Dyslexia in Adults: Signs, Assessment and Support at Work and in Study

01Basics

What dyslexia looks like in adults

The NHS describes dyslexia as a common learning difficulty in which the brain works differently from most people’s. It mainly affects reading, writing and using numbers, and can also affect planning. Mayo Clinic notes that there is no known way to correct the underlying brain differences, but that evaluation and the right help improve success.

Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence. Mayo Clinic points out that many people with dyslexia are creative and bright, may be gifted in math, science or the arts, and some even have successful writing careers. Signs in children and teenagers are covered in our guide on signs of dyslexia; this guide focuses on adults.

02Reading and writing

Reading, writing and memory

Signs that you may have dyslexia, according to the NHS, include:

• often spelling words wrong
• confusing words that look similar, such as bell and belt
• needing to read something several times before it makes sense
• feeling tired after a lot of reading and writing
• finding it difficult to tell left from right
• forgetting things like dates or people’s names

03Work and study

Effects at work and in study

Dyslexia can also make it hard to plan things or manage your time, and you may get confused if you are asked to follow more than one instruction at a time. The NHS adds that you may be skilled in some areas but struggle with tasks most people find easy.

Mayo Clinic notes that success in employment can be difficult for adults with dyslexia, and that academic problems do not mean a person cannot succeed: capable students with dyslexia can be highly successful with the right resources.

04Looking back

Why many adults are diagnosed late

Dyslexia is present from childhood, but not everyone is evaluated at school. Mayo Clinic explains that children who get help early often improve their reading enough to succeed, while those who get help later may find it harder to catch up, and that a person with severe dyslexia may never find reading easy, but can still learn skills and strategies that improve performance and quality of life.

For an adult, that history matters. When you prepare for an assessment, it can help to gather what you remember or can find about your schooling: reports, earlier assessments, extra help you received, and whether relatives had similar difficulties, since Mayo Clinic notes that family history of dyslexia or other learning disabilities is part of the evaluation.

05Other causes

Ruling out other causes

Reading problems are not always dyslexia. In its description of the evaluation, Mayo Clinic includes vision, hearing and neurological tests to check whether another disorder is causing or adding to the difficulty, and a psychological evaluation to see whether anxiety, depression or social problems may be limiting abilities. Those points are described for children but explain why an assessor asks about eyesight, hearing and wellbeing.

A sudden loss of reading, writing or word-finding in an adult who previously had no difficulty is a different situation and needs urgent medical assessment.

06Assessment

How a dyslexia assessment works

There is no single test for dyslexia, according to Mayo Clinic; several factors are considered, including history, questionnaires and tests of reading and other academic skills. The NHS explains that an adult dyslexia diagnostic assessment is not done by a medical doctor but usually by an educational psychologist or a specialist in dyslexia, who looks at abilities in reading, writing and using numbers.

In the UK, the NHS says you can request an assessment from the British Dyslexia Association or a private service, and most people need to pay for it. Online questionnaires can be a starting point for a conversation, but they are not a diagnosis.

07Building skills

Help with reading and writing at any age

Mayo Clinic’s advice for adults is to seek evaluation and instructional help with reading and writing, regardless of your age. The teaching approaches it describes focus on recognizing the smallest sounds that make up words, linking letters to those sounds, understanding what is read, reading aloud for accuracy and fluency, and building vocabulary. Teaching that uses hearing, vision and touch together, such as listening to a lesson while tracing letters, can help process information.

In our speech therapy practice in Bilbao we can assess an adult’s reading and language skills and work on strategies for everyday tasks (consultations are in Spanish). A formal dyslexia diagnostic assessment may need a specialist assessor, depending on what you need it for.

08Adjustments

Practical adjustments at work and in study

Support can make long reading tasks, forms and notes more manageable. The two sources mention:

• At work: the NHS recommends telling your employer about your dyslexia so they can make changes to support you, such as providing screen readers or offering information on video. In the UK, an Access to Work grant may help pay for useful equipment.
• In study: talk to a teacher or learning support officer about what your college, apprenticeship or university can offer. After a diagnostic assessment, you may be able to apply for financial support such as the Disabled Students’ Allowance in the UK.
• Under U.S. law: Mayo Clinic suggests asking about additional training and reasonable accommodations from your employer or academic institution under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Extra time and recordings: for students, Mayo Clinic mentions extra time for tests that require reading and recording lessons to play back later.

Support schemes differ from country to country, so check what applies where you work or study. Emotional support also matters: Mayo Clinic stresses that dyslexia is not a personal failure, and the NHS points to charities and local organizations that support adults with dyslexia.

09Sources

Where the sources differ

Focus. The NHS page is written for adults and focuses on signs, assessment and support at work and in study. Mayo Clinic’s page is mainly about children, with a short section for adults on evaluation, instruction and accommodations.

Who diagnoses. The NHS says the assessment is usually done by an educational psychologist or dyslexia specialist, not a doctor. Mayo Clinic describes a health care provider coordinating the evaluation, with input from teachers, reading experts and specialists such as eye doctors, audiologists or neuropsychologists, depending on the case.

Treatment language. The NHS says there is no cure but there are ways to manage it. Mayo Clinic says the brain differences cannot be corrected, but treatment can help children become competent readers and adults improve reading and writing.

10Summary

In summary

Dyslexia in adults shows up as spelling mistakes, confusing similar words, rereading, tiredness with reading and writing, and difficulty with planning, names, dates or multi-step instructions. It is not linked to intelligence.

A diagnostic assessment by a qualified assessor looks at reading, writing and number skills; online screening is not a diagnosis. Instruction in reading and writing at any age, and practical adjustments such as screen readers, information on video, extra time and reasonable accommodations, help adults work and study with less strain.