Did you know that Dyslexia (also called a Specific Learning Difficulty or SpLD)

• affects about 1 in 10 people?
• occurs in all groups regardless of age, gender, race or income?
• can cause difficulty with reading, writing, spelling, organisation and short term memory?
• cannot be 'cured' but coping strategies can be taught?
• can run in families?
• can produce talents such as creative arts, computing, science and engineering?

Recognising Dyslexia

Dyslexics rarely show all the telltale signs.  Some common ones are:

Pre-school

• late to talk
• difficulty learning nursery rhymes
• enjoys stories but little interest in words or letters
• co-ordination difficulties e.g. getting dressed

Primary school age

• seems bright but does less well than expected
• difficulties with reading, writing and spelling
• reverses written letters and/or numbers
• difficulty recalling sequences such as instructions, days of week, times tables
• appears inattentive/careless
• poor self-image

Secondary school age

• still reads slowly and/or inaccurately
• problems with spelling, hand writing, copying from the board
• patchy performance - 'good' and 'bad' days
• confuses dates/places/times
• may have areas of strength e.g. maths, art, sport, music

Adults

• difficulties filling in forms, writing cheques
• mistakes made dialling phone numbers and recalling PIN numbers
• dates and times mixed up
• difficulty following detailed instruction

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