When staff meet the client initially, there are certain behaviours that might indicate literacy problems.35 Some behaviours that can help you identify a person with low reading skills follow
| FACTOR | YES | NO | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fails to show up for appointments | |||
| Loses documents or fails to bring in information | |||
| Is embarrassed or nervous during interview | |||
| Acts confused; asks unrelated questions | |||
| Does not ask for clarification | |||
| Cannot tell a coherent story | |||
| Does not answer the questions | |||
| Reads too fast or too slowly for the length of the document | |||
| Has difficulty following instructions | |||
| Acts frustrated and leaves in a hurry | |||
| Levels of written and spoken words do not match | |||
| Becomes angry and storms out | |||
| Initiates a physical confrontation | |||
| Handwriting doesn’t match signature | |||
| Portrays issues in terms of conspiracy or personal victimization | |||
| Is compliant or agrees, but not to what you expect | |||
| Uses excuses: “I forgot my glasses” | |||
| Says, “I don’t have time to read this now. Can I take it home?” | |||
| Says, “I hurt my hand; I can’t fill these out” | |||
| Brings along a friend or relative (to help with reading and forms) | |||
| Says things clearly inconsistent with written information in their possession |
35. Lawyers for Literacy, Communicating Clearly. John Howard Society, Taking Down the Wall of Words: Community Agencies and Literacy (Ottawa: The Society, 1990).