With October in full swing, comes the arrival of Dyslexia month. Optimist has gathered four important pieces of information about this condition.

Dyslexia is extremely common

According to the University of Michigan, Dyslexia is thought to be the most common of language learning disabilities. 70-80 percent of people who struggle with reading difficulties, typically have some form of Dyslexia. It has been estimated that 5-10 percent of the American population has a form of Dyslexia, but it may in fact be as high as 17 percent.

Dyslexia is displayed through various forms of language difficulty

Students with Dyslexia often struggle in things such as reading, writing and learning new languages. People with Dyslexia often switch letters around (ie: mistaking the letter f for the letter t. This often leads to difficulty in the classroom).

“Even though I really like to read, I get really nervous reading out loud, and [I] try to avoid it at all costs,” an anonymous South student said.

Scientists are not quite sure of the cause of Dyslexia

Although the direct cause of Dyslexia has not yet been discovered, scientists have found anatomical differences among a dyslexic brain and a non-dyslexic brain. Dyslexia has been theorized to be a genetic disorder rather than an environmental disorder. Meaning that anybody can have Dyslexia, and that where you live, your education level or what you do have nothing to do with the development of Dyslexia.

People with Dyslexia aren’t automatically unintelligent

People often view those with intellectual disabilities as unintelligent. People such as Steven Spielberg, Pablo Picasso and even Albert Einstein has been rumored to have Dyslexia. Although school may be more difficult, people can still cope and succeed with Dyslexia.

For more information about Dyslexia visit the International Dyslexia Association .