Dyslexia in adults

Published on Sunday, 04 May 2014 10:48

Patricia Fitzgerald

Dyslexia in adults

Dyslexia as a learning difference persists into adulthood.

Recent years have produced greater understanding among educationalists of the opportunities and challenges of having dyslexia. However this leaves a great many older individuals who have went through an educational system believing they were ‘slow’, unintelligent’, ‘lazy’ and with a ringing in the ear of the phrase ‘must try harder’.

It is likely that the adult with dyslexia will  have found many strategies to overcome everyday difficulties but may not be fully utilising their relative strengths. An in-depth assessment may also be the answer to understanding the reasons for 'not doing well at school'. A diagnosis can provide the explanation and the opportunity to discuss previous frustrations and misunderstandings.

Access arrangements for exam purposes or in the workplace may also be the motivating factors to initiate a full diagnostic assessment.

Questions to consider before seeking an assessment

• Do you often lose your place or miss out lines when reading?
• Do you often confuse visually similar words such as dig and dog?
• Do you have trouble distinguishing between left and right?
• Do you often get confused when given several instructions at once?
• Do you often reread text to understand the meaning?
• Do you regularly make mistakes when taking down messages?
• Do you struggle often to find the right word to say?
• Do you find it difficult to sound out words such as e-le-phant?
• Do you find it difficult to read aloud?
• Did you learn multiplication tables easily?
• Do you often think of creative solutions to problems?