Signs and Symptoms of Dyslexia

Can you spot the 1 in 5 students (or adults) with dyslexia? Maybe. Some characteristics of dyslexia are more well-known than others.

10 Typical Signs of Dyslexia

1. Do not seem to grasp that words come apart into individual sounds
2. Difficulty learning and remembering the letters and sounds of the alphabet
3. Seems unable to recognize letters in their own names
4. Trouble rhyming, recognizing rhyming patterns (bat, cat, rat)  or learning nursery rhymes
5. Repeats or omits short words like and, but, or
6. Mispronouncing familiar words, perceived as using ‘baby talk’ or has a speech delay
7. Reading father as “dad” or seeing an adult dog in an illustration and saying “puppy”
8. Family history of reading or spelling problems
9. Disappears when it is time to read, rarely reads for pleasure
10. Becomes tired and frustrated or gets headaches when reading

Although we typically think of reading and spelling challenges as characteristic of dyslexia, it affects other areas of life, as well.

15 Less Familiar signs of Dyslexia

1. Has difficulty with directionality; confuses left and right
2. Lacks a sense of urgency compared to peers
3. Slower to respond in conversation than peers, seems to need additional time to process
4. Has difficulty taking notes and copying accurately and quickly from the board
5. Messy handwriting
6. Has low self-esteem and negative self-talk, often in spite of high achievement
7. Poor short term and long term memory, particularly for single-mode input (auditory, visual)
8. Uses vague language like “stuff” or “things” and avoids saying words that might be mispronounced
9. Pauses, hesitates, or uses “um” when speaking and gestures to skip over words when reading
10. Seems to need extra time to process and retrieve facts and information due to a disorganized mental filing cabinet
11. Confuses words with similar sounds such as volcano/tornado or patients/patience
12. Needs additional time to finish tests but demonstrates understanding with extra time
13. Grades do not reflect understanding or ability
14. Difficulty remembering math facts and names of people or places
15. Disorganized supplies, belongings, and backpack

How about these 15 less celebrated characteristics of dyslexia?

1. Insatiable curiosity, always asking why
2. Great imagination, conceptualization, reasoning, visualization, and problem solving skills
3. Enjoys puzzles, building models and finding unique solutions
4. Able to get the gist of things or see the big picture that others do not see
5. Quick to understand new concepts, especially when learning is accomplished through meaning not rote memorization
6. Surprising maturity in speaking with older children or adults
7. Creative, divergent thinker, and high level conceptualizer with original thoughts and insights
8. Excellent visual-spatial skills and spatial reasoning in careers as inventors, interior designers, architects, and engineers
9. Excels in visual arts, photography, and performance arts
10. Interested in more conceptual studies such as philosophy, social studies, or neuroscience
11. Excellent writing when the focus is on content and not writing skills
12. Exceptional empathy, warmth, and compassion
13. Highly articulate when expressing feelings or ideas they are passionate about
14. Resiliency
15. Strong social and moral compass

Do you recognize the students with dyslexia hiding behind these personalities?

1. The Pot Stirrer who creates drama to focus your attention on someone else?
2. The Bully who lacks confidence and self-worth and picks on others instead?
3. The Class Clown who distracts others and makes them laugh to hide from being labeled as dumb?
4. The Silent Child who is shy, withdrawn, rarely participates and hides in plain sight?
5. The Smart Aleck who is sarcastic, argumentative, and confrontational to focus attention on behavior and not academic skills?
6. The Social Butterfly who talks with anyone and everyone but avoids answering questions or reading aloud?
7. The Lazy/Unmotivated One who appears to not care or not try but is paddling harder than anyone under the surface?
8. The Rocket Scientist who studies physics and engineering for fun, but struggles to comprehend content presented in a written format?

15 Simple Strategies to Implement TODAY

1. Turn on closed captioning for every video!
2. Use consistent, easy to read sans-serif fonts (like Arial, Calibri, or Open-Sans)
3. Unclutter documents and classroom webpages
4. All extra time on tests and assignments without drawing attention to students
5. Minimize visual distractions in the classroom and on websites (try Mercury Reader Chrome extension)
6. Provide a calm, quiet and welcoming space in the classroom to work
7. Allow older students to record lectures or provide links to archived videos from class
8. Provide copies of notes or slides in advance
9. Provide response options such as video or audio rather than writing.
10. Encourage using dictation software and Immersive Reader on Microsoft products
11. Provide links to audio books as an alternative to reading
12. Encourage typing or using a tablet instead of writing
13. Address and respond to negative self-talk
14. Acknowledge effort and celebrate hard work even if there are mistakes
15. Use the word ‘dyslexia’!

Validate the specific challenges that result from dyslexia and celebrate the hard work people with dyslexia invest every day.