Adult Dyslexia Organisation

Implications Of Dyslexic Difficulties & Professional Responses

General Points One should be aware of the following possible problems and make allowances:
• Poor recall of dates and details (this may give the impression of unreliability)
• Particular problems estimating the passage of time (this could be important when giving evidence)
• Difficulty in understanding oblique or implied questions
• An inconsequential style of discourse; at times it is difficult to grasp the point being made
• A limited attention span and / or high level of distractibility

Sequencing and / or orientation problems may have the following outcomes:
1. Great difficulty presenting a sequence of events in a logical, structured way leading to possible inconsistencies
2. Incorrect sequencing of number and letter strings (such as car number plates)
3. Inaccurate references to left and right

When delivering spoken information to a dyslexic individual:
1. Allow thinking time before pressing for a response
2. When reading information back, insert pauses after each section to allow the information to be internalised
3. First introduce/explain the topic, then give the details, then summarize
4. Be aware of a likely limited attention span

When presenting written information, the following can be vital in some cases:
1. Written material should be well spaced and of a reasonable font size (not below 12pt)
2. Justify left only - it is then much easier for a dyslexic person to keep the place
3. Avoid using bright white paper (this may appear to ‘glare’, obscuring the print)
4. Some dyslexic people have considerable difficulty extracting the meaning from written material despite being able to read adequately; this can be exacerbated by perceptual problems which cause the print to appear to move or blur (Jameson, 1995).

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