What are the symptoms of dyslexia? Dyslexia occurs in people who have normal intelligence, but often struggle with reading and other language skills because they see letters, numbers, and words differently than most people do. The signs and symptoms of dyslexia are different from person to person, but there are three main types of dyslexia: phonological, surface, and semantic. Some people may experience only one type of dyslexia while others might have two or all three types at once. Here’s more information on the symptoms of dyslexia.
What Is Dyslexia?
While some dyslexia symptoms may present themselves in early childhood, many people discover their dyslexia symptoms as adults. One study found that about half of all adults with dyslexia didn’t have a formal diagnosis until adulthood, despite having struggled with reading since they were children. If you suspect you have dyslexia, it’s not necessary to suffer through school or work for years without an accurate diagnosis—there are tests available to detect learning disabilities like dyslexia and help get your life back on track. If you’re concerned about dyslexia symptoms or think you may be affected by another condition affecting learning and memory, contact your doctor today for more information on testing options.
Tops Signs of Dyslexia
When people first hear about dyslexia, they often think that it means a child’s reading and writing skills are affected. However, children who have dyslexia can struggle with other cognitive skills as well. According to experts at The International Dyslexia Association, there are signs of dyslexia throughout a child’s life and school career—from infancy to high school. It is important for parents and teachers to look out for these signs in order to get help for children sooner rather than later so they can do their best in school. Here are some of those top signs
Writing Symptoms
The symptoms of dyslexia are often unclear because there is no one-size-fits-all set of signs that tell you that a person has dyslexia. However, there are some commonalities in symptoms, and specific tests can determine whether someone does or doesn’t have dyslexia. For example, many people with dyslexia experience difficulty reading text written in certain fonts (especially script) or with white space missing between words. They may also have problems memorizing information when it’s presented verbally but not visually. If you think your child might be struggling with dyslexia, look for these signs as well as others and then seek out a specialist to determine whether testing is warranted.
Reading Symptoms
Two out of three students with dyslexia are more likely to struggle with reading, in part because they are extremely literal. This means that dyslexics have a hard time inferring an idea from its context—that is, figuring out what’s implied rather than explicitly stated. For example, if you read The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog, a non-dyslexic would immediately think The fox ran. But dyslexics might take each word at face value and conclude that a slow brown dog jogged around a very active fox.
Spelling Symptoms
If you suspect your child has dyslexia, one of these is problems with spelling words, as dyslexics tend to see letters and syllables as a whole rather than individual parts. A word such as there may be spelled correctly or incorrectly—for example, someone with dyslexia might write tear or tear—and either way, it’ll probably be written more than once because they’ve mistaken it for something else. This happens when a letter gets blended in their mind into another sound or word.
Slow Reading
A common symptom of dyslexia is slow reading, which makes it hard to understand words and sentences. This could make it more difficult to engage in what you’re reading or make reading seem like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. If you have dyslexia, try using a larger font size so that words take up less space on your page. Or, if you prefer an auditory medium over visual, try audio books that feature readers at different speeds so that you can find one that works for you. Reading out loud forces you to slow down and think about how each word sounds as well as how it’s spelled and how it fits into a sentence.
Poor with study skills
One symptom of dyslexia is poor study skills. People with dyslexia will often feel overloaded in a classroom setting and may also find themselves getting easily distracted while trying to read or write. Remember, though, that these people are not stupid or lazy: their brains simply process information differently than others. If you’re struggling with studying or focusing in school, there’s a good chance that you may have dyslexia. Some treatment plans exist to help with symptoms like these; read on for more details!
Lack of concentration
Those with dyslexia often struggle to concentrate on schoolwork or other tasks. For some, it may feel like they are reading everything for a second time even though they just read it once. Others may have difficulty staying focused because their thoughts are elsewhere, and some will experience physical symptoms that make concentrating difficult, such as headaches or stomachaches. In general, dyslexics struggle to pay attention, especially if they aren’t interested in what is being taught in class or if something interferes with their concentration. They also tend to be more easily distracted by outside noises and events than those without dyslexia.
Bad Behaviour in class
Kids with dyslexia often have trouble paying attention in class and may have behavioural problems. The cause is thought to be a disconnect between the area of their brain responsible for memory, sequencing, and planning and that which controls language, reading and writing. Many kids with dyslexia also experience frustration when they are required to sit still and listen to lectures. Without accommodations such as extra time to take exams or use a computer for note-taking, classroom time can be particularly challenging for children with dyslexia.
Time Management skills
Time management is an essential skill for anyone who has to work with other people, deadlines or a job. If you have dyslexia symptoms, these skills are especially crucial since they can help you avoid problems and create more productive habits. These tips focus on two key areas: planning and concentration/organization. You’ll need both in order to manage your time effectively.
Structuring a sentence
The proper way to structure a sentence when writing about symptoms is: [action] + [verb], [noun]. For example, dyslexics have difficulty concentrating on their studies. Notice how there’s no comma after dyslexics? That’s because you write out the entire noun. A few other examples are: dyslexics can speak perfectly well, and dyslexics suffer from poor memory recall. But, I will admit that sometimes you might want to put a period after your action word for readability.
Difficulty with maths
An estimated 60% to 80% of people with dyslexia also have difficulty with maths. This statistic isn’t surprising when you look at how a dyslexic brain processes numbers and letters. When someone who doesn’t have dyslexia reads, their brain activates in three areas: Wernicke’s area, Broca’s area and Heschl’s gyrus. Wernicke’s is located in the left side of your brain; it comprehends and creates language. The Broca’s area, which is located in your frontal lobe, works with words and phrases to create sentences.
