning to read sight words is that they are not spelled like they sound. This is compounded by the fact that many of the words that do not follow common spelling rules also cannot be illustrated using pictures. Consider a few of the highest frequency words in the English language: the, to, you and because. These words and many more on Dolch’s sight word lists are not spelled phonetically and cannot be drawn.

Because children with dyslexia struggle with writing and reading words that they cannot easily sound out, it is recommended that teachers and parents remove these “puzzle words” from Dolch’s lists and teach them separately from those that can be illustrated and/or are spelled phonetically. The “puzzle words” must be taught in a way that helps these students memorize them since they cannot use typical strategies to read or write them.

Part to Whole Sight Word Instruction

A challenge that individuals with dyslexia face when learning to read new words is sounding them out. They are unable to make a connection between the phonetic version of the word or its sound and the graphemic or written representation of it. Therefore, a successful strategy for teaching children with dyslexia new words is first teaching them what the written version of the part of words (phonemes) look like. Once a child has learned many of the main phonemes in the English language, they can use their knowledge to tackle new words. Sight words should be broken down into their “sound components” and taught in these chunks to help those with dyslexia commit them to memory.