| Experts tell us that perhaps 1 out of every 10 | | | | -- Make slow progress in acquiring reading skills. |
| adults suffers from some type of dyslexia. | | | | -- Guess or make "wild stabs" at words when |
| Probably 95% of these are unaware that their | | | | reading. |
| differences, their problems with reading and | | | | -- Rely heavily on context to read. |
| manipulation of numbers,letters and words are | | | | -- Fear, dread or resist reading aloud. |
| caused by dyslexia. | | | | -- Mispronounce and substitute words when |
| When identified, these dyslexics can be helped and | | | | reading aloud. |
| taught to overcome their difficulties. They can | | | | -- Perform disproportionately worse on |
| lead normal, even exemplary lives, achieving their | | | | multiple-choice tests than on other types. |
| full potentials. So how do you identify people who | | | | -- Spell or write poorly. |
| may suffer from dyslexia? What are the | | | | [Source of the above list: "Overcoming Dyslexia: A |
| indications, the symptoms? This article explains. | | | | New and Complete Science-Based Program for |
| Read on... | | | | Reading Problems at Any Level," by Sally |
| Dyslexia is a neurological condition that manifests | | | | Shaywitz] |
| itself as a learning disability. This disability varies | | | | Most elementary schools now screen for dyslexia, |
| widely but is generally characterized by difficulties | | | | looking for dyslexia symptoms to identify possible |
| in spelling, sounding out and recognizing words. | | | | dyslexics as early as possible. This is a relatively |
| Dyslexia is widely misunderstood. Dyslexics are | | | | recent practice. Adults who finished elementary |
| not stupid, they just have information-processing | | | | school more than 15 years ago may have never |
| differences and difficulties. Nevertheless they are | | | | been screened. In fact, 95% of adult dyslexics |
| often characterized as slow learners, put in special | | | | are unaware of their condition. |
| education classes and stigmatized rather than | | | | Most have developed protective mechanisms, |
| helped to overcome their challenges. | | | | sometimes elaborate ones, to hide their disabilities. |
| Once identified, dyslexics can be helped to | | | | An adult dyslexic might exhibit these types of |
| overcome their difficulties, perform at acceptable | | | | behavior, which are frequent dyslexia symptoms: |
| levels and lead normal, productive (often | | | | -- Avoid jobs where reading and writing is |
| super-productive) lives. But the social | | | | involved. They might be found employed in |
| stigmatization for being "different" causes most | | | | positions way below what their intelligence would |
| dyslexics to be ashamed of their differences and | | | | indicate they should be qualified for. |
| try to hide them. | | | | -- Avoid reading, especially reading aloud. |
| This makes identification and diagnosis of dyslexia | | | | -- Feign common problems with eyesight ("...didn't |
| more difficult. Here are some of the prominent | | | | bring my glasses.") or other excuses for not |
| dyslexia symptoms that may indicate underlying | | | | reading. |
| dyslexia: | | | | -- Avoid newspapers and magazines in favor of |
| A school-age child with dyslexia might exhibit any | | | | television, movies or other graphic media. |
| of the following dyslexia symptoms: | | | | -- Have difficulty in transcribing telephone numbers |
| -- Avoid reading or complain about the difficulty of | | | | or messages received over the phone. |
| reading. | | | | The presence of any of these dyslexia |
| -- Display strengths in higher-level thinking skills, | | | | symptoms does not prove that the person is |
| such as curiosity and imagination. | | | | dyslexic, but it does indicate the possibility. If |
| -- Mispronounce complicated or unfamiliar words. | | | | there is any doubt, if the dyslexia symptoms are |
| -- Leave out parts of words or confuse the order | | | | strong and repetitious enough, the person should |
| of parts. For example, "aluminum" could become | | | | undergo a full dyslexia test. For adults this can be |
| "amulium." | | | | done online in half an hour. |
| -- Pause, hesitate, often say "um", "uh" or "ah" | | | | Once diagnosed, dyslexics can be taught how to |
| when speaking. | | | | overcome almost all of the problems they might |
| -- Use vague words, such as "stuff" and "things," | | | | have. With the proper training dyslexics can |
| instead of proper names. | | | | overcome their dyslexia symptoms and lead |
| -- Confuse words that sound alike, such as | | | | normal, productive lives, living up to and achieving |
| "tornado" for "volcano" and "lotion" for "ocean." | | | | their full potentials. |
| -- Need more time to form verbal responses. | | | | For more information on dyslexia symptoms and |
| -- Have trouble remembering isolated pieces of | | | | testing, follow the links below... |
| verbal information, such as dates, names and lists. | | | | |