Suspecting Dyslexia ?

To suspect a diagnosis of dyslexia, a cluster of symptoms must be evidenced - not just one symptom.

• Dyslexia is difficulty with language. For people with dyslexia, intelligence is not the problem. The problem is language.
• People with dyslexia may struggle with reading, spelling, understanding language they hear, or expressing themselves clearly in speaking or in writing.
• An unexpected gap exists between their potential for learning and their school achievement.

Causes of Dyslexia

• results from differences within the organization of the brain. See What causes it?
• tends to run in families - dyslexics are born with the difference
• the exact cause may still be unknown

Diagnostic Tests

Tests for dyslexia look for just the telltale signs: overuse of the right-hemisphere and a poorly operating Corpus Callosum. First, of course, you have to be sure you are looking at a real reading problem, so you want a reading score of some kind and a rough-and-ready IQ score. If there is a big discrepancy between potential and production, that's an important clue.

Second, you want to see whether the right hemisphere of the brain is doing the reading. This is easily accomplished by having a student read a group of words that have been misspelled (but which if pronounced as written, would sound like real words. Example: fut, brade, blone, or peze. (Foot, braid, blown, or peas, in case your own left side needs jogging!). These words are called misspelled homophones.

Third, you want to test the state of the corpus callosum. This test is called Tactile Localization. It is easy to do and is explained under Diagnostic Tests.

Last, you will want a writing sample done from dictation. Check for bizarre spelling, omission of small words and punctuation, misplaced apostrophes, reversed letters and other odd mistakes.

If your student is intelligent, reads at about half the level he should, makes mistakes on the misspelled homophones test, writes as though some of the words originated in Outer Mongolia and makes 15% or more mistakes on the tactile localization test, you've most likely got a dyslectic child.

Action Dyslexia Delhi - Beyond Education
(A non-government organisation working for promoting educational, vocational, etc. interests of dyslexic children in Delhi)