Is My Child Dyslexic?

Individuals with dyslexia have trouble with reading, writing, spelling and/or math in spite of average or above average intelligence and plenty of opportunities to learn. Individuals with dyslexia can learn, but they often need specialized instruction to overcome the problem. Often these individuals, who
have talented and productive minds, are said to have a language learning difference.

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Common Characteristics of Dyslexia

Most of us have one or two of these characteristics. That does not mean that everyone has
dyslexia. A person with dyslexia usually has several of these characteristics that persist over
time and interfere with his or her learning.

Oral Language

       •   Late learning to talk
       •   Difficulty pronouncing words
       •   Difficulty acquiring vocabulary or using age appropriate grammar
       •   Difficulty following directions
       •   Confusion with before/after, right/left, and so on
       •   Difficulty learning the alphabet, nursery rhymes, or songs
       •   Difficulty understanding concepts and relationships
       •   Difficulty with word retrieval or naming problems

Reading

       •   Difficulty learning to read
       •   Difficulty identifying or generating rhyming words, or counting syllables in words (phonological awareness)
       •   Difficulty with hearing and manipulating sounds in words (phonemic awareness)
       •   Difficulty distinguishing different sounds in words (phonological processing)
       •   Difficulty in learning the sounds of letters (phonics)
       •   Difficulty remembering names and shapes of letters, or naming letters rapidly
       •   Transposing the order of letters when reading or spelling
       •   Misreading or omitting common short words
       •  “Stumbles” through longer words
       •  Poor reading comprehension during oral or silent reading, often because words are not accurately read
       •  Slow, laborious oral reading

Other Common Symptoms that Occur with Dyslexia

      •   Difficulty naming colors, objects, and letters rapidly, in a sequence (RAN: rapid automatized naming)
      •   Weak memory for lists, directions, or facts
      •   Needs to see or hear concepts many times to learn them
      •   Distracted by visual or auditory stimuli
      •   Downward trend in achievement test scores or school performance
      •   Inconsistent school work
      •   Teacher says, “If only she would try harder,” or “He’s lazy.”
      •   Relatives may have similar problems

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Common Characteristics of Other Related Learning Disorders

Dysgraphia (Handwriting)

      •   Unsure of handedness
      •   Poor or slow handwriting
      •   Messy and unorganized papers
      •   Difficulty copying
      •   Poor fine motor skills
      •   Difficulty remembering the kinesthetic movements to form letters correctly

Dyscalculia (Math)

      •   Difficulty counting accurately
      •   May misread numbers
      •   Difficulty memorizing and retrieving math facts
      •   Difficulty copying math problems and organizing written work
      •   Many calculation errors
      •   Difficulty retaining math vocabulary and concepts

ADHD—Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Attention)

      •    Inattention
      •   Variable attention
      •   Distractibility
      •   Impulsivity
      •   Hyperactivity

Executive Function/Organization

      •   Loses papers
      •   Poor sense of time
      •   Forgets homework
      •   Messy desk
      •   Overwhelmed by too much input
      •   Works slowly

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