Dyslexia is not a form of retardation

Q: Can you explain just what dyslexia is? Is it a form of mental retardation?

J.S.

Philadelphia

A: It’s much easier to explain what it isn’t than what it is. Dyslexia is not a form of retardation. In fact, people with the condition generally have average or above-average IQs. Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, President Woodrow Wilson, Gen. George S. Patton, Agatha Christie, and Danny Glover all have/had dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a permanent condition in which individuals have difficulty in interpreting words, language, numbers or symbols to varying degrees of severity. It’s estimated that 3 percent to 7 percent of the general population has some form of dyslexia, with roughly 90 percent being males. The exact cause of dyslexia is unknown, but the leading theories point to some kind of flaw in a brain circuit linking language, hearing and comprehension centers of the brain that occurred during pregnancy.

For more information on dyslexia or training programs for dyslexics, check out the Web site for the International Dyslexia Association: www.interdys.org.