Dyslexia Facts and Statistics

October 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