|
|
Back to DysCypher Home Page Back to FDLC Home Page Back to About Us |
DYSLEXIA
SYMPTOMS:
General
Indicators
People
with dyslexia are affected in different ways. Their brains may have difficulty
in interpreting sounds, interpreting images, performing calculations or simply
have great difficulties organising their lives (homework, office desks,
bedrooms, timetables etc.). Below are
some general indicators representing signs of learning difficulties which
parents and teachers should be aware of and act on as appropriate.
General
Signs
·
Confusion
of letters similar in shape or sound
·
Reversals
or transposals (on-off; left-felt)
·
Omission
or insertion of words
·
Changing
the sequence of words
·
Confusing
small words (of, for, from)
·
Difficulty
in keeping place on line while reading, or in moving from one line to the next
·
Confusions
over pronunciation
·
Poor
expression or incorrect intonation
·
Poor
comprehension of material read
·
Susceptibility
to contrast between the font colour and the background colour. This is normally
black writing on a white background. Reducing the contrast by a coloured filter
can dramatically improve reading, concentration and fatigue.
·
Difficulties
with balance. The cerebellum (base brain) is not able to control balance from
signals in the inner ear. Balance is achieved by the cerebrum (thinking brain)
from sensors in the feet, muscles etc. Hence the cerebrum is being distracted
from its normal thinking tasks.
Writing
- Shortening of written words
- Fusion of letters
- Incorrect mixture of upper
case and lower case letters
- Poorly formed letters
- Difficulty in keeping on a line
- Punctuation incorrect or omitted
Other Possible Indicators
- Confusing directions
- Difficulty in sequencing
- Difficulty in rote memory (e.g. tables)
- Slow in looking up words in a dictionary
- Poor concentration and rapid fatigue
- Too tight a pencil-grip
- Late in telling the time
- Late in developing fine motor skills (e.g. tying shoelaces)
- Cross laterality (no clearly dominant side of brain)
- Particular problems in copying from the board or screen
- Poor short-term memory
- Poor organisation skills
- Hyperactivity
- Family history of similar problems
Curriculum Related
Indicators
Pupils described as having
specific learning difficulties vary in both the degree and the pattern of their
problems. Many of the difficulties are found in the normal development of young
children acquiring literacy. It is the persistence of these problems in a
severe form, in contrast to achievements in other curriculum areas which
indicates a specific learning difficulty or dyslexia
- Extreme problems acquiring an initial sight vocabulary
- Inability to 'segment' words into sounds or to blend sounds into
words
- Reading rate very slow and hesitant
- Confusion over visually similar words: was/saw, of/for, the/he,
when/then
- Auditory confusions: t/d, c/g, i/e, f/th/v
- Omission of words or syllables
- Directional problems, losing place
Writing and Spelling
- Untidy and disjointed handwriting
- Content good, presentation dreadful
- Spelling errors which are bizarre, i.e. having little or no
sound/symbol correspondence (‘sNpq’ instead of ‘sit’, ’povn’ instead of
‘beg’) OR which show a strong phonic bias (’sed’ instead of ‘said’, ’cum’
instead of ‘come’).
- Letters written out of sequence: ‘grils paly with grils ni the
prak’
- Inverted or reversed letters: n/u, b/d, p/q, t/f
- Capital letters in the middle of words
- Written work which looks strange and/or poorly sequenced
- Inaccurate copying
Other
- Difficulty remembering sequences: days, months, the alphabet,
multiplication tables
- Inability to act on lengthy/complex instructions
- Poor concentration and organising ability
- Word-finding difficulty
- Muddled pronunciation of long words: ‘tarecaker’, ‘aminal’
Back to DysCypher Home Page
Back to FDLC Home Page
Back to About Us
Last update