In many adults, dyslexia goes unnoticed and undiagnosed for most of their life. Often, adults learn to make up for their reading and writing difficulties (though difficulty to some extent remains). Adults with undiagnosed dyslexia are more likely to experience challenges in the areas of time management, memory, and organization.

For a more comprehensive list of symptoms of dyslexia in adults, see our article on General Symptom of Dyslexia in Adults. To read more on manifestation of symptoms of dyslexia at colleges and/or workplaces, see our article on Symptoms at Colleges and Workplace.

You may be wondering why you should get a diagnosis of dyslexia as an adult when you have lived undiagnosed for most of your life. A diagnosis may significantly improve your quality of life. It may provide great relief to you and your family to finally understand that you’ve been struggling with a condition. The first step towards finding solutions for any problem is to know and understand the problem itself, and an accurate diagnosis facilitates this process.

A screening test uses online checklists to measure the number of symptoms of dyslexia you might have. Findings can further be used to build your case in front of a doctor. To perform a screening test, you might want to check out the Checklists given in the Adult Guidance section of this website.

Other screening questionnaires are:

If the screening results show you have a high likelihood of being with dyslexia, the next step is to rule out any other possible conditions that may be causing these difficulties. Before you seek out a medical assessment, make sure that you:

In Pakistan, dyslexia assessments are performed by psychologists trained in the areas of specific learning disabilities (a condition that can cause an individual to experience problems in a traditional classroom setting). Testing usually occurs in English. 

Please visit our Directory for more information on how to find clinics and psychologists in your area.

The test itself will take place in a quiet area with writing materials available. During the assessment, the psychologist will carry out a series of tests that check your:

For more details on the 4 most common types of reading tests that are performed, please see Dyslexia Assessment in Children. The psychologist may also test for any Dyslexia-Related Conditions like dyscalculia or dysgraphia.

After the assessment, you will receive a report that details your strengths and weaknesses with recommendations on how to improve and support any problem areas. These may include ideas for college or work accommodations or a list of resources to help you cope with any difficulties.