What You May Not Know About Dyslexia

Some of the following dyslexia statistics are surprising when you think about the fact that these are only the reported cases of dyslexia. There are probably a lot more that are not reported or diagnosed.  Here are a few things you may not know about dyslexia.

• Dyslexia is the most common cause of reading, spelling, and writing difficulty
• 70-80% of all people with poor reading skills are likely to be dyslexic
• 1 in 5 students or approximately 15-20% of the population have a language based learning disability and dyslexia is the most common of these disabilities.
• Dyslexia is non-discriminating- It affects nearly the same number of males as females. It affects the same amount of people within ethnic or socioeconomic        backgrounds.
• 75% of the students that show difficulty with basic reading skills early in school can be helped to overcome these difficulties. While not all of these students        are Dyslexic, many are.
• Less than 1/3 of all children in school with reading disabilities are receiving specialized instruction to help deal with their disability.
• Dyslexia is a disability that is recognized and is covered under provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

If you have one of those students that, no matter how hard they try, seem to not be able to spell or have trouble with early reading, your child may have dyslexia. Some cases of dyslexia may be inherited, so it is somewhat more likely that if you are dyslexic you will also have a dyslexic child.
What dyslexia statistics do not show is that there has been a lot of research done on the science of dyslexia and a lot more is known now than was known just a few years ago. Dyslexia takes many different forms and each case of dyslexia is slightly different from the next. The severity of the condition and the environment the dyslexic is raised in will determine the effects of the disorder. 

The difference between a child that goes undiagnosed, and another child that is diagnosed as dyslexic and has specific educational intervention, can be dramatic.  Each may start off with the same degree of dyslexia, but the one that has specialized education and an environment that addresses and acknowledges his dyslexia, will achieve a higher reading level and perhaps be more successful in school and in life. People that suffer from dyslexia, and receive specialized classes and instruction, can indeed thrive.  Most dyslexics are of average or above average intelligence and just need to be taught in a different manner. In fact, many individuals that have dyslexia also show extraordinary skills in other areas to compensate for the difficulties in reading and spelling.