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Some of the Most Common Symptoms of Dyslexia

A dyslexic person can have a variety of symptoms justifying a number of different learning difficulty labels.

It is now generally accepted that dyslexia is at fault when academic achievement does not reflect a person’s true potential.

Each person has their own unique combination of symptoms, and if a person has twenty or more of the following symptoms, the most likely reason is dyslexia.

General Symptoms

I appeared bright, intelligent, and articulate but struggled with reading, writing, or spelling;

I was labelled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, "not trying hard enough," or having a "behaviour problem";

I was not "behind enough" or "bad enough" to be helped in the school setting;

High IQ, yet may not test well academically;

I did well in oral tests, but not written;

I felt dumb; had poor self-esteem;

I hide or cover up weaknesses with ingenious compensatory strategies;

I get easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing;

I am talented in art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building or engineering;

I seem to "zone out" or daydream often, get lost easily or lose track of time;

I have difficulty sustaining attention;

I seem "hyper" or "daydreamer";

I learn best through hands-on experience, demonstrations and experimentation, observation, and visual aids.

Vision, Reading and Spelling Symptoms

I sometimes experience dizziness, headaches, or stomach aches while reading;

I get confused by letters, numbers, words, sequences, or verbal explanations;

While reading or writing I find myself adding letters or words, leaving them out, confusing some of them;

I often reverse letters or numbers;

I feel or see non-existent movement while reading, writing or copying;

I had apparent difficulty with vision, yet eye exams do not reveal a problem;

I am extremely keen sighted and observant

I lack depth perception and peripheral vision;

I sometimes read and re-read with little comprehension;

My spelling is phonetic and inconsistent.

Hearing and Speech Symptoms

I have extended hearing; hear things not said or apparent to others;

I get easily distracted by sounds;

I often have difficulty putting thoughts into words;

I tend to speak in halting phrases; leaving sentences incomplete;

I stutter under stress;

I mispronounce long words, or transpose phrases, words and syllables when speaking.

Writing and Motor Skills Symptoms

I have trouble with writing or copying;

My pencil grip is unusual;

My handwriting varies or is illegible;

I feel clumsy and uncoordinated;

I am poor at ball or team sports;

I have difficulties with fine and /or gross motor skills and tasks;

I am prone to motion-sickness;

I am ambidextrous;

I often confuse left/right, over/under.

Math and Time Management Symptoms

I have difficulty telling time, managing time, or being on time;

I have difficulty learning sequenced information or tasks;

Computing math shows dependence on finger counting and other tricks;

I often know the answer to a maths problem, but can’t do it on paper;

I can count, but have difficulty counting objects and dealing with money;

I can do arithmetic, but fail word problems;

I cannot grasp algebra or higher math.

Memory and Cognition

I have excellent long-term memory for experiences, locations and faces;

I have poor memory for sequences, facts and information that I have not experienced directly;

I think primarily with images and feeling, not sounds or words (little internal dialogue).

Behaviour, Health, Development and Personality Symptoms

I am very disorderly;

I am compulsively orderly;

I used to be the class clown;

I used to be the trouble-maker;

I used to be too quiet;

I had unusually late developmental stages (talking, crawling, walking, tying shoelaces);

I had unusually early developmental stages (talking, crawling, walking, tying shoelaces);

I was prone to ear infections, sensitive to foods, additives and chemical products;

I am an extra deep sleeper;

I am an extra light sleeper;

I struggled with bedwetting beyond the appropriate age;

Unusually low tolerance for pain;

Unusually high tolerance for pain;

Strong sense of justice; emotionally sensitive; strives for perfection;

Mistakes and other above mentioned symptoms increase dramatically with confusion, time pressure, emotional stress, or poor health.

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	Davis Learning Strategies Researched The results of DLS found by the initial study in California published in 2001 seem almost too good to be true. This is why we need more research into the Davis Learning Strategies, and hopefully we can have this done in the UK.

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	The Davis Methods Outlined Davis dyslexia correction – a different approach to working with people with dyslexia.

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	GD Forums and Videos Please feel free to read and participate in our discussion forums. You will be able to read some of the comments our clients and parents have posted, and if you register you will be able to post replies and questions to the people that have Already participated in our forums.
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