Characteristics of Dyslexia
Characteristics of dyslexia vary greatly from one individual to another. The dyslexic person can experience difficulties in many areas, including:
- formation of letters;
- correctly writing letters of the alphabet in the proper sequence;
- naming the letters;
- associating sound (phonetics) with the symbol (grapheme);
- appropriate sequence if individual letters, and a series of letters which make up a word, in the reading or writing process (e.g. b-d, was-saw, quiet-quite);
- reading, spelling, writing;
- finding a word in the dictionary;
- expressing ideas in writing;
- finding the right word when talking;
- expressing clear ideas verbally;
- distinguishing left from right, east from west;
- telling time, days of the week, months of the year;
- confusion with math symbols;
- memorizing multiplication tables (sequential memory);
- difficulty memorizing non-phonetic words.
As well, other symptoms of dyslexia include:
- inordinate amount of time spent on homework;
- inconsistent performance and grades from day-to-day;
- high stress resulting from having to perform on the spot;
- lack of organization and study habits that are not in keeping with the person’s level of intelligence.