Does the majority of people know about dyslexia, and about how many people in America have to deal with it?

Question

Is dyslexia common or rare?

Has any progress been made in the last 20 years toward help for those with it and to help those understand family and friends dealing with it?

In my case, it is as if my mental processes analyze everything in a variety of ways. My dad helped me so as a child. I developed a photographic memory. I must say, no one taught me, I refused to get involved with math method. It was not good enough in 1950.
I am aware of how easy it is to make mistakes, but in math I can't find any one capable of helping me. I want to prove that the bible math is true and correct but just as no one does it from the bible, no one can do it with me. No one can check it for me. Every one gets a different sum from the bible and at age 70, I want so much to find a person interested in what I am able to do with the bible math.

If I can do this being a dyslexic, and can not find some one to help me or understand so I can pass it on, then I do not know what to think of the mond that other people have.
May I should ask what is a normal mind?

I want to thank each person that has responded to my questions. It just came to me to ask about it as it runs in my family and my son could be described as the lazy type, but there is nothing lazy about me. I do not think it is lazy, it is avoiding it, it is refusing to face it head on and deal with it, as if it will come to be a more natural thing later. It could be the idea that time does not allow me to deal with it now and I can do it later, that is words, writing and reading. Many things he is a speed demon at.

Answer 1

There is an organization that used to make tapes of textbooks for blind people, and now they've converted to making CD's of textbooks for blind AND dyslexic people. It's called Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. They changed because they realized that there were a lot of dyslexic people who could learn better if they could hear someone read the text to them. It improves their understanding. So, if that organization understands the problem and is helping solve it, I think a lot of educational institutions are coming a long way.
That said, a lot of people still think that dyslexics are just lazy: they don't realize that dyslexics see things differently.
BTW, there are lot of famous, rich dyslexic people, like Charles Schwab, who founded the largest discount brokerage service, and Paul Orfalea, who founded Kinko's.
So, I think people are better about recognizing dyslexia, but we're still not where we need to be.

Answer 2

Do a majority of Americans know about dyslexia?

That would take a poll to answer, but I'll guess that most have heard of it. Probably few know how many people have some form of dyslexia.

My guess is that it's more common than most people think, though there are a lot of things that are being called dyslexia that are different -- it's become a sort of catch-all.

Yes, we have learned a LOT in the last 20 years about what it is and how to deal with it (them, that is, the host of things that fall under the term 'dyslexia').

The concept itself is relatively new. In previous generations people didn't understand and tended to blame dyslexics for not trying hard enough, or thought they were stupid, rather than realizing their brains process differently than others.

I'm under the impression that there are a lot of people who are studying how to teach dyslexics more effectively.

Kind of a hodge-podge of questions you got there; I wonder what it is you're really interested in asking.

Answer 3

The site referenced below says:
"studies show that RD (dyslexia) affect at least 10 million children, or approximately 1 child in 5."

So that would make it relatively common.

I know that now, school teachers are much more educated about various learning disabilities, and schools create IEPs, or Individualized Education Plans, to offer these kids as comprehensive an education as possible.

Answer 4

Lysdexics Untie!!!! I think Dyslexia is pretty common we learned about it a lot in child devleopment and I know quite a few Dyslexic people...