Letter: Dyslexia a step in evolution?

Sir: Susan Emmett's report on research into dyslexia ("Pill that can help dyslexics read better", 28 November) stated that 5 per cent of children are very dyslexic and 15 per cent have a mild form of this "disorder", which researchers say is caused by abnormal brain chemistry that might be corrected by fats.

I think more research should be devoted to the reason for the increasing number of children with this changing brain chemistry. Is it part of the evolutionary change of the human brain, adapting to needs of the future?

My son, now 46, was classed as "backward", unable to read at the age of eight and a half but having a wide vocabulary and a retentive mind. I eventually changed his school and teaching methods. He went on to gain a university degree and a professional qualification. His retentive memory of the spoken word is a considerable asset in his profession. His son, aged 13, was recognised as dyslexic at a fairly early age and received remedial assistance. He can read fluently, although his handwriting and drawing are not up to standard.

However, he appears to have abnormal ability at understanding computers. He is able to instruct one to draw to designs "in his head" and says that within his brain he can perceive virtual reality. His main interests and top grades are in physics and all science subjects.

Is dyslexia a brain "disorder", or the early recognisable stages of brain evolution?

LOUISE WILSON.

Crockenhill, Kent