Characteristics in Children

Most people with dyslexia or Specific Learning Disorders will exhibit over 10 of the following traits and behaviors. These characteristics can vary from day-to-day or minute-to-minute. The most consistent thing about them is their inconsistency.

Appear 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.
High IQ, yet may not test well academically
Tests well orally, but not when it comes to writing.
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.
Talented in art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering.
Feels dumb; has poor self-esteem; hides or covers up weaknesses with ingenious compensatory strategies; easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing.

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.
Reading or writing shows repetitions, additions, transpositions, omissions, substitutions, and reversals in letters, numbers and/or words.

Experiences extended hearing; hears things imagined but not necessarily 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.

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

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

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).