Common Characteristics of Dyslexia

Most individuals with dyslexia will exhibit about 10 of the following traits and behaviors. These characteristics can vary from day-to-day or minute-to-minute. The most consistent thing about individuals with dyslexia is their inconsistency.

General:

• Appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level.
• Labeled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, “not trying hard enough”, or “behavior problem”.
• Isn’t “behind enough” or “bad enough” to be helped in school setting.
• High IQ yet may not test well academically; tests well orally, but not written.
• Feels dumb; has poor self esteem; hides or covers up weaknesses with ingenious compensatory strategies; easily frustrated and emotional about school, reading, or testing.
• Talented in art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales business designing, building, or engineering.
• Seems to “zone out” or daydream often; gets lost easily or loses track of time.
• Difficulty sustaining attention; described as “hyper” or “daydreamer”.
• Learns best through hands on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids.

Vision, Reading, and Spelling:

• Complains of dizziness, headaches, or stomachaches while reading.
• Confused by letter, numbers, words, sequences, or verbal explanations.
• Reading or writing shows repetitions, additions, transpositions, omissions, substitutions, and reversals in letters, numbers, and/or words.
• Complains of feeling or seeing non-existent movement while reading, writing, or copying.
• Seems to have difficulty with vision, yet eye exams don’t reveal a problem.
• Extremely keen sided and observant, or lacks depth perception and peripheral vision.
• Reads and rereads with little comprehension.
• Spells phonically and inconsistently.

Hearing and Speech:

• Has extended hearing; hears things not said or apparent to others; easily distracted by sounds.
• Difficulty putting thoughts into words; speaks in halting phrases; leaves sentences incomplete; stutters under stress; mispronounces long words, or transposes phrases, words, syllables when speaking.

Writing and Motor Skills:

• Trouble with writing or copying; pencil grip is unusual; handwriting varies or is illegible.
• Clumsy, uncoordinated, poor at ball or team sports; difficulties with fine and/or gross motor skills and tasks; prone to motion sickness.
  Can be ambidextrous, and often confuses left/right, over/under.

Math and Time Management:

• Has difficulty telling time, managing time, learning sequenced information or tasks, or being on time.
• Computing math shows dependence on finger counting and other tricks; knows answers, but can’t do it on paper.
• Can count, but has difficulty counting objects and dealing with money.
• Can do arithmetic, but fails word problems; cannot grasp algebra or higher math.

Memory and Cognition:

• Excellent long term memory for experiences, locations, and faces.
• Poor memory for sequences and inexperienced facts and information.
• Thinks primarily with images and feeling, not sounds of word (little internal dialogue).

Behavior, Health, Development and Personality:

• Extremely disorderly or compulsively orderly.
• Can be class clown, trouble-maker, or too quiet.
• Had unusually early or late developmental stages (talking, crawling, walking, tying shoes).
• Prone to ear infections; sensitive to foods, additives, and chemical products.
• Can be an extra deep or lighter sleeper; bed wetting beyond appropriate age.
• Unusually high or low tolerance for pain.
• Strong sense of justice; emotionally sensitive; strives for perfection.
• Mistakes and symptoms increase dramatically with confusion, time pressure, emotional stress, or poor health.

This list is compiled from the National Reading Panel, the Learning Disabilities Association of America, and the Reading Research Council. The Dyslexia Institute of Indiana helps people with these characteristics every day. The disabling aspects of dyslexia are correctable and can be overcome.