Do more boys suffer from dyslexia than girls?

Myth: Girls are less likely to be diagnosed with dyslexia.

Reality: The incidence of dyslexia is unrelated to gender, boys are not more likely to have dyslexia as compared to girls.

Dyslexia is a result of deficits in processing sounds associated with letters. Recent research has shown that there are no differences in processing sounds between girls and boys. Girls are not inherently superior at processing sounds compared to boys.

The reason why more boys are diagnosed as having dyslexia is that boys show external behavioural characteristics which quickly catch the attention of their teachers. Boys behave in more disruptive ways, acting out aggressively and demand more attention. Girls behave in more socially conforming ways and consequently attract less attention. Teachers are likely to become biased in favour of girls as a result of these behavioural differences. Thus more boys may be reported for a referral by their teachers.

The most important fact to know is that kids with dyslexia are gifted. Their talents are often overlooked and not appreciated simply because they are not performing well academically. They have a lot to contribute to how people think because they view the world differently than most other people.