Please answer YES or NO to each question. Don't miss any questions out. If you are in doubt, answer whichever feels like the truer answer.
1. Do you find difficulty in telling left from right?
2. Is map reading or finding your way to a strange place confusing?
3. Do you dislike reading aloud?
4. Do you take longer than you should to read a page of a book?
5. Do you find it difficult to remember the sense of what you have
read?
6. Do you dislike reading long books?
7. Is your spelling poor?
8. Is your writing difficult to read?
9. Do you get confused if you have to speak in public?
10. Do you find it difficult to take messages on the telephone and
pass them on correctly?
11. When you have to say a long word, do you sometimes find it difficult
to get all the sounds in the right order?
12. Do you find it difficult to do sums in your head without using
your fingers or paper?
13. When using the telephone, do you tend to get the numbers mixed
up when you dial?
14. Do you find it difficult to say the months of the year forwards
in a fluent manner?
15. Do you find it difficult to say the months of the year backwards?
16. Do you mix up dates and times and miss appointments?
17. When writing cheques, do you frequently find yourself making mistakes?
18. Do you find forms difficult and confusing?
19. Do you mix up bus numbers like 95 and 59?
20. Did you find it hard to learn your multiplication tables at school?
The questionnaire was completed by a total of 679 adults divided into the following groups: Students enrolled upon:
The age range of the sample was 18 to 68 and the proportion of men and
women was approximately even.
The sample contained 32 known dyslexic individuals.
A statistical procedure involving a discriminant function analysis,
a factor analysis and a series of t-tests was carried out. The object was
to identify those items on the questionnaire which best discriminated between
dyslexic and non-dyslexic individuals.
The twelve best items in order of importance are shown below.Put a tick
against those items which were marked YES on the questionnaire.
Most important Q17, Q13, Q7, Q16, Q18, Q10, Q19, Q14, Q20, Q4, Q1,
Q11. least.
If the majority of these items are ticked, this is a strong indication
of dyslexia.
On the questionnaire as a whole (i.e. all 20 questions):
Of the 679 adults; 60% gave four or fewer 'yes' responses and 90% gave
eight or fewer "yes"' responses.
Nine or more 'yes' responses on the questionnaire as a whole is therefore an extreme response. However, the answers should be checked against the 12 items listed above.
For further information about this Check List contact:- Dr Michael Vinegrad, Psychology Department, Goldsmiths' College, London SE14 6NW (0181-692-7171) Dr Vinegrad is an Associate member of the ADO.