Dyslexia: A Quick Look

What you should know about dyslexia:

• Dyslexia is a language processing disorder that causes difficulty with reading, writing and spelling.
• Dyslexia is NOT a sign of poor intelligence or laziness. It is also not the result of impaired vision.
• Dyslexia can affect different people differently - some can have difficulty with reading and spelling, while others might find using words correctly and writing or telling left from right challenging.
• According to the National Institute of Child and Human Development, as many as 15% of Americans have significant difficulties learning to read.
• Like all learning disabilities, dyslexia is a lifelong challenge.
• Using alternate learning methods, people with dyslexia can learn how to achieve success.

Signs of dyslexia at different ages:

 Young Children           

• Difficulty recognizing letters, matching letters to sounds and blending sounds into speech
• Confusion when pronouncing words, i.e. "mawn lower" instead of "lawn mower"
• Slow to learn and use new vocabulary words correctly
• Trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, days of the week or similar common word sequences
• Difficulty with rhyming 

School Age Children

• Difficulty mastering the rules of spelling
• Trouble remembering facts and numbers
• Poor handwriting, awkward pencil grip
• Slow to learn and understand new skills - relies heavily on memorization
• Frequent reading and spelling errors such as reversing letters (d,b) or moving letters around (left, felt)
• Difficulty following a sequence of directions
• Trouble with word problems in math  Reading below expected level

Teenagers & Adults

• Difficulty understanding non-literal language, i.e. idioms, jokes, proverbs
• Avoiding reading aloud
• Difficulty organizing and managing time
• Trouble summarizing a story
• Difficulty learning a foreign language
• Poor memory skills 

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Reprinted with permission from the National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc. All rights reserved.