Tuesday, January 10, 2012

DYSLEXIA SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

The more I try to talk to people about Dyslexia the more I realize how misunderstood the disorder is. One of the first responses I get from people is I thought Dyslexics see everything backwards! I am going to explain to you MY BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISORDER AND SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF IT. Dyslexics have trouble breaking down words into individual sounds. When they learn to read they are reading based on the SHAPE of the word. Words are like pictures to them. Just like if we saw a picture of a puppy upside down, we would still know it was a puppy, Dyslexics can forget which way is up and write the word upside down or backwards. Not every Dyslexic writes their letters and numbers backwards. Although my daughter does. She frequently reverses letters, numbers, even entire words. The problem has nothing to do with intelligence it has to do with the fact that Dyslexics use their RIGHT SIDE OF THEIR BRAINS instead of their left. This makes them usually very highly intelligent when it comes to remembering pictures and faces and 3-dimensial objects. In order to learn to read they literally take a snapshot of each word as a whole and have to memorize it that way in order to read it. That is why someone who has Dyslexia will often confuse similarly shaped words like This and That. They see a BIG letter, a smaller letter, then two little letters.

My daughter will "Guess" what words are based on the story she is reading. She will read "is" as "we" and "that" as "the" she read "someone" as "us". They often say words that are not even close to the sound of the word because they are not sure how to break apart the letters to make the individual sounds. The word is a whole piece, not individual parts.

I stole the next part of this blog from the website. If you think that your child has any of these symptoms don't wait. If Dyslexia is undiagnosed by 4th grade it can learn to the child basically being stuck at a fourth grade reading level. Dyslexic kids can often "get by" or "fake it" because they can memorize a lot of words but by fourth grade so many more words are introduced that that is when they begin to become unable to keep up.

37 Common Characteristics of Dyslexia

AfrikaanAfrikaans. FrenchFrançais. GreekGreek. SpanishEspañol. SwedishSvenska.

© 1992 by Ronald D. Davis.

Most dyslexics will exhibit about 10 of the following traits and behaviors. These characteristics can vary from day-to-day or minute-to-minute. The most consistent thing about dyslexics is their inconsistency.

General

  • Appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level.
  • Labelled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, "not trying hard enough," or "behavior problem."
  • Isn't "behind enough" or "bad enough" to be helped in the school setting.
  • High in IQ, yet may not test well academically; tests well orally, but not written.
  • Feels dumb; has poor self-esteem; hides or covers up weaknesses with ingenious compensatory strategies; easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing.
  • Talented in art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering.
  • Seems to "Zone out" or daydream often; gets lost easily or loses track of time.
  • Difficulty sustaining attention; seems "hyper" or "daydreamer."
  • Learns best through hands-on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids.

Vision, Reading, and Spelling

  • Complains of dizziness, headaches or stomach aches while reading.
  • Confused by letters, numbers, words, sequences, or verbal explanations.
  • Reading or writing shows repetitions, additions, transpositions, omissions, substitutions, and reversals in letters, numbers and/or words.
  • Complains of feeling or seeing non-existent movement while reading, writing, or copying.
  • Seems to have difficulty with vision, yet eye exams don't reveal a problem.
  • Extremely keen sighted and observant, or lacks depth perception and peripheral vision.
  • Reads and rereads with little comprehension.
  • Spells phonetically and inconsistently.

Hearing and Speech

  • Has extended hearing; hears things not said or apparent to others; easily distracted by sounds.
  • Difficulty putting thoughts into words; speaks in halting phrases; leaves sentences incomplete; stutters under stress; mispronounces long words, or transposes phrases, words, and syllables when speaking.

Writing and Motor Skills

  • Trouble with writing or copying; pencil grip is unusual; handwriting varies or is illegible.
  • Clumsy, uncoordinated, poor at ball or team sports; difficulties with fine and/or gross motor skills and tasks; prone to motion-sickness.
  • Can be ambidextrous, and often confuses left/right, over/under.
two small children reading books

Dyslexic children and adults can become avid and enthusiastic readers when given learning tools that fit their creative learning style.

Math and Time Management

  • Has difficulty telling time, managing time, learning sequenced information or tasks, or being on time.
  • Computing math shows dependence on finger counting and other tricks; knows answers, but can't do it on paper.
  • Can count, but has difficulty counting objects and dealing with money.
  • Can do arithmetic, but fails word problems; cannot grasp algebra or higher math.

Memory and Cognition

  • Excellent long-term memory for experiences, locations, and faces.
  • Poor memory for sequences, facts and information that has not been experienced.
  • Thinks primarily with images and feeling, not sounds or words (little internal dialogue).

Behavior, Health, Development and Personality

  • Extremely disorderly or compulsively orderly.
  • Can be class clown, trouble-maker, or too quiet.
  • Had unusually early or late developmental stages (talking, crawling, walking, tying shoes).
  • Prone to ear infections; sensitive to foods, additives, and chemical products.
  • Can be an extra deep or light sleeper; bedwetting beyond appropriate age.
  • Unusually high or low tolerance for pain.
  • Strong sense of justice; emotionally sensitive; strives for perfection.
  • Mistakes and symptoms increase dramatically with confusion, time pressure, emotional stress, or poor health.

More Information:
The Davis Dyslexia Correction® program helps people with these characteristics every day. The disabling aspects of Dyslexia are correctable and can be overcome.
Cite as:
Davis, R.D. (1992). 37 Common Characteristics of Dyslexia. Retrieved January 10, 2012 from Davis Dyslexia Association International, Dyslexia the Gift Web site: http://www.dyslexia.com/library/symptoms.htm

Dyslexia the Gift Home PageDavis Dyslexia Association International
Books & Materials: 1‑888‑999‑3324 [1‑888‑999‑DDAI]
Workshops & Licensing: 1‑888‑805‑7216
Fax: 1‑650‑692‑7075 • Local Phone: 1‑650‑692‑7141

Read more: http://www.dyslexia.com/library/symptoms.htm#ixzz1j4sadFad
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)