Dyslexia Characteristics

Information from The Dyslexia Handbook :

The following are the reading/spelling characteristics of dyslexia:

• • Difficulty reading  words in isolation;

  • Difficulty accurately decoding unfamiliar words;

  • Slow, inaccurate, or labored oral reading ;

  • Difficulty with spelling.

The reading/spelling characteristics are the result of difficulty with the following:

• • The development of phonological awareness, including segmenting, blending, and manipulating sounds in words;

  • Learning the names of letters and their associated sounds;

  • Phonological memory (holding information about sounds and words in memory).

  • Rapid naming of familiar objects, colors, or letters of the alphabet.

Secondary consequences of dyslexia may include the following:

• • Variable difficulty with aspects of reading comprehension;

  • Variable difficulty with aspects of written expression;

  • Difficulties with low self-esteem.