Common Characteristics of Dyslexia
(Informed by the International Dyslexia Association)
Most people have one or two of these characteristics, but this doesn't not mean that everyone has dyslexia. A person with dyslexia usually has several of these characteristics that persist over time and interfere with his or her learning.
Oral Language
• Late learning to talk
• Difficulty pronouncing words
• Difficulty acquiring vocabulary or using age appropriate grammar
• Difficulty following multi step directions
• Confusion with before/after, right/left, etc
• Difficulty learning the alphabet, nursery rhymes, or songs
• Difficulty remembering days of the week, months of the year and other sequences
• Difficulty with word retrieval or naming problems
Reading
• Difficulty learning to read
• Difficulty identifying or generating rhyming words, or counting syllables in words
• Difficulty with hearing and manipulating sounds in words
• Difficulty distinguishing different sounds in words
• Difficulty in learning the sounds of letters
• Difficulty remembering names and shapes of letters, or naming letters rapidly
• Transposing the order of letters when reading or spelling
• Misreading or omitting common short words
• Struggling with multisyllable words
• Poor reading comprehension during oral or silent reading, often because words are not accurately read
• Slow, laborious oral reading
Written Language
• Difficulty putting ideas on paper
• Many spelling mistakes
• May do well on weekly spelling tests, but may have many spelling mistakes in daily work
• Difficulty proofreading
Other Common Symptoms that Occur with Dyslexia
• Difficulty naming colors, objects, and letters
• Weak memory for lists, directions, or facts
• Difficulty memorizing and retrieving math facts
• Needs to see or hear concepts many times to learn them
• Distracted by visual or auditory stimuli
• Downward trend in achievement test scores or school performance
• Inconsistent school work
• May be misunderstood as lazy or not trying hard enough
• Relatives may have similar problems
Common Characteristics of Other Related Learning Disorders
Dysgraphia (Handwriting)
• Unsure of handedness
• Poor or slow handwriting
• Messy and unorganized papers
• Difficulty copying
• Poor fine motor skills
• Difficulty remembering the kinesthetic movements to form letters correctly
ADHD—Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Attention)
• Inattentive
• Difficulty getting started or sustaining attention on tasks
• Distractibility
• Impulsivity
• Hyperactivity
Executive Function/Organization
• Loses papers
• Poor sense of time
• Forgets homework
• Messy desk
• Overwhelmed by too much input
• Works slowly
*If your child is having difficulties learning to read and you have noted several of these characteristics in your child, he or she may need to be evaluated for dyslexia or a related disorder.
See Resources for more information including videos about dyslexia