Do Dyslexic People Have Higher IQs? Intelligence, Strengths and the Myths

Two very different messages about dyslexia and intelligence circulate at the same time. One, thankfully less common now, is that a child who struggles to read must be less able. The other, often meant kindly, is that dyslexic people are especially bright, creative or gifted. Neither is accurate as a general rule.

Literacy attainment is not IQ

Dyslexia mainly affects the accurate and fluent reading and spelling of words, often linked with difficulties in phonological processing, verbal memory and processing speed. These are specific skills. They are not the same as reasoning, understanding or general intelligence.

A person may have excellent spoken vocabulary and reasoning while finding reading slow and effortful. Another dyslexic person may find learning more broadly challenging. Both can be dyslexic. That is why reading level should never be used as a measure of how intelligent someone is.

Why IQ is no longer used to define dyslexia

Dyslexia was once commonly identified by a large gap between IQ and reading attainment. Research found that this approach did not reliably separate poor readers with and without such a gap in terms of their underlying difficulties or how they respond to teaching. Current UK definitions, including the Rose Review and the BDA definition, do not require a particular IQ level or discrepancy.

One consequence of the old model may have been the impression that dyslexia belonged mainly to bright children who were underachieving. People with lower overall scores were sometimes excluded, which skewed public perception.

What about dyslexic strengths?

Many dyslexic people have real strengths, and recognising them matters for confidence and for planning support. Some are strong verbal reasoners, some think well in pictures or space, some are imaginative problem-solvers, and some are skilled practically or socially.

However, the research does not support the idea that all dyslexic people share a particular set of talents, or that dyslexia itself causes creativity or giftedness. Strengths vary from person to person, just as they do in people who are not dyslexic. Describing every dyslexic person as unusually creative can put unhelpful pressure on those whose strengths lie elsewhere.

Making sense of cognitive assessment results

A diagnostic assessment usually includes measures of underlying ability alongside literacy and processing tasks. This is not about giving someone an IQ label. These measures help build a profile of relative strengths and weaknesses, which informs recommendations. Our guide to cognitive assessments explains more.

• •Scores are estimates on one day, with a margin of error, not fixed measures of potential.
• •Uneven profiles are common, so an overall average can hide important differences.
• •Underlying ability scores can themselves be affected by language, attention, anxiety or tiredness.
• •Above-average ability does not mean difficulties are imagined, and below-average ability does not rule dyslexia out.
• •Results are most useful when interpreted with background history and day-to-day observation.

If a report is unclear, it is reasonable to ask the assessor to explain what the scores mean in practical terms. For wider myths about causes and the brain, see What causes dyslexia?.

Why the myths matter

Believing dyslexic people are less able can lower expectations and limit opportunities. Believing they are all gifted can mean a hard-working child with a moderate profile feels they have failed, or a capable adult's difficulties are dismissed because they are clearly bright. Both myths can delay recognition. Questions about how identification is changing are covered in Why does dyslexia seem more common now?.

Next steps

If you would like to explore whether dyslexia might explain the pattern you are seeing, try the free child or adult indicator checks, read about dyslexia assessments, or book a free 15-minute call.

References and further reading

• •Stuebing, K. K., Fletcher, J. M., LeDoux, J. M., Lyon, G. R., Shaywitz, S. E., & Shaywitz, B. A. (2002). Validity of IQ-discrepancy classifications of reading disabilities: a meta-analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 39(2).
• •Rose, J. (2009). Identifying and Teaching Children and Young People with Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties. Department for Children, Schools and Families.
• •Snowling, M. J., Hulme, C., & Nation, K. (2020). Defining and understanding dyslexia: past, present and future. Oxford Review of Education, 46(4).
• •British Dyslexia Association. What is dyslexia?