Signs & Symptoms

Below are some signs that children with dyslexia display. If your child has one or two of the following signs, it does not mean that he or she is dyslexic. However, it may mean that your child should be tested for dyslexia. A formal psychological testing is the only way to confirm a diagnosis of suspected dyslexia. To view a more comprehensive list of signs, please click here.

Early signs: Finding it difficult to remember nursery rhymes. Difficulty in hearing and pronouncing sounds. Problems with learning the connections between sounds and letters. Trouble remembering words they have seen many times. Unable to remember two or more instructions in sequence. Uncertain of left or right. Diffculty with learning the alphabet despite repeated teaching.

At Primary School level: Difficulty learning the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, colors, shapes etc. Difficulty learning to spell and write his or her name May have difficulty telling and/or retelling a story in the correct sequence Often has difficulty separating sounds in words and blending sounds to make words May be slow to add new vocabulary words May be unable to recall the right word

Other common signs: Poor fine motor control e.g. holding a pencil. Poor, immature hand-writing. Copying from a board or book is difficult and inaccurate. No idea of punctuation when reading or writing a story. Attention problems – child appear to have a short attention span. Daydreaming and switching off in class and at home. Difficulty transferring ideas in their head into a written form in a clear and well-organised way. Confuses mathematical signs & symbols. Difficulty in counting, playing sequencing and matching games. Difficulty understanding the concept of time. They may forget their date of birth, their home address etc. Short-term memory is poor. Difficulty remembering telephone numbers, lists of instructions and taking notes in lessons.