Symptoms of Dyslexia

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The type and level of dyslexia varies from person to person. About 60% of people with dyslexia have phonological difficulties, which means they have difficulty sorting out the sounds within words. It is difficult for them to make the connection between the way a word sounds, and the way it is written. Because of this, they have problems with reading, writing and spelling. Many people with dyslexia spell words phonetically. This means they spell words the way that they sound, missing out silent letters and not following spelling rules.

Many children with dyslexia have difficulty with memory, organising thoughts clearly and sequencing, and so seem to have difficulties with mathematics, even though they may be good at it. With reading they may be hesitant and often misread words and with writing they may have erratic spelling and tendency to reverse letters.

Dyslexia often becomes apparent when a child is about six or seven, when their reading and writing levels are substantially below expected given their age and general level of intelligence.

The British Dyslexia Association outlines these possible indications that a child may be dyslexic:

From an early age, a child with dyslexia may confuse directional words, such as up/down, in/out, and later, left/right. As a young child, they may have difficulty with toys that involve sequences and later with numbers, days of the week and months of the year. They may have difficulty learning nursery rhymes and rhyming words and start to talk later than expected. They may enjoy being read to, but show no interest in letters or words.

At pre-school, the child may jumble phrases, use substitute words or be unable to remember the label for known objects (eg 'tableâ€™ or â€˜chair'). They may appear clumsy, have difficulty getting dressed, putting shoes on the correct feet and clapping a simple rhythm.

At primary school, the child may have particular difficulty with reading, spelling, the alphabet and the times tables. They may put letters and figures the wrong way round or leave them out altogether or occasionally confuse 'b' and 'd' and words such as 'no/on'. The child may take longer than average to do written work and have problems understanding what they have read. They may have a poor sense of direction, confuse left and right and use their fingers to count.

After primary school the child may still read inaccurately and have difficulty with spelling. They may find it difficult to follow a list of instructions, and so need to have them repeated. They may get confused with long words, places, times and dates and have difficulty planning and writing essays.

Many dyslexic children are intelligent and capable in other ways, but appear to have little concentration with reading and writing. They may be good at maths, but this may not be apparent because of their difficulties with organisation and sequencing.

It is common for a dyslexic child to have good days and bad days and to have poor self-confidence. Parents can help by being patient and positive, and by making sure the childâ€™s teachers are aware of the situation.

Dyslexia continues into adulthood. It cannot be cured; but people with dyslexia can learn to overcome the difficulties they experience.

An adult with dyslexia may have always had problems with spelling, organisation and reading but not known the cause of their problems.