Adult dyslexia tests evaluate an individual's reading, writing, spelling, and visual and directional skills, as these are some of the common problems of adults who have this disorder. This article gives you details about the different tests to diagnose dyslexia in adults.
Dyslexia is most commonly understood as a learning disability in which an individual’s ability to read, write, and spell words (considered normal at their age) is compromised. It is believed to be a neurological problem and can be caused due to genetic or hormonal reasons. In very rare cases, trauma to the brain can also be a cause. Though not an intellectual drawback, it can be quite a debilitating problem for adults, especially for those who live on their own.
Tests
Understanding dyslexia has seen a spurt only in recent times. No wonder then, that more and more adults are being diagnosed with this disability. There are a number of tests for adults by which individuals can determine if they are dyslexic or not. These tests may evaluate one’s ability to spell words.
Dyslexic individuals misspell simple words like friend, enough, island, and said. They spell most words, as if English is a phonetic language. For example, they spell journey as jerney, does as dus, friend as frend, and enough as enuf. The testing includes determining if an adult can distinguish between right and left, as dyslexic adults often have problems in recognizing directions. It is extremely difficult for the affected people to follow instructions. More the number of sequences in a set of instructions in the test, greater the difficulty in following them.
Some tests include determining comprehension abilities of an adult. The test taker may be required to repeat what was told to him. If he is dyslexic, he will find it difficult to repeat the words in the same sequence as was told to him. Certain simple problems in mathematics may also be given during the test, that an adult suffering from this condition may find difficult to solve. This condition doesn’t only affect one’s language skills, but also hinders one’s ability to understand basic mathematical operations, like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Signs in Adults
Here are some common problems that dyslexic adults encounter:
- Making mistakes while writing checks.
- Mixing up phone numbers
- Difficulty in conveying messages properly to others
- Mixing up of dates and times
- Difficulty in getting the sounds of long words to sound correct or arranging in proper order
Greater the number of positive answers, stronger the indication that an individual suffers from this disability. However, it is important to caution readers that these conditions are just indications and should not be treated as conclusive analysis for the existence of dyslexia in them.
Types of Tests
There are two most common types of tests in children as well as adults. They are:
Screening tests
As the name suggests, these tests are administered to a large number of individuals to evaluate if they have learning disabilities so that they can be subjected to more specific tests. These tests do not provide conclusive evidence related to the existence of dyslexia in a person. These are broad spectrum tests that may indicate this disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), delayed development, and other related disorders.
Comprehensive Tests
Through these comprehensive tests, a psychologist analyzes the person as a whole. He gives his patients tests to evaluate their reading, writing, spelling, visual, sequencing, and other abilities. However, the test scores are compiled into a complete report on a person, and the psychologist uses this report to arrive at the cause of the condition. Some psychologists do not meet their patients and completely depend on the results of the tests, to analyze the situation that an affected individual is in. This allows these trained professionals to come to absolutely objective conclusions.
The most reliable source of adult dyslexia tests are available with psychologists and specially certified instructors. However, a visit to a psychologist can be expensive. So, many depend on online resources or in books that have such tests. Even if you get these tests from these sources, it is always advisable to consult a psychologist before using the result of these tests to come to any serious conclusion. Treat the results of such tests only as indications of a problem. Take steps only as per the guidance of a professional.
Although these tests often focus on learning disabilities, it is important to remember that the condition does not affect one’s intellectual development.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
