Dyslexia

Indicators of Dyslexia
Some of the symptoms and signs displayed by a child who may have Dyslexia, are shared below. For a parent to immediately identify a specific sign and reach a conclusion that their child is Dyslexia, may be being a bit unfair to the child and reaching a conclusion without a proper analysis.

A more appropriate approach to helping your ward would be to accept and understand that there may be a potential learning difficulty involving Dyslexia or a related learning disorder and take the initiative to bring the child for a proper assessment.

An assessment is the first step towards ensuring that your child is walking in the right direction with the correct tools at his / her disposal.

Kindergarten , Play school , Pre School
⇒ Family history
⇒ Late and/or unclear speech
⇒ Inability to remember the label for known objects e.g. colours
⇒ Confused directional words, e.g. 'up/down' or ‘in/out’
⇒ Enhanced creativity - often good at drawing
⇒ Finding it difficult to remember nursery rhymes.
⇒ Difficulty in hearing and pronouncing sounds.
⇒ Problems with learning the connections between sounds and letters
⇒ Trouble remembering words they have seen many times
⇒ Unable to remember two or more instructions in sequence.
⇒ Uncertain of left or right.
⇒ Aptitude for constructional or technical toys, e.g. bricks, puzzles, Lego blocks
⇒ Difficulty with rhyming words, e.g. 'cat mat fat'
⇒ Difficulty with sequencing

Children under 10
⇒ Particular difficulty with reading and/or spelling and writing
⇒ Persistent and continued reversing of numbers and letters (e.g.'15' for '51', 'b' for 'd')
⇒ Difficulty telling left from right
⇒ Difficulty learning the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, colors, shapes etc.
⇒ Difficulty learning to spell and write his or her name
⇒ May have difficulty telling and/or retelling a story in the correct sequence
⇒ Often has difficulty separating sounds in words and blending sounds to make words
⇒ May be slow to add new vocabulary words
⇒ May be unable to recall the right word
⇒ Difficulty learning the alphabet and multiplication tables
⇒ Difficulty remembering sequences such as the days of the week and months of the year
⇒ Poor concentration
⇒ Signs of frustration

Children falling in the age bracket of 9-13 years of age.
⇒ Continued mistakes in reading and poor comprehension of text
⇒ Bizarre spelling, perhaps with letters missed out or in the wrong order
⇒ Taking an above average time over written work
⇒ Poor organisation at home and at school
⇒ Difficulty copying accurately from blackboard or textbook
⇒ Difficulty taking down oral instructions
⇒ Growing lack of self-confidence and increasing frustration
⇒ May appear bright, but fails to fulfil potential
⇒ Difficulty repeating polysyllabic words

High School Children from 13 years of age to 18 years of age
⇒ Tendency to read inaccurately, or without comprehension
⇒ Inconsistent spelling
⇒ Difficulty with planning and written essays
⇒ Tendency to confuse verbal instructions and telephone numbers
⇒ Difficulty with learning a foreign language
⇒ Low self-esteem
⇒ Difficulty with perception of language, e.g. following instructions, listening comprehension

The literacy difficulties most likely to be faced by a Dyslexic child are shared in the General Problems section for the knowledge of parents and teachers. It is important to note that not every dyslexic child will display all of these difficulties. In addition, sometimes children who are identified with some of these signs could also have other difficulties besides dyslexia.