You may think that the child has a form of Dyslexia, (Specific Learning Difficulty), but other children you have encountered with the problem seem so different. This is not unusual, as dyslexia can present itself with different clusters of abilities or difficulties.

Below is listed a summary of the ways in which Dyslexics are spotted.

In general terms

• Their speed of processing the spoken language is extremely quick, but results in inarticulate, mumbled speech.
• Written language, on the other hand is sometimes slow and laboured.
• There is usually a contrast in verbal and written ability.
• They have difficulty in following sequences of instructions.
• They are forgetful of words.
• Commonly they have a poor attention span, and only stay focussed for short periods of time.

Their written work

• Is usually messy, sometime illegible, without fluency of style.
• There are many attempts made to spell a work e.g. wippe, wype, wiep, wipe.
• There is persistent confusion surrounding letters which look similar, particularly b/d,p/q,n/u,m/w.
• They often spell the same word in several different ways within the same piece of work.
• Making anagrams of words is commonplace e.g. tired for tried, breaded for bearded, dog for god.
• Sometimes words are simply pronounced or written with letters in the wrong order basghetti for spaghetti, par cark for car park, that is not ability/age appropriate.
• Often poor pencil grip reflect their trouble in co-ordinating movements.
• Show unusual sequencing of letters or words.

Reading

• Their reading progress is not commensurate with their age often reading a word correctly on one line, and getting it wrong on the next.
• Finds it difficult to blend letters together.
• Has difficulty in establishing syllable division or knowing the beginning and endings of words.
• Pronunciation of words unusual.
• No expression in reading; comprehension poor.
• Exceptionally good comprehension of stories that are read to them or story lines from videos etc they have watched.
• Hesitant in reading, particularly out loud.
• Misses words when reading or adds extra words.
• Fails to recognise familiar words.
• Loses the point of a story when reading it or writing it.

• Shows confusion with number order e.g. units, tens, hundreds .
• Is confused by symbols such as + and x signs .
• Has difficulty remembering anything in a sequential order, e.g. tables, days of the week, letters of the alphabet.

Time

• 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, months of the year.
• Difficulty with concepts – yesterday, tomorrow, today .

Skills/co-ordination or Dyspraxia

• Has poor motor skills, leading to weaknesses in speed, control and accuracy of the pencil or gross motor skills.
• Has a limited understanding of non-verbal communication.
• Is confused by the difference between left and right, up and down, east and west.
• Has indeterminate right or left dominance of feet or hands.
• Performs unevenly from day to day.
• Exhibits frustrated behaviour from time to time.

Behaviour

• Employs work avoidance tactics, such as sharpening pencils or looking for books.
• Seems to be a daydreamer, does not listen.
• Is easily distracted.
• In the classroom is the class clown, or is disruptive or withdrawn (these are often cries for help).
• Is excessively tired due to the amount of concentration and effort required just to maintain expected standards.

If you have identified with some of these difficulties, then there is the possibility that the child is Dyslexic.

Having Dyslexia is not as negative as it may seem!

There is help at hand to offer this gifted group in society every opportunity to fulfil their life ambitions whether they be academic or social

Society is becoming more and more attuned to Dyslexia, and the future has never looked more rosy!