37 Characteristics of Dyslexia
Ronald Davis, author of The Gift of Dyslexia, has created a list of
thirty-seven common traits and behaviours of people who have the gift of dyslexia. If a person possesses nine or ten of these traits, this program would be helpful in correcting the problems associated with dyslexia.
From Test for Dyslexia – 37 Common Traits© 1992 by Ronald D. Davis; Used with Permission
General
-
Appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level.
-
Labeled 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.
-
Employed in positions that hide difficulties or not required in dealing with problematic areas.
Will hide these from co-workers, friends and family.
-
Will avoid promotions that require to face these problematic areas.
-
High I.Q., 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.
-
Difficulty sustaining attention; seems "hyper" or considered "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.
-
Extremely keen sighted and observant, or lacks depth perception and peripheral vision.
-
Reads and rereads with little comprehension. Avoids reading out loud. Finds reading
“boring”.
-
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.
-
Poor memory of verbal instructions be accused of “not listening”.
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.
Math and Time Management
-
Has difficulty telling time, managing time, learning sequenced information or tasks, or being on time. May find it difficult to estimate how long a task will take to complete.
-
Computing math shows dependence on finger counting and or calculators; knows answers, but can't do it on paper.
-
Can count, but has difficulty counting objects and difficulty with money and counting change.
-
Can do arithmetic, but fails word problems; cannot grasp algebra or higher math.
-
May experience anxiety when driving in new places and relies on others to drive when
possible. May get lost easily and finds it difficult to follow directions.
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).
Behaviour, Health, Development and Personality
-
Extremely disorderly or compulsively orderly.
-
Can be class clown, trouble-maker, or too quiet.
-
Highly intuitive.
-
May be known as having a “short fuse” or easily angered.
-
May appear as a “perfectionist” and overreacts when a mistake is made.
-
Prone to ear infections; sensitive to foods, additives, and chemical products.
-
Can be an extra deep or light sleeper; bed-wetting beyond appropriate age.
-
Unusually high or low tolerance for pain.
-
Mistakes and symptoms increase dramatically with confusion, time pressure, emotional
stress, or poor health.
If you demonstrate more than 10 of these character traits and would like support contact Jane