Possibly Dyslexic?

[Trudy__0]

  I am 18 years old and for most of my life and especially the last year or two I have noticed that I am having more and more problems reading and writing.  When taking written tests my paper has all sorts of cross outs.  It gets very frustrating because I have to constantly go back and correct my mistakes.  Usually I will start to spell a word backwards. By the third or fourth letter I usually catch it and correct it but it is still very frustrating.  I also find that I will often reverse numbers and letters.  This is especially a problem on multiple choice tests where I have to write the letter.  I will sometimes circle the correct answer but write a different answer without even realizing it.  Also, I do not read well.  I usually get by in school because we discuss the book in class.  I'm not sure is these would be signs of dyslexia or not but it is a problem that has been bugging me for a while.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  
Dear Trudy,
Yes, it is possible that you may have dyslexia.  More specifically, it is the difficulty to derive meaning from the printed word. Dyslexia is found in 3-6% of all shoolchildren.  The main problem is an inability to read words and also to spell  and to write them despite the ability to see and recognize letters.  There is no loss of the ability to recognize the meaning of objects, pictures or diagrams.  This difficulty is usually picked up early on because the reading failure can be seen  by difficulty copying, and persistent reversal of letters. There is a strong genetic component, that is, others memebers of the family have the symptoms as well.  Males are usually affectes more than females.  It sound as if you may have had this problem for some time, however, you may have got by using other stategies such as "discussing" books in class.  I would recommend that you get an evaluation by a neurologist.  The handicap associated with dyslexia can be overcome by steady drilling and practice.  Good Luck.