5 Common Myths About Dyslexia, Debunked

If you’ve ever heard that dyslexia means a child “sees letters backwards,” you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common misconceptions about a condition that affects roughly 1 in 10 people. Here’s what the research actually says.

Myth 1: Dyslexia is more common in boys

Research shows dyslexia occurs at similar rates in boys and girls. Girls are simply underdiagnosed more often, in part because they’re more likely to develop coping strategies that mask their reading struggles, at least for a while.

Myth 2: Dyslexic readers “see letters backwards”

This is probably the most persistent myth of all. Most dyslexic readers can copy text accurately when they look at it. The real difficulty is in naming and decoding: a child might copy the word “was” perfectly but read it aloud as “saw.” That’s a sound-symbol processing issue, not a vision problem.

Myth 3: Clumsiness or left-handedness are signs of dyslexia

Neither is a reliable indicator. Dyslexia is diagnosed through reading and phonological processing assessment, not physical traits like handwriting, coordination, or handedness.

Myth 4: Dyslexia is a sign of low intelligence

Dr. Sally Shaywitz, the Yale neuroscientist behind Overcoming Dyslexia, puts it simply: “There is a glitch in the neurological wiring in the brain of dyslexics which prevents them from linking letters with the sounds they make.” That’s a wiring difference, not a reflection of how smart or capable someone is. Some of history’s most creative minds, including Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison, struggled to read.

Myth 5: Kids will “grow out of it”

Dyslexia is a lifelong neurological difference, not a developmental delay a child simply outgrows. What changes the trajectory isn’t time. It’s the right kind of instruction. Structured, systematic, phonics-based approaches like Orton-Gillingham directly teach the sound-symbol connections that dyslexic readers need, and used consistently, they work.

If you suspect your child might be dyslexic, the first step doesn’t need to be complicated. Take our free 10-minute screener to get a clear picture of where they stand.