Kids learn at different paces. But if your child has been struggling with reading and writing for a while, what you’re seeing could be signs of dyslexia.
This list details the symptoms of dyslexia from preschool to adulthood.
IN PRESCHOOL:
- Delayed speech
- Chronic ear infections
- Stuttering
- Constant confusion of left vs right
- Difficulty in learning to tie shoes
- Trouble memorising their address, telephone number or the alphabet
- Can't create rhyming words
- Child has a close relative with dyslexia
IN PRIMARY SCHOOL:
- Slow, non-automatic handwriting that is difficult to read
- Letter and/or number reversals that continue past Grade 1
- Extreme difficulty learning cursive
- Slow, choppy, inaccurate reading
- Guesses words based on shape or context
- Skips or misreads words
- Trouble with sounding out unknown words
- Very poor spelling
- Trouble remembering sight words
- Difficulty with telling the time on an analog clock
- Trouble with memorising multiplication tables
- Difficulty with finding the correct word to say when speaking
- Dreads school, may have nightmares about school
IN HIGH SCHOOL:
All of the above symptoms as well as:
- Limited vocabulary
- Extremely poor written expression, large discrepancy between written and verbal compositions
- Struggling with 2nd language
- Poor results in many subjects
IN ADULTS:
- Educational history similar to the list above
- Slow reader
- Poor understanding of written text, may have to read text 2-3 times
- Very poor spelling
- Difficulty putting thoughts on paper
- Often gets lost, even in a familiar city
- Sometimes confuses b and d, especially when tired or sick
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