Warning Signs

Warning Signs of Dyslexia

If a child has 3 or more of the following warning signs, encourage that child's parents & teachers to learn more about dyslexia.

In Pre-school - Primary school: a.. Delayed speech
b.. Mixing up the sounds and syllables in long words.
c.. Chronic ear infections.
d.. Severe reactions to childhood illnesses.
e.. Constant confusion of left versus right.
f.. Late establishing a dominant hand.
g.. Difficulty learning to tie shoe laces.
h.. Trouble memorising their address, phone number, or the alphabet.
i.. Can't create words that rhyme.
j.. A close relative with dyslexia.
In Intermediate School: a.. Dysgraphia (slow, non-automatic handwriting that is difficult to read)
b.. Letter or number reversals continuing past the end of primary school.
c.. Extreme difficulty learning cursives.
d.. Slow, choppy, inaccurate reading: - guesses based on shape or context - skips or misreads prepositions (at,to, of) - - ignores suffixes - can't sound out unknown words.
e.. Terrible spelling.
f.. Often can't remember sight words (they, were, does) or homonyms (their, they're, and there)
g.. Difficulty telling time with a clock with hands
h.. Trouble with math - memorising multiplication tables - memorising a sequence of steps - directionality
i.. When speaking, difficulty finding the correct word - lots of "whatamacallits" and "thingies" - common sayings come out slightly twisted.
j.. Extremely messy bedroom, backpack and desk
k.. Dreads going to school, - complains of stomach aches or headaches - may have nightmares about school.
In College: All of the above symptoms
plus:
a.. Limited vocabulary.
b.. Extremely poor written expression - large discrepancy between verbal skills and written compositions.
c.. Unable to master a foreign language.
d.. Difficulty reading printed music.
e.. Poor grades in many classes.
f.. May drop out of college.
In College & Adults: Education history similar to
above plus:
a.. Slower reader
b.. May have to read a page 2 or 3 times to understand it.
c.. Terrible speller
d.. Difficulty putting thoughts onto paper - dreads writing memos or letters
e.. Still has difficulty with right verses left.
f.. Often gets lost, even in a familiar city.
g.. Sometimes confuses b and d, especially when tired or sick.

Warning Signs of ADD/ADHD

Physical Activity: Either; can't sit still, feels restless, has boundless energy, always fidgeting, restless feet etc,
Or,
Couch potato, lethargic, slow, space cadet, physically there, mentally gone.
Frequent Mood Swings: Feels emotions intensely, higher highs an lower lows, low tolerance for frustration, may have rage attacks.
Attention: Trouble deciding what to pay attention to , what's most important, trouble getting started on a task, often feels overwhelmed, trouble staying focused on repetitive tasks until the task is complete, can't do homework independently, trouble shifting attention to a new task.
Highly Distractible: Distracted by any change in environment, any noise, movement, or smell. Also distracted by their own thoughts (daydreamers), cant stay focused for long, except Nintendo-type games or TV, a new or scary activity, may hyper-focus on a hobby, start many projects, but rarely finishes them.
Impulsive: Cant wait to be called on, blurts out answers in class, extremely impatient. Difficult to wait for his/hers turn, often acts before thinking. Doesn't seem to learn from mistakes.
Doesn't Listen Well: Confused by multi-step oral directions.
No Tolerance for boredom: May start arguments if things are too calm.
Time Management: Always rushing, can't slow down, makes careless mistakes, hates to double-check, doesn't use class time well, feels rushed by teachers & parents, puts most things off until the last minute.
Odd Sleep Cycles: Night owl, hates to go to bed, difficult to wake up in the morning, may be a restless sleeper, bedwetting or sleepwalker.
Inconsistent Performance: Good days and bad days, some days they can do the schoolwork, others they can't.
Disorganised: Messy room, desk, backpack, constantly lose and misplaces things.
Other Symptoms: Chatterbox, talks excessively, interrupts conversations frequently, strong sense of justice, bossy, lots of allergies, terrible handwriting, trouble remembering daily routines - relatives with ADD/ADHD

These signs are characteristics of many that show signs of both Attention and Learning Difficulties, and are present at a very young age.