Research into the Genetics of Dyslexia

Thanks to a new grant, more research will be done on the genetic causes of dyslexia, leading to earlier diagnosis.

A scientist at Yale School of Medicine has received a $5.2 million grant from the Manton Foundation to research the genetics of dyslexia.

Jeffrey R. Gruen, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and genetics, will use the grant to compare the genomes of dyslexic children with those of children without dyslexia, and possibly identify new genes that indicate a risk of developing dyslexia.

Gruen says that a genetic screening test would lead to earlier diagnosis, and earlier access to intervention programs. "If you can identify these kids early, by third grade, and get them into an intervention program, you can frequently get them reading up to grade-level, and that effect is long-lasting. That's a wonderful thing," he says.

Read more about the grant.