If a child has 3 or more of the following
warning signs, You are encouraged to learn more about dyslexia.
Preschool
- Delayed speech (not talking by 1 year old)
- Mixing up the sounds and syllables when saying long words (basegheti, hekanopter)
- Chronic ear infections (tubes)
- Stuttering
- Constant confusion of left versus right
- Late establishing a dominant hand
- Difficulty learning to tie shoes
- Trouble memorizing their address, phone number, or alphabet
- Can’t create words that rhyme
- A close relative with dyslexia
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 prefixes and suffixes
Can’t sound out unknown words - Terrible speller
- Often can’t remember sight words (they, were, does) or homophones
(their, they’re and there) - Difficulty telling time on an analog clock
- Trouble with math
Memorizing multiplication tables
Sequence steps in a problem
Directionality - When speaking, difficulty finding the correct word
Lots of “whatyamacallits” and “thingies” - Extremely messy bedroom, backpack, and desk
- Dreads going to school
Complains of stomach aches or headaches
May have nightmares about school
High School
All 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
Adults
Education history similar to above, plus:
- Continues to be a 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