Here are some indicators for adults with dyslexia. You may not have all of these traits and some of your traits may not be listed, but no doubt you will see some similarities.
At work, do you
- Work at a job that won’t emphasise your literacy difficulties or where you aren’t required to read and write much?
- Work in a higher position that means you can delegate reading, writing and spelling to other staff members?
- Hide your literacy difficulties from your colleagues?
- Find meetings boring and frustrating because they are so slow —often feeling that you already have the answer and others are painstakingly slow?
- Get easily frustrated and find that changes and new situations can cause you anxiety?
- Feel overwhelmed by new or unexpected tasks or a change in routine?
- Prefer a career that would emphasise your visual, tactile or kinesthetic skills like a: Mechanic, Designer, Architect, Engineer, Tradesman, Actor, Artist, Scientist, Retail, Armed Forces, Health Provider, Driver, IT Specialist, Musician, Chef, Gardener, Athlete, Sportsman, Builder or a Businessperson with staff?
- Prefer to multitask as it keeps you focused?
- Dread any form of promotion that means you will have to have to write reports?
- Avoid exams and tests, as you have difficulty passing standardised tests.
- Self-sabotage or avoid situations that will highlight your weaknesses?
- Consider yourself highly successful and driven — Or an underachiever who is not living up to your own potential?
- Continually come up with creative new ideas that are out-of-the-box?
- Offer excellent trouble-shooting and problem solving solutions to all sorts of work related problems and difficulties?
- Hate reading instructional manuals, preferring to learn by watching a demonstration or by doing a hands-on exercise?
- Watch videos and YouTube clips to see how to do things?
- See yourself as practical, street smart and a good judge of character?
- Make choices intuitively or instinctively?
- Display a sixth sense when it comes to understanding what makes other people tick?
- Remember continually struggling at school, with reading, writing, spelling and/or math?
- Have skillful delegation skills?
- Continue to find spelling difficult and use technology to assist you.