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Background information:
Diagnosed or undiagnosed can make a big difference for the dyslexic, being diagnosed can prevent a lot of frustration for the dyslectic and his environment. An undiagnosed dyslexic is misunderstood and would therefore cause frustration and create an unhealthy environment. There isn’t a standard method to diagnose dyslexia. Methods range form very complex to rather simple approaches, but here are common signs that you can look for: Early signs •Clumsy in some respect but surprisingly good at manipulating certain things like Lego, etc •Aptitude for constructional or technical toys, eg bricks, puzzles, remote control, keyboards, ... •Still having difficulty in dressing, eg clothes in the wrong order •Uncertain of which hand to use for eating •Late in crawling or did not crawl, was a ‘bottom shuffler’ and/or late in walking •Excessive tripping, bumping and falling over nothing •Obvious ‘good’ and ‘bad’ days for no apparent reason •Quick ‘thinker’ and ‘doer’ •Difficulty with ‘sequence’ •Unable to remember or carrying out two or more instructions in sequence •Confused letter order of words such as ‘Par Cark’ for car park, cobbler’s club’ for ‘toddler’s club’, ‘teddy-dare’ for ‘teddy-bear’ •Finds difficulty with rhyming words, eg ‘cat mat fat’, to remember nursery rhymes, and having difficulty in clapping or moving rhythm •Late in learning to talk or speak clearly •A lisp - ‘duckth’ for ‘ducks’ •Inability to remember names of objects, mislabel them, and confusing names of objects or make use of substitute words •Confused directional words, eg ‘up/down’ or ‘in/out’ •Finds difficulty with odd-one-out, eg ‘cat mat pig fat’ •Enhanced creativity - often good at drawing - good sense of color - seeks solutions try to use or do things different •Enjoys being read to but shows no interest in letters or words •Appears ‘bright’ - seems an enigma •Anyone else in the family with similar difficulties and/or family history of dyslexia problems. Ages 7 - 11 •Some difficulties with reading or spelling •Put figures or letters the wrong way eg 15 for 51, 6 for 9, b for d •Read a word then fail to recognise it further down the page •Difficulty learning the alphabet and multiplication tables •Remembering sequences such as the days of the week and months of the year •Spell a word several different ways without recognising the correct version •Have a poor concentration span for reading and writing •Have difficulty understanding time and tense •Continued difficulty with shoelaces, and ball catching, skipping •Answer questions orally but have difficulty writing the answer •Unusually clumsy •Have trouble with sounds in words, eg poor sense of rhyme •Inattention and poor concentration •Confuse left and right •Frustration, possibly leading to behavioral problems Ages 9 - 12 •Continued mistakes in reading, or a lack of reading comprehension •Strange spelling, eg letters missed out or in the wrong order •Taking an above average time over written work •Disorganisation at home and at school •Difficulty copying accurately from blackboard or textbook •Difficulty taking down oral instructions •Growing lack of self-confidence and increasing frustration. Ages 12 and adult •Have difficulty taking notes or copying •Difficulty with planning and writing essays, letters, and reports •Tendency to read inaccurately, or without comprehension •Inconsistent spelling •Tendency to confuse verbal instructions •Confuse phone numbers •Severe difficulty with learning a foreign language •Difficulty with perception of spoken language, eg following instructions, listening comprehension •Low self-esteem. courtesy of Newsday .... Recognising dyslexia Monday, October 19 2009 http://newsday.co.tt/features/0,109460.html |