Is It Really Dyslexia?

  Dyslexia is one of the many learning disabilities that have an effect on language, and the acquisition of new knowledge. However, if you suspect that you have this condition, you should get a formal assessment. This is because; dyslexia can be mistaken for other learning disabilities that are related with it.

Here are some of the general symptoms that you have dyslexia and some of the related conditions that can be mistaken for it.

It Is Dyslexia!

When you have dyslexia, you may generally have some difficulty with the use of oral language. If possible, ask your parents or some relatives present during your childhood, whether you were a late talker or not. If they say yes, then this can be one sign of dyslexia. However, it can still be some other condition such as language delay.

Another characteristic would be difficulty in pronouncing words. Also, you may find it hard to acquire new vocabulary and use appropriate grammar for your age now. Directions are often confusing for you too, along with discriminating the difference of “before vs. after”, “right vs. left”, etc.

As a child, learning the alphabet was tedious for you. Even now, memorizing nursery rhymes and songs seem to be hard, even if you’re already an adult. Understanding concepts and the relationships of things can be something you don’t enjoy much. Additionally, word retrieval or naming problems are sometimes experienced.

It is dyslexia if you have had obvious difficulty with reading, such as learning how to read back when you were young, and inability to identify or make rhyming words. You can also have difficulty in counting the number of syllables that a word has.

Your phonological awareness can be damaged too. You may have some hearing difficulties. Plus, manipulating sounds in words is sometimes pretty hard to do. A little problem with your auditory discrimination can also be present, where you find it difficult to distinguish specific sound within a word.

Dyslexia can also show some difficulty in remembering shapes and names of letters. More often, you reverse your letters when writing or reading. You also tend to omit small words when you read, and stumble on long words. Comprehending what you have just read can also be a problem.

Your written language is also affected by dyslexia. You can experience some trouble in putting your ideas on paper. You can also have lots of spelling mistakes, and have problems in proofreading your work.

It Is Something Else

Some of the other conditions that are related with dyslexia are dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADD or ADHD, and dyspraxia. Some of these conditions have similar problems with dyslexia. However, they also have specific symptoms that delineate them from it.

Dysgraphia is basically difficulty with handwriting. Here you are unsure whether you are right or left handed. You also have very poor or slow handwriting. Copying can be difficult. Plus you fine motor skills are really in a bad condition.

Dyscalculia deals with extreme difficulty with math. Simple counting of objects is already hard. You can also reverse your numbers and have lots of calculation errors. Memorizing math facts are not one of your favorite things to do, along with copying math problems.

ADD or ADHD deals with difficulty on attention. You are very inattentive and easily distracted by things around you. You can also be impulsive and hyperactive at times.

Dyspraxia is basically difficulty in coordinating and planning body movements. This can affect both gross and fine motor skills. You can have some difficulty in coordinating your facial muscles, in which a simple smile can be hard to do.