What to Look For
What are the signs of Dyslexia?
A quick method of determining whether a more detailed investigation of possible dyslexia is sensible is to use an indicator checklist – such as the ones provided below.
Look at the indicators for the age of the person you are thinking about. Also look at the indicators for the younger child. Do these still apply? Did some apply when the person was younger? If several indicators are present, further investigation is advisable. If your family has a history of dyslexia it is more likely that your child also has dyslexia.
Signs of dyslexia in Preschool
- Have a history of delays in speaking, making sentences or pronouncing words correctly.
- Have a history of ‘glue ear’ or similar early childhood difficulties.
- Find it hard to remember the names of familiar objects, e.g. spoon, cup.
- Have difficulty learning nursery rhymes.
- Have other members of the family with similar difficulties
Signs of dyslexia in a Primary School child
A primary school age child may:
- Have particular difficulty learning to read, write and spell.
- Difficulty remembering sequences such as the alphabet and months of the year.
- Have difficulty telling left from right.
- Difficulty copying accurately from the board or a textbook.
- Have difficulty remembering and following oral instructions.
- Persistent and continued reversing of letters and figures, e.g. ’15’ for ‘51’, ‘b’ for ‘d’.
- Take longer than average over written work.
- Experience lack of self-confidence and increasing frustration.
- In other ways be a bright and alert child.
How to spot dyslexia in Secondary School pupils
A secondary school age child may have:
- Inconsistent spelling.
- Difficulty with planning and writing essays.
- A tendency to get ‘tied up’ using long words, e.g. preliminary, philosophical.
- A tendency to confuse verbal instructions, places, times and dates.
- Greater difficulty in learning a foreign language.
- Low self-esteem.
- Frustration which has led to behavioural or emotional difficulties.
- Disorganised at home and school
What are the signs of dyslexia in adults?
In addition to earlier characteristics, some of which may still persist, the following signs may indicate dyslexia in an adult:
- Difficulty with map reading.
- Difficulty filling in forms and writing reports.
- Tendency to miss and confuse appointment times.
- Concerns about training or promotion.
- Difficulty structuring work schedules.
- Low opinion of capabilities.
- Constantly loses and forgets items and information.
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In conversation with Dyslexia First’s founder, Michala Morton
I did my Batchelor of Education degree at Liverpool University. My first school I taught at was an old grammar school; it was like the secret garden, it looked horrible from the outside, but really beautiful inside and at the rear as it looked out on to a nature reserve. I said this at my interview and apparently that’s what got me the job.