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Dyslexia Facts and Statistics

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dyslexic brainOctober is Dyslexia Awareness Month. To raise awareness and dispel misconceptions about Dyslexia, we have compiled a list of facts and statistics about Dyslexia.

  • It is estimated that 1 in 10 people have dyslexia
  • Over 40 million American Adults are dyslexic - and only 2 million know it
  • Dyslexia is not tied to IQ - Einstein was dyslexic and had an estimated IQ of 160
  • Dyslexia in not just about getting letters or numbers mixed up or out of order
  • 80% of people associate dyslexia with some form of retardation - this is not true
  • Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability or disorder that includes poor word reading, word decoding, oral reading fluency and spelling
  • Dyslexia occurs in people of all backgrounds and intellectual levels
  • Dyslexia has nothing to do with not working hard enough
  • 20% of school-aged children in the US are dyslexic
  • With appropriate teaching methods, dyslexia can learn successfully
  • Over 50% of NASA employees are dyslexic
  • Dyslexia runs in families; parents with dyslexia are very likely to have children with dyslexia
  • Dyslexics may struggle with organizational skills, planning and prioritizing, keeping time, concentrating with background noise.
  • Dyslexis may excel at connecting ideas, thinking out of the box, 3D thinking, seeing the big picture
  • People with dyslexia excel or even gifted in areas of art, computer science, design, drama, electronics, math, mechanics, music, physics, sales and sports
  • Many famous people are dyslexic including: Orlando Bloom, Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Spielberg, Kiera Knightley. Albert Einstein and Patrick Dempsey

SOURCES: American Dyslexia Association, The International Dyslexia Association, The Dyslexia Center, The Dyslexia Foundation, The Child Mind Institute

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