Take the Dyslexia test for adults

Am I Dyslexic? What are the common sign’s someone is Dyslexic? Complete the dyslexia test below and receive your results with everything you need to know. Plus get a free guide on the most efficient way to arrange your time as a dyslexic adult.

What is Dyslexia?

The word comes from the Greek meaning of “difficulty with words”. Modern research has shown Dyslexia is much more than that.

Dyslexia is a neurological based learning anomaly, defined by difficulties with fluent word reading, literary accuracy, poor spelling and poor sensory and information abilities. Dyslexia impacts both spoken and/or written language. Other areas include cognitive processing speed, working memory, sequencing, auditory and visual processing and motor skills. (i.e. dialing a telephone and making mistakes).

Adults with Dyslexia think differently from others, and there are both advantages and disadvantages to that. Generally, adults with dyslexia have a difficult time reading, spelling, recalling information, recalling names, objects and dates.

Dyslexic minds use different neural-pathways to learn, view, hear, smell, feel, and receive information, and often non-dyslexic people can misunderstand these differences. Ask someone how often they are misunderstood – if it’s high, then there’s a good chance that person could be dyslexic.

Despite these challenges, dyslexics still make up some of the best minds, leaders and entrepreneurs on the planet.

Understanding different levels of Dyslexia. Cures.

Dyslexia occurs on a scale from mild to severe. They’re all slightly different to a certain extent.

A cure for Dyslexia is similar to asking if there’s a cure for Harry Potter’s magic. In all seriousness, there is no cure for Dyslexia. It is critical for dyslexic adults to accept and use it.

Once outside the traditional school system, if a dyslexic adult is supported by a positive community, proven process and focused relevant education, a Dyslexic can be a powerful contributor to society. Did you know 8 out of 10 prison inmates are dyslexic? Why? Lack of support and direction.

What do Dyslexic people have difficulty with? Why take the Dyslexia Test For Adults?

Adults with Dyslexia will have difficulty with all forms of language. If you found it difficult to learn another language, It could be attributed to Dyslexia. Dyslexics don’t have an issue with comprehension, in fact, the opposite. Those with Dyslexia often possess higher level language skills to support their reading of connected text (stories) as a supplementary mechanism to compensate for their difficulty with single word reading.

The underlying issue is that dyslexics struggle to convert letters to their correct sound and convert sounds to their correct written symbol. In other words they have challenges in spelling correctly and forming full written sentences.

Although dyslexics struggle with spelling, visual cues, memory and numbers, they often conversely excel in using creative pathways through reading, counting and memory to solve problems and enhance creativity. This makes them extremely valuable as business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Adults with Dyslexia have the ability to reduce the noise and hit the root of the situation, business problem, customer problem etc. What others can often interprets misunderstanding a situation is in fact the opposite.

What causes Dyslexia?

Signs of Dyslexia

Poor short term memory recall.
Poor spelling.
Lack of accuracy and fluency when attempting to read (and decode).
Difficulty in learning another language.
Difficulty in reading single words, such as on flash cards and in lists (decoding).
Reading slowly with many mistakes.
Problems learning the letter sounds for reading (decoding) and spelling (encoding).
Poor visual coding (orthographic coding).
Difficult to read handwriting & Difficulties in reading handwriting.

How businesses can help Adults with Dyslexia succeed.

From a business working perspective, co-vid has been an exceptional time for adults with dyslexia. The internet has removed many barriers, distractions and fears from in-person interactions that dyslexic associate with their school years. To get the most out of professional dyslexics. Take note of the following:

Enable them to choose flexible working environments. Home, office or completely remote.
Do not call on a Dyslexic professional to speak at any event, conference call, company meeting without ample notice and information.
Use share screen technology such as Google Meet, Microsoft Teams to visualize verbal information and processes.
When giving instructions. Use bullet points and a process driven approach.
Do not call on for verbal feedback straight after talking about a new concept. Give them a day or two to digest. Sometimes a week.
When upskilling. Video recording is more powerful than teacher to student learning. Adults with Dyslexia need their own time, space and environment to learn. A quite home room is optimal.
Demonstrate. Do not explain concepts.
Avoid lengthy and wordy sentences. Get to the punchline.
Be patient, adults with dyslexia see, hear, smell, feel the world differently.
Upskill them with video mindset training, selling scripts, marketing, and processes to get the most out of them. That's where Dyslexia Consulting comes in.
When Dyslexics say something that seems off-topic or random. Enable it, they're thinking beyond your point and creativity is kicking in. Businesses pay a premium for this type of thinking.
Avoid putting dyslexics in teams with extroverts or controlling people.
Have dyslexics own and lead their projects. Their Chaos is your Order and their Order is your Chaos.

Dyslexic Strengths

Adults with dyslexia hold a sea of strengths outside of their difficulties with spoken and written language. Often creative, have good analytic skills, the ability to see through problems, not at problems and think outside the square to name a few.

Talented entrepreneurs and business owners
Creative / Inquiring Mind
Solution orientated
New idea generation (over time - not on the spot)
Exceptional decision making from analytical insights
Process driven work (Business Workflows, Architecture, Starting a business, Engineering, Doctor)
See through problems and not at them. (Can see the whole picture)
Adaptable personality
Great team builders and leaders

Dyslexics can bring to business eight (there are more) traits that neurotypicals don’t always possess.

Dyslexics have vivid imaginations - assisting with conceptual ideas.
Dyslexics use our brain’s ability to alter and create perceptions - meaning we can put ourselves firmly in the shoes of the target audience.
Dyslexics are highly aware of the environment we and others inhabit - great when trying to understand and communicate with a target market.
Dyslexics tend to be more curious than average - we can dig deeper into why people behave like they do and choose the products they buy.
Dyslexics think mainly in pictures, not words (useful for at least one half of the traditional creative team!).
Dyslexics can be highly intuitive and insightful - creative advertising is all about using insights to drive effective work.
Dyslexics think and perceive multi-dimensionally, using all our senses - we can immediately envision how flat design concepts can come to life in physical environments, across different formats.
Dyslexics often experience thought as reality - especially useful when creating events. Imagining conceptual ideas in the real world allows us to predict how consumers will view them.

How to interview a dyslexic

Before you interview anyone with Dyslexia. Here are some things you need to know.

Dyslexic candidates may find certain areas of interviews more challenging, such as:

Verbalisation, fluency of speech, and word recall – particularly in the heat of the moment and with ‘on the spot’ questioning.
Memory recollection – they could get in a muddle with recalling events and dates.
Auditory memory (e.g. listening to a new task) – individuals could have slower information processing speeds – consider this when stating an interview task, especially one required for group work.

Things to consider before interviewing a dyslexic.

Provide a list of interview questions in advance of the interview
Notify interviewees that notes are allowed to be brought into the interview as prompts (allow time for the interviewee to look at them during the interview)
Send over, in writing, any case studies or scenarios that will be used in the interview.
Offer candidates the chance to fill in a brief questionnaire asking:
If the interviewer should avoid asking about specific dates or times that may be hard to recall, and if instead, they should put questions in context with references
If the interviewer should avoid asking about specific dates or times that may be hard to recall, and if instead, they should put questions in context with references
Instead of non-specific questions if the interviewer’s questions should be more direct and focussed. For example, instead of ‘Can you expand on that?’, they could ask ‘What was your role in the project?’
If the interviewer should use full titles and names, avoiding acronyms and initials

Sensory distractions for dyslexic during interviews

Questions and examples during dyslexic interviews

Avoid general questions. E.g. ‘can you tell me a bit about yourself?’ or ‘where do you see yourself in five years’ time?’
Avoid hypothetical ‘what would you do if?’ questions. Instead, ask the candidate to give specific examples of relevant situations they have experienced in the past
Give the candidate questions in advance. Many people have difficulty retaining verbal information, especially when experiencing anxiety, which will likely occur at a job interview
The interviewer should be aware that people with dyslexia/neurodevelopmental conditions can become verbally muddled when asked to give details or describe a situation, so perhaps ask them if they would like to make notes before providing an in-depth response.

Dyslexic people often possess qualities and skills that make them valuable assets to any organisation

Highly creative and innovative
Good problem-solvers
Visual thinkers/imaginative – strong at articulating ideas verbally
Strong team players – often thriving in social dynamics
Self-analytical/aware
Resilient – working hard throughout life on certain tasks that others take for granted
Resourceful – used to implementing coping mechanisms to overcome challenges

How to manage someone in the workplace with dyslexia

Become informed about dyslexia and its effects, both practical and emotional.
Become informed about the related syndromes of dyspraxia, ADD, and visual stress.
Remember that dyslexic employees will find written work and aspects of organisation much harder than most people. They may need to apply extra effort in many areas, which may make them prone to fatigue.
Encourage employees to talk to you and others about workplace difficulties.
Allow absence from work for dyslexia-specific training.
Using shared timetables, calendars, and lists as visual reminders. Encourage the use of planners that visually highlight appointments and deadlines
Offering help on planning and prioritising workloads and scheduling daily work tasks
Breaking down large tasks into small, manageable tasks with clear deadlines
Offering guidance and support with new or difficult tasks
Trying to limit approaching staff with surprising questions and trying to email them in advance
Ensuring staff know how often they should take breaks and where they can go to relax
Giving advance notice of tasks whenever possible, rather than setting sudden deadlines

Delegation and instructing dyslexic employees

Give full, clear instructions and take time to explain things properly
Repeat things, if necessary, and check back understanding
Give written, taped or oral instructions, as necessary
Avoid setting multiple tasks when possible, but if you do, write down a clear order of task priorities

Reading & writing written communication

Present written instructions in a clear format or visual diagram, which allows the use of text-to-speech software
Allow extra time for reading tasks
Provide speech-to-text software if needed
Allow extra time for writing tasks
Do not expect the employee to take notes or receive dictation at speed

When training dyslexics, ensure that in-house courses have a Good Practice policy in relation to dyslexic trainees. For example, trainers should:

Provide in advance a clear outline of their talks and relevant course material
Repeat things, if necessary
Leave a few minutes at the end of a session to check that dyslexic trainees have understood the main points
Be aware that whiteboards can cause visual stress.
Do not expect the employee to take notes or receive dictation at speed

If there are multiple people who identify as neurodivergent in the workplace, it is important to encourage and provide resources for peer-support systems to be established.

Many people find it more beneficial to speak with neurodivergent peers, rather than HR professionals, line managers, or colleagues, who do not experience the world in the same way.

It can be helpful for staff to have a platform to share strategies and experiences with others, as well as a neurodiversity network in the workplace. E.g. an intranet information hub, or even the encouragement to attend awareness-raising training.

How a Dyslexic mind reads a sentence out loud without preparation.

A simple sentence like the one below would be easy to read for anyone who thinks with the sounds of words. But for a Dyslexic who constructs mental pictures of the scene as each word is read, the process is more difficult.

“the brown horse jumped over the stone fence and ran through the pasture.”

If you ask a Dyslexic to read out loud and answer what this sentence means on the fly. It’ll be perceived that he/she doesn’t understand any of what we just read. At this point, us dyslexics don’t care if we didn’t understand it. We’re just thankful that we survived the ordeal of reading out loud.

Three main types of dyslexia.

There are three main types of dyslexia. Most people have all three types, usually at differing levels. These include:

Dysnemkinesia: This type involves motor skills. It also involves difficulty knowing how to make letters when writing. People with this type usually write letters backward.
Dysphonesia: This type involves listening or auditory skills. It also causes difficulty with pronouncing words or understanding unfamiliar words.
Dyseidesia: This type involves visual skills. It causes difficulty or an inability to know or understand written words. It also causes difficulty knowing words by sound.

How dyslexics can succeed during meetings.

Often, meetings can make the most qualified and experienced dyslexic look ignorant and clueless.

Firstly, aim to keep your meetings with as little people as possible. One on one's are the best. This removes distractions and enables you to focus! (Alternatively, if you have a large important presentation to deliver. Simply record it and send it to the team. This means you can edit any mistakes you make.)
Secondly, if you're ever presenting and feel flustered by being put on the spot by a question. (Even if you know the answer, mental blocks happen to us all the time.) - I get it, it's frustrating.
Simply tell everyone before you start. "Hey everyone, if you have any questions, please send them to me via email after the call, and I'll get back to you."
If somebody asks a question and one of our typical dyslexic mental block happens. Simply say: "Please send that question to me via email, and I'll get back to you."

This is why being open and transparent about your dyslexia is critical in the workplace. Your colleagues need to understand how you think and operate.

Does this sound like you as a Dyslexic?

My boss can’t understand why I don’t write better reports.
I’m not the quickest reader, but my creativity is out of this world.
I can’t try for a promotion because I won’t pass the test. But I could do the job.
As long as I use a spellchecker, I’m fine. Just don’t ask me to write by hand.
People say I’m careless and forgetful, but I really try, and I get furious with myself.
I haven’t a clue about filling in forms.
I’ve found ways to hide my problems, but I’m really struggling.
Over 100+ dyslexics have told me the Dyslexic Incubator mindset training has done wonders for their mental clarity and mindset.

Dyslexic adults are great explorers of culture, people and information. This is the reason so many people with dyslexia become CEOs and CMOs. Dyslexia and strategic, innovative thinking go hand-in-hand.

Adults with dyslexia in the workplace will benefit from:

Structured support to improve their literacy skills, e.g., reading for comprehension, planning and organisation of written work.
Structured support to help them compensate for specific difficulties such as poor memory, organisational skills, sequencing skills and hand-eye co-ordination.
The use of structured, multisensory teaching during pre-employment or on the job training.
Relaxation training to help them approach difficult tasks in a calm manner, thereby improving his efficiency. (Ideally video recording)
Assertiveness training to develop self-confidence and to enable them to seek support from their employer and co-workers as needed. Support should also focus on the development of self-esteem and self-confidence in the workplace.