• 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

In Elementary and Middle School

 

• 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 speking, 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 school

Previous signs cited plus:

• Limited Vocabulary
• Extremely poor written expression
  • Large discrepancy between verbal skills and written composition
• Unable to master a foreign language
• Difficulty reading printed music
• Poor grades in many classes
• May drop out of high school

• Slow reader
• May need to re-read page 2 or 3 times to understand text
• Terrible speller
• Difficulty putting thought on paper
• Difficulty with left versus right
• Often gets lost, even in familiar city
• Confuses letters such as b and d, markedly when tired or sick

*Provided courtesy of Bright Solutions for Dyslexia.  
  Copyright 2002 by Susan Barton.  All Rights Reserved.