:: The Symptoms ::

My mom and I were talking about dyslexia, and she showed me this short publication about dyslexia. I typed it up to share. I think an introduction of the symptoms of dyslexia would be helpful as I begin researching this topic. This pamphlet is almost an exact replica of the pamphlet Facts about Dyslexia published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

        "Children with dyslexia are not all alike. The only trait they share is that they read at level significantly lower than is typical for children of their age and intelligence. This reading lag usually is described in terms of grade level. For example, a fourth grader who is reading at a second grade level is said to be 2 years behind in reading. (Such a child may or may not be dyslexic; there are many non-dyslexic children who experience problems in reading.)

        "Referring to grade level as a measure of reading is convenient but it can be misleading. A student who has a 2 year lag when he is in 4th grade has a much more serious problem than a 10th grader with a two year lag. the 4th grader has learned few of the reading skills which have been taught in the early grades, while the 10th grader by this measure, has mastered 8 years or 80 percent of the skills needed to be a successful reader.

Samuel T. Orton, a neurologist who became interested in the problems of learning to read in the 1920s, was one of the first scientific investigators of dyslexia. In his work with students in Iowa and New York, he found that dyslexics commonly have one or more of the following problems.

• difficulty in learning and remembering printed words
• letter reversal (b for d, p for q) and number reversals (6 for 9) and changed order of letters in words (tar for rat, quite for quiet) or numbers (12 for 21);
• leaving out or inserting words while reading;
• confusing vowel sounds or substituting one consonant for another;
• persistent spelling errors; and
• difficulty in writing

Orton noted that many dyslexics are left-handed or ambidextrous [Side note from Sarah here: I think this is VERY interesting for some reason!!] and that they often have trouble telling left from right. Other symptoms he observed include: (a) delayed or inadequate speech; (b) trouble with picking the right word to fit the meaning desired when speaking; (c) problems with direction (up and down) and time (before and after, yesterday and tomorrow); and (d) clumsiness, awkwardness in using hands, and illegible handwriting. Orton also found that more boys than girls show these symptoms and dyslexia often runs in families. Fortunately, most dyslexics have only a few of these problems but the presence of even one is sufficient to create unique educational needs." 

I found this pamphlet to be very helpful, and I wanted to share what I had found.

Thanks for reading!!! 

Sarah Beth