Testing for Dyslexia in Adults
Do you have difficulty reading quickly or fluently, especially under pressure, or trouble with unfamiliar words or complex words?
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a reading disorder that makes it hard to understand how sounds and letters work together to form words. This can lead to trouble with recognizing words accurately, sounding out new words, reading smoothly, and spelling. The symptoms of dyslexia can look much different in an adult than in a child because adults have oftentimes developed compensatory strategies that may mask some of the more basic symptoms.
Note: Dyslexia does not reflect a lack of intelligence or effort. Each person learns differently!
Primary Characteristics of Dyslexia
- ✔️ Difficulty accurately decoding unfamiliar words
- ✔️ Difficulty with oral reading (slow, inaccurate, or labored)
- ✔️ Difficulty spelling
- ✔️ Difficulty reading words in isolation
- ✔️ Math skills in the average range
- ✔️ Difficulty with written composition
- ✔️ Family history of similar problems
- ✔️ Past difficulty learning the names of the letters and their associated sounds
Tip: Early identification can greatly improve outcomes and support strategies.
Common Characteristics of Dyslexia in Adults
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✔️ Reading Challenges:
Difficulty reading quickly or fluently, especially under pressure; trouble with unfamiliar or complex words; prefers audiobooks or spoken instructions over written text.
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✔️ Writing and Spelling:
Spelling remains inconsistent, with frequent errors in written work; difficulty proofreading or catching their own mistakes; may avoid tasks that require a lot of writing.
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✔️ Coping Mechanisms:
Adults often rely on technology (e.g., spell-checkers) or ask others for help; may develop strong verbal or problem-solving skills to compensate.
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✔️ Other Signs:
Difficulty with time management, organization, and remembering instructions; feeling self-conscious or frustrated about reading or writing tasks.
Remember: Adults with dyslexia have often developed incredible strengths in other areas, such as creativity or problem-solving.
How We Test for Dyslexia
It’s common for adults to develop their own tools and strategies to help overcome reading struggles. It is never too late to be diagnosed with dyslexia and receive help for your learning disability. Like many things, identification and understanding is the first step. The following areas are all part of eDiagnostic Learning’s comprehensive evaluation process:
- ✔️ Individual’s history through self-report and semi-structured interviews
- ✔️ An assessment of how the individual learns and processes information
- ✔️ An assessment of their academic skills, including their phonemic awareness (ability to identify and manipulate sounds)
- ✔️ Ruling out any processing issues, medical conditions, vision problems, or other disabilities that may impact reading skills
Note: Testing is designed to be thorough and stress-free to provide accurate results in a supportive environment.
🔍 Why We Look at the Whole Picture
At eDiagnostic Learning, we do not assess for a single learning disability in isolation. A comprehensive evaluation is essential to understanding how an individual learns and processes information. By assessing multiple areas—such as reading, writing, math, attention, memory, and processing—we can rule out overlapping challenges and ensure the most accurate diagnosis and support plan.