- How can I tell if my child has dyslexia?
Written Work
- poor standard of written work compared with oral ability
- produces messy work with many crossings out and words tried several times eg wippe, wype, wiep, wipe
- is persistently confused by letters which look similar, particularlyb/d, p/g, p/q, n/u, m/w,
- has poor handwriting, with many 'reversals' and badly formed letters
- spells a word several different ways in one piece of writing
- makes anagrams of words eg tired for tried, breaded for bearded
- produces badly set-out written work, doesn't stay close to the margin
- makes poor reading progress, especially using look-and-say methods
- finds it difficult to blend letters together
- has difficulty in establishing syllable division or knowing the beginnings and endings of words
- is hesitant and laboured in reading, especially when reading aloud
- misses out words when reading, or adds extra words
- fails to recognise familiar words
- loses the point of a story being read or written
- has difficulty in picking out the most important points from a passage
- shows confusion with number order eg units, tens, hundreds
- is confused by symbols, such as + and x signs
- has difficulty remembering anything in a sequential order eg tables,
- days of the week, the alphabet
- has difficulty in learning to tell the time
- shows poor time keeping and general awareness
- has poor personal organisation
- has difficulty in remembering what day of the week it is, his birth date, seasons of the year, month of the year
- has poor motor skills, leading to weaknesses in the speed, control and accuracy of the pencil
- has a limited understanding of non-verbal communication
- is confused by the difference between left and right
- has indeterminate hand preference
- performs unevenly from day to day
- employs work avoidance tactics, such as sharpening pencils and looking for books
- seems to 'dream', does not seem to listen
- is easily distracted
- is the class clown, or is disruptive or withdrawn
- is excessively tired, due to the amount of concentration and effort required
If your child has a cluster of these difficulties, he/she may be dyslexic.