Warning Signs

*If a child has 3 or more of the following warning signs, encourage the child's parents and teachers to learn more about dyslexia.

Delayed speech

• Mixes sounds/syllables up in long words
• Chronic ear infections
• Severe reactions to childhood illnesses
• Constant confusion of left versus right
• Late establishing dominant hand
• Difficulty learning to tie shoes
• Trouble memorizing their address, phone number, or the alphabet
• Can't create words that rhyme
• Has a close relative with dyslexia

• Dysgraphia
• Letter or number reversals past the end of first grade
• Extreme difficulty learning cursive
• Slow, choppy, inaccurate reading
  • Guesses based on shape or context
  • Skips or misreads prepositions
  • Ignores suffixes
  • Can't sound out words
• Terrible spelling
• Often can’t remember sight words or homonyms
• Difficulty telling time on a clock with hands
• Trouble with math
  • Memorizing multiplication tables
  • Memorizing a sequence of steps
• In speaking, difficulty finding correct word
• In speaking, difficulty finding correct word
  • Lots of "whatyamacallits" and "thingies"
  • Common sayings come out slightly twisted
• Extremely messy room, backpack, and desk
• Dreads going to school
  • Stomach aches and/or headaches
  • May have nightmares about

Any of the previous symptoms plus:

• Limited vocabulary
• Extremely poor written expression
• Large discrepancy between verbal skills and written compositions
• Unable to master a foreign language • difficulty reading printed music
• Poor grades in many classes
• May drop out 

Education history similar to above, plus:

• Slow reader
• May have to read a page 2 or 3 times to understand
• Terrible speller
• Difficulty putting  paper - dreads writing memos or letters
• Still has difficulty with right versus left
• Often gets lost, even in a familiar city
• Sometimes confuses b and d, especially when tired or sick

*Warning Signs provided with permission by www.BrightSolutions.US

Copyright © 2002 by Susan Barton.