Estimates vary considerably. Although the figure is probably low, in 1990, the United States Department of Education reported that 1,200,000 American school children are so afflicted. None of the statistics include youngsters whose dyslexia has not been recognized or the large number of adults who experience various language difficulties. Back to List of Questions 6. Similar problems among relatives Back to List of Questions 7.
Most experts agree that dyslexia runs in families and that it is probably genetically based.
Many dyslexics have relatives who have had similar difficulties. Young men frequently have fathers or uncles who had trouble with schoolwork. A delay in maturation as it relates to language has been observed in certain family groups. This maturational lag is thought by some researchers to prevent children from learning because, at age six, when formal school begins, their nervous systems are not ready for the acquisition of various language skills. Back to List of Questions 8.