Dyslexia over the Lifespan is a 55 year longitudinal study of a group of 56 boys attending a school for dyslexia (Rawson put finishing touches on the book when she was 93 years old!

The School and Students The Rose Valley School seems to have had a large population of gifted dyslexics. IQs ranged from 94 to 185, and the median Binet IQ was 131. 20 of the boys were moderately to severely dyslexic. Their dyslexia was diagnosed between the ages of 6 and 12 years.

A Positive Future Following these kids over a 55 year period showed a positive future awaiting these kids - something that is often overlooked when a child is found to be dyslexic. All Rawson's students would graduate high school, with 48 out of 56 earning at least baccalaureate degrees. Even among the lowest language facility group at the school, students averaged 6 years of higher education.

The Colleges and Occupations Schools attended were impressive: Harvard, Yale, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore... The roster of occupations among the lowest language facility group consisted of: 2 medical doctors (both research scientists and one PhD in biochemistry and college professor), 1 lawyer, 2 college professors, 2 research scientists (other than medical), 3 business owners, 3 "middle management", 1 school principal, 1 secondary school teacher with MA, 1 secondary school teacher with BA, 1 actor, 1 factory foreman, and 1 skilled laborer in training.

Rawson's conclusions: "Conservatively one can say that these dyslexics have made at least as good records as their nondyslexic fellows." (actually the data suggested better than the general population) Rawson adds, "the evidence clearly shows that dyslexics cannot be judged to be poor risks on the basis of language disability alone."

How crucial! Young bright dyslexics need to learn that they are late bloomers - and that once they bloom, they will be able to achieve at high levels in diverse creative occupations. The gloomiest time for dyslexics will be their elementary school and middle school years.

In high school, college, and graduate school if they choose it, work will become easier and successes more common. As one very successful dyslexic dad told us..."then suddenly I seemed to be getting smarter and smarter, and the other students seemed to be getting dumber ..."

Some additional helpful links, Adult occupational success of adult dyslexic boys pdf at the Gow School, and Growing up with dyslexia pdf.

Rawson's book is an important reminder for all of us parents and professionals - no dyslexic child should grow up without an positive vision about their future. From the Ingesson study, "Many of the individuals, who were employed, now felt that school had been an extended torment, and they emphasized how much better off they were after having left school than they could ever have imagined."