In Preschool

• Delayed speech
• Mixing up the sounds and syllables of long words
• Chronic ear infections
• Stuttering
• Constant confusion of left versus right
• Late establishing a dominant hand
• Difficulty learning to tie shoes
• Trouble memorizing their address, phone number, or the alphabet
• Can’t create words that rhyme
• A close relative with dyslexia

In Elementary School

• Dysgraphia (slow, non-automatic, handwriting that is difficult to read)
• Letter or number reversals continuing past the end of first grade
• Extremely difficult time learning cursive
• 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
• Terrible spelling
• Often can’t remember sight words (they, were,does) or homonyms (their, they’re and there)
• Difficulty telling time on a clock with hands
• Trouble with math
  • memorizing multiplication tables
  • memorizing a sequence of steps
  • directionality
• When speaking difficulty finding the correct word
  • lots of “whatyamacallits” and “thingies”
  • common sayings come out slightly twisted
• Extremely messy bedroom, backpack, and desk
• Dreads going to school
  • complains of stomach or headaches
  • may have nightmares about school

In High School

• All of the above symptoms plus:
• Limited vocabulary
• Extremely poor written expression
  • large discrepancy between verbal skills and written compositions
• Unable to master a foreign language
• Difficulty reading printed music
• Poor grades in many classes
• May drop out of high school

In Adults

• Education history similar to above, plus
• Slow reader
• May have to read a page 2 or 3 times to understand it
• Terrible speller
• Difficulty putting thoughts onto paper
  • dreads writing memos or letter
  • has difficulty with right versus left
  • often gets lost, even in a familiar city
  • sometimes confuses b and d, especially when tired or sick