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