As has been explained in other sections of this site, dyslexia is not one simple set of characteristics or symptoms. Most of us experience some of the characteristics, certainly some of the time if not all of the time. This in itself does not categorise us as dyslexic, for instance, a person who has poor timekeeping skills may not be motivated; while someone who had a lot of time off school may simply be illiterate.

Dyslexia starts to be suspected when there is a pattern to these characteristics coupled with a sense of confusion or an otherwise emotional/physical reaction, such as nausea when reading. It is also unusual for the symptoms to be confined to only one category.

As a very simple starting point, if you consider someone may be dyslexic, it may help to read through the following list and establish how many of the factors offer a fair description of the person’s behaviour and also make a mental note of how strong the characteristics are compared with others. We would expect that around 10 or more characteristics are present.

Where characteristics are clearly visible although not strong, it may be more appropriate to pursue activities that are not demanding on these areas of comparative weakness or to seek specialist training in the areas of highest importance.