How can adolescent or adult get dyslexia?
I can understand that it often affects children because that is when everyone starts to read. But how can it affect an adolescent or adult? How do they get away in elementary school not knowing how to read? If a person can’t read, it would be obvious to the teacher. The teacher would refer them to special education and they are taught in a special way so they can read. So dyslexia wouldn’t affect them when they are older. Dyslexia is caused by an unknown factor or factors. So an adolescent or adult is less likely to get dyslexia.
They’re less likely to “get” dyslexia, if you want to put it that way. But I think you overestimate the education system a little. It’s hard for teachers to spot every problem, and in communities that are poorer, a kid who’s underachieving because of dyslexia might be missed in an entire class of kids who are underachieving because of a bad living environment or a lack of school funding. They get lower grades, but sometimes nobody bothers to find out why.
I know two adults who still struggle with dyslexia – they weren’t diagnosed until they were older, one not until her thirties. Even with therapy the problem doesn’t just go away – although the sooner you start, the better.
There are also people who _develop_ reading problems in adulthood, due to a stroke or brain damage, but not usually dyslexia.