Prevalence dyslexia among first to sixth grade Persian speaking students in Arak, Iran

Abstract

Background: Dyslexia is the most common learning disorder. Early detection and early intervention is important for children with dyslexia. The aim of the present study is to investigate the prevalence of dyslexia in Arak, Iran. Methods: It is a descriptive-analytic study conducted among2135 male and female students in 6 grades and two educational districts in 2018. The screening Inventory Reading Test (IRT) was used to diagnosis dyslexia. It was conducted individually by an experienced speech and language pathologist. Results: According to statistical analysis, prevalence of dyslexia is 9.1 percent in female and 10.6 percent in male students in Arak. The most prevalence was in 4th grade male students (21.5 percent) and the least one in 6th grade female students (1.4 percent). The prevalence of dyslexia in male students were higher than female students and it is statistically significant in 5th and 6th grades (p=0.007). There was no significant difference between two districts (p=0.211). The prevalence in 3th and 4th grades are significantly higher than other grades (p<0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of dyslexia in Arak is similar to the USA (9.9%). Our report about male students is similar to other cities in Iran. Differences about male students can be explained by different culture and the screening used tool. Additionally, gender is not an effective factor in dyslexia prevalence. Finally, the prevalence does not decrease by enhancing the grade.

Keywords

• prevalence
• dyslexia
• persian language
• arak