A leading expert says traditional ways of dealing with dyslexia in the classroom are not working.

This week is Dyslexia Action Week - highlighting a condition that affects one in ten New Zealanders, including 70,000 children.

International expert Neil MacKay says the way New Zealand is handling children with dyslexia is gearing them towards a life of crime. He says schools are putting too much emphasis on reading, at the expense of thinking and developing other core skills.

Mr MacKay says too often the route to offending begins with undiagnosed learning difficulties. He says New Zealand has a choice as to whether dyslexic individuals become part of a problem or part of the solution.

Mr MacKay says if properly addressed, dyslexia can become a key economic driver - as dyslexic individuals have a creative, innovative way of thinking.