Test for Dyslexia: 37 Common Traits
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:
Dyslexic children and adults can become avid and enthusiastic readers when given learning tools that fit their creative learning style.
- 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.
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.
Related Articles
Common Characteristics of Adult Dyslexia
Most adult dyslexics will exhibit at least 10 of the following traits and behaviors. These characteristics are often inconsistent, and may vary depending upon the day or situation.
Career:
Employed in job/position that will hide difficulties...
Davis Program Average Reading Gains
Statistics from Rocky Point Academy
Davis Facilitators Lawrence and Stacey Smith have assembled data showing reading level gains for more than 360 clients who completed the Davis Dyslexia Correction® program at their center, Rocky Point Academy , in Calgary, Canada.
Looking for a solution? Start here.
The Gift of Dyslexia explains why dyslexia happens and what you can do about it.
Full Davis programs are currently available online from many Davis Facilitators. For more information, see Online Program Delivery (Pilot Program).
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hi, i’ve been told i have some forms of dyslexia….and when i read the above 🙂 i would agree:) i was held back in 1st grade because i was struggling but when i was young dsylexia was not a thing (i’m 57).
THESE ARE ALL ME PRETTY MUCH….NEVER BEEN TESTED…JUST RECENTLY WAS TOLD I FOR SURE HAVE SOME FORM…MY SISTER AND DAD HAVE IT FOR SURE……GREW UP IN A VERY UN-HEALTHY AND DRUG ABUSING FAMILY TOO IF THAT HELPS AT ALL….
THANK YOU IF YOU CAN HELP GUIDE ME AT ALL:)
A Davis Facilitator can help at any age, so the first step would be simply to arrange for a consultation. You’ll can use the listings at http://www.davismethod.org to find a facilitator near you.
thank you abigail! i will do just that
Hi! My name is Zephyr and I am 14 years old, currently in my last year of middle school. I’ve been researching dyslexia recently and I have been trying to figure out if I have it. I never been tested, but there have been moments that I think point towards a mild form of dyslexia. Maybe I am reading too much into this, but I’ll just list somethings that I have noticed I donad have been said to be related to dyslexia.
1. I can’t write and spell at grade level and I really heavily on spell check, voice typing, and help from others.
2. Have a hard time paying attention in class, tend to daydream and drift off.
3. Have a hard time comprehending non fiction text and often have to reread a sentence multiple times. (Varys from subject to subject)
4. Letters tend to disappear, or random letters appear in words. (Ex. Crows becomes Cows, Crow becomes Crown.
5. Learns better with hands on experience and has a hard time sitting through and listening to lectures.
6. Spells phonetically.
7. Has a hard time speaking and often trips over, or jumbles up words. My family describes it as “my brain moves faster than my mouth”.
8. Constantly thinking making hard to focus, especially in boring, repetitive, and what I consider menial tasks.
9. Slightly ambidextrous but also uncoordinated
10. Disorderly and has a hard time keeping things organized
11. Over achiever
12. Good long term memory
13. Prefer to read silently. Can read out loud, but needs lots practice first.
14. And finally, my father is dyslexic.
Like I said, maybe I am reading too much into this, and I just have average problems. But these things have spanned my whole life and can sometimes cause problems.
So, is it possible I’m dyslexic?
Zephyr, all of the traits you list can be tied to a dyslexic thinking style. Since your dad is dyslexic, a good starting point might be to chat with him about the ways you think and learn. You might want to go over the traits listed on this web page together. Keep in mind that dyslexia is not a disease or a defect, but a difference in the way the brain processes and responds to information. Dyslexics usually think mostly in pictures or simply nonverbally — that is why you get the comment about your brain moving faster than your mouth.
Hi my Son is 9 years he is in 3rd grade, and since Kindergarten was diagnosed with Mild Intellectual Disability and he was in self-contained Class until this year March 2021 they evaluate him in IEP and also MET and they change the Diagnostic to SLD . Is there a Probability that he can hace Dyslexia? Thank you so much… God Bless
Yes, there is a possibility that your son is dyslexic. If he is having difficulty with reading then it probably is dyslexia no matter what the school calls it.
hello, my son is also 9 and in the third grade. He is on an IEP (i hired a FREE Advocate through the state or District).
Never trust the iep or team, the public school system always has other political motives.
My sons school district will be paying for my son to go to a Private school this year and next!
Also paying for his private summer school this year. Hire an advocate! After you get the schools/districts “re-evaluation” don’t read it, order that they do and pay for by law an IEE (Independent Educational Evaluation by a LICENSED Psycologist). Cost about 6,000.
Hi, So I’m 16 currently, and I rely think I might have Dyslexia. I might seem stupid here, but I’ll just let you know, some of my habits, which I thinks are symptoms.
• I have a terribly deep sleep, I don’t seem to get up no matter what. My family keeps telling me that they try to wake me up, but I just don’t respond.
• I’m ambidextrous, and for some reason also have really bad coordination. I’m clumsy as heck, drop stuff often and just can’t coordinate my movements.
• It’s basically a child’s play to frustrate or irritate me. I get infuriated over minute things and discussions.
• Despite being a good performer in most subjects, I suffer in Math related subjects. Basically Physics and Maths never get in my head. My classmates that are younger than me, easily outperform me and I struggle getting through most questions. At first, I thought maybe it’s because my teacher was bad, but then I realized I was never good in Maths, irrespective of which grade I was in or which teacher taught me the subject. I’m in 12th grade, or like you could say, 7th from but still barely get through form 7 or grade 10 questions.
• I stutter a lot while speaking. I think, I’m not able to convey the stuff I’m thinking. Thoughts just run through my mind but I’m just not able to convey them orally. Though I’m a good speaker, in the sense, can speak out, among people, I just can’t do it properly and sometimes feel a little down due to this very reason.
• I have attention related problems. I just seem to be thinking all the time, and am not able to concentrate on what I’m doing. Especially studies, that to, specifically, Maths.
I haven’t consulted a doc, and might seem like a dumb teen here, but please
Is it possible that I’m Dyslexic?
All of the problems you describe could be tied to dyslexia — or to a related learning difference. But “could be” doesn’t mean “is”. I think the more important question is, are these problems related? Are there strategies and tools you could learn that would help you resolve these issues?
I think that a Davis Facilitator could help you, but at age 16 you would need support from a parent to arrange for an assessment and consultation. Davis Facilitators do have tools to address most of the problems you describe; a formal diagnosis is not needed. If your parents are supportive, you can use this website to find someone for a consultation: http://www.davismethod.org
I was\am a lot as Xerces self-describes.
The best advice, 30+ years later, is never give up trying.
Ever never ever never stop trying.
“Low frustration. Incredible pain tolerance.”
Take “test-taking physiology” skills; the “clench\relax” thing was great for college; I got through HS with all A’s, thanks to a phonographic and photographic memory.
Although JR High, I almost flunked math due to transposition on tests, under pressure.
I did destroy my teeth by learning to grind them, though: every win has a cost.
I got a couple of engineering degrees.
Success in life changes over time: looking back, I’d have become a mechanic, a modeler who did sculpture or painting, and used those “yes, I’m doodling AND taking notes, it’s the only way I’ll remember the auditory part of the lecture, later” view askew surfaces that fascinated me in math textbooks but I had to “sing” the formula to get the connection to understand I’d never see it like someone else did.
But if I worked at it long and enough, they’d eventually see it like I did.
My daughter is 11 years old has been diagnosed with mild mental intellectual disorder and ADD. Is there a possibility she is also dyslexic? She is supposed to be in the 6th grade but she is in the 4th grade, she can only read a few choice words. Confuses m with n, n with m. b for d d for b. They say she is on a pre k kindergarten level. Confuses 5 and s. We was going to store and my speedometer said 39 she said I was going 93, and so on. There are times she still wets the bed. Gets headaches. She can’t copy from board to paper and even has a hard time copying when it’s right beside her. She has a hard time with math. The list goes on. Any info will help. Thanks in advance!
Yes, your daughter’s difficulties are also consistent with dyslexia. Very often symptoms of ADHD or ADD are confused with dyslexia, so whenever a child is diagnosed with ADHD but also has difficulties with reading, writing, or spelling it is quite likely that the root cause of the problem is the same as dyslexia.
Please keep in mind that a specific label or diagnosis isn’t needed to get help — and in many cases, children with dyslexia or ADHD are mistakenly diagnosed as having a mental impairment (low IQ) because of language or attention focus issues that mask their true abilities during testing.
If your daughter is motivated to overcome her problems, there’s a good chance that a Davis Facilitator could work with her.
Hi I’m 13 and I have a few questions. I don’t know if it’s a focusing problem or bad comprehension or dyslexia problem. I’m saying this because sometimes I can read well with out a problem and it can go on a while but then other times it’s more difficult for me to read and can’t comprehend the sentence/paragraph/passage which leads to me having to read it a few times. I am also a supper slow reader. I have also been bad at spelling my whole life but sometimes I can catch my errors and try to correct them, the auto correcting on devices help a lot though. When reading I can’t tell if it’s a focusing problem and here’s why, when I read sometimes then words just drift a little (almost not even noticeable) or sometimes there’s this beating sensation (like a heart beat) that goes on in my head then that kinda affects my reading. So does anyone possibly know why this is happening?
Sage, these are common symptoms of dyslexia. These problems usually are a sign of disorientation, which is the way your brain reacts to confusion. That’s why the symptoms seem to come and go. It really is a matter of your mental state– whether you are oriented or disoriented.
I found out in my 30’s that I had dyslexia. Struggled bad in school. Was really good in sports. Check this out. Talk about being confused. I was in grade school and at the time the schools had quit doing phonics and went to site and see. So I actually had to be in the main class for reading site and see. Then I would have to go to another room. And they had me doing reading by phonics. All 3 of my older brothers are super book smart. My Dad went through law school in 5 1/2 years. The brother that is close to my age NEVER opened a book in high school. All of them were straight A students. I was always 1/2 to 1 year behind my class. I even remember getting tutored during the summer in reading, for like 3 years. The only reason I can spell descent is my Mom would get the list and we would have to work at it all week. I didn’t catch up in my class until 8th grade. What happened is I found I liked romance novels. By the time I left school I was reading on college level. I was tutored in geometry, never should have taken that course. Timeframe was late 60’s early 70’s. When I told my Mom about the dyslexia, she told me “no you where just lazy”. I remember crying in my room when I was trying to understand history. assignments.
P.S. My brothers may be book smart. But guess who brings their cars to get fixed. Well the older cars. I litterly had a 79 mustang I did bumper to bumper. Mom said I couldn’t fix cars cause i was a girl. hahahahahaha
Dyslexia is a neurological disorder. Like a computer wired wrong & compounded with a virus, it’s devastating. No one is to blame and it’s no one’s fault having it.
In my case, I was illiterate when I returned to the USA from Mexico (9yrs old/3rd grade), & having to deal with dyslexia on top of illiteracy didn’t help matters being successful in grade school. By the time I was in high school, I realized I couldn’t read cognitively. I was an adult when I realized I was suffering from dyslexia.
The irony is I became a teacher working with immigrant kids who either were dyslexic, learning ESL, or had other neurological disorders.
Thank you for your comment. We do not consider dyslexia to be a “disorder” — rather it is a difference. It is not like a computer wired “wrong” but it is like a computer running a different operating system. If you try to install software written for a different operating system – or even just to open an item formatted for a different software program, it won’t look. The key is to understand the operating system — and then of course to either find or design software that will run well on that operating system. Trying to force a dyslexic child to learn in the same way as a non-dyslexic child is like trying to pound a square peg into a round hole. It will be difficult and often very painful and disheartening process. But we also know from 40 years of experience what tools and strategies we can provide that are natural and easy for dyslexic minds.
Hi what are some of the tools and strategies that you can provide that you speak of?
I’m going back to study and last time I studied I struggled and there was a lot of frustration and tears.
If there is some tools I can learn to help me through I’d be so grateful!!!
Thank you
The core techniques that we use in dyslexia programs are explained in the book, The Gift of Dyslexia. The book has specific instructions, but you would need a helper to work with you. However, reading the book can be good way to get a sense of our approach; the book is also available in audio format.
In 1978 i was a army sapper and went on the army diving course my class room skills we not the best as is normal with dyslexia.But I had a special skill in the water after about 1 month on the course.For some reason I could stay under the water longer than any of my class mates.At one point in my endurence swim phase they sent 3 divers on my course in with me and they all came up out of air before me I finish the course at number 4 out of 20 .But the navy clearance diver school told my regiment that I had special skills as a diver this help me get good as a diver in !1CER. Deslexia or not you are skilled.
Patty
I thank you for this article! I just want as much information as possible!!! This is a blessing abs now that I know what’s wrong I can help my poor girl who has been struggling!
I found this article very informative and like others recognised myself in many of the descriptions. We have 4 children who all have various degrees of learning difficulties from our eldest being most affected by dyslexia to the other 3 all having some difficulties associated with dyslexia – they are all different in the way they are affected. Now it appears some of the grandchildren are also displaying signs of dyslexia. I find it quite heart-breaking that they too will have struggles that will affect their school life however it is encouraging that things have come on since I was in school.
I only realised what was wrong with me and learning when our first child was dx with dyslexia at 6 yrs old. That was only at the beginning of schools recognising the differing needs of dyslexic pupils – some did it well while others were very poor. Now entire schools have been set up to assist this group of pupils and teachers all participate in at least some training with regard to the needs of pupils with dyslexia.
For me, I still don’t have brilliant memories of learning as a child, school was hard and I did feel stupid – not helped by having a very bright, hard working younger sister who did grade 2 & 3 in one year and then remained at the top or very close to it every year from then on. I made up for it tho’, my younger sister who should have gone to uni didn’t, got married instead – I got married, had children and in my late 30’s went to university gained a first degree and then an MBA! I have learned that I can do whatever I set my mind to achieve – my success at whatever I want to do is within my own ability to do it.
I see my ‘job’ now is to support my children and grandchildren and ensure they find their ‘gift’ and value themselves and their gifts – we are all special in our own way.
I loved reading your words x
Hello, I am a dyslexic and have been for 54 years now. It is true that dyslexia is a gift, native Americans call this disorder Heyoka (Lakȟótiyapi, Lakota language, sounds like hey-yoh-kah). We are a very special people, some of us are dreamers of the thunder beings (gods) and although we are often called clowns because we do things backwards we are held in high regard by the members of our tribes (Oyáte).
I just wanted to say to the readers of this article, don’t be ashamed of your gift but embrace it. Sure people will make fun of us but it is not because we are wrong, it’s because we are different and the “normal” people just don’t understand. When I was in school little was known about dyslexia and I had to suffer through Learning Disability (LD) classes. I have a 147 IQ and they called it a disability, nowadays it is better understood than it was when I was a child. I think that if you have dyslexia to embrace it, if you are ambidextrous use it to your advantage don’t let people discourage you, you have a gift not a disability. One thing that has always stuck with me is that I am a unique individual, an individual who is independent and does not want to conform to normalcy. So in closing may blessings be with you all.
I have just read your article about dyslexia and recognise, symptoms and results which occurred in my childhood. I am 78and still have problems reading and spelling. I was a very slow reader and would go to extreme lengths to avoid being selected to read in class. I would hide or be I’ll. I found that I could make my nose bleed by tapping it with my fist and that always enabled me to avoid reading and spelling classes.i was also I’ll with common complaints, hooping cough, mumps, chicken pox, scarlet fever, measles which meant from age 8 till 10 I was absent from school for at least half each term. I was sent to boarding school and there was no discussion about dyslexia. Just my school reports which were always the same comments. Slow learner, poor spelling, bad grammar, poor construction unwilling or unable to partake in class activities. I made up for this by being exceptionally good at all ball games. Football ampidextrose, cricket left hand and left arm rugby and hockey. I am still finding it very difficult to read and understand instruction manuals. Instead I try to work it out. Thank you for writing what you did. This is the first time in 70 years that I have recognised my self. Good luck to you.
Thank you for sharing!! I think my children are both dyslexic. I have been watching them and my 6 year old was made fun of during remote learning yesterday because she put bab instead of dad. We have noticed this struggle for a little bit. She is also extremely clumsy, but it all makes sense! My mom is a lefty and dyslexic. My husband is also dyslexic.
Thank you
I am 64 I’ve just read your article I have struggled all my life with dyslexia but have never been tested because I feel ashamed, i have always turn down anything that has to do with the written word and consequently my career suffered . At school i was always at the bottom the only saving grace was that I was good at all sports and always selected ahead of anyone else. Writing this small comment is a struggle thank goodness for spellchecker,
Thank you for saying all of this Timothy Dove. It makes me feel better.