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Medical Author:

Neelkamal S Soares, MD, MBBS, FAAP

Medical Editor:

Elizabeth A Finley-Belgrad, MD

Medical Editor:

Mary L Windle, PharmD

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Dyslexia (reading disorder) is the most common (more than 80%) of all learning disabilities and is the best understood. It is more easily identified by the public and has received a lot of attention in research and the media. Failure to read (or read accurately and with speed) is very noticeable and somewhat stigmatizing in today's society.

Dyslexia occurs in about five out of every 100 children of school age, and another 5 to10 out of every 100 are described as "reading backward"; that is, they may not be considered to have a dyslexia, but may have greater difficulty in reading than their classmates. Although it was traditionally thought that many more boys than girls had dyslexia, studies have shown that this is not true and that both boys and girls are equally likely to have the condition. Further, although it is not understood which genes are responsible and how it is passed down through families, there is strong evidence to suggest that dyslexia is a genetic condition. It is present from birth and commonly runs in families. It is not predominantly something acquired because of lack of adequate early education due to poverty or lack of access to education.