Entrepreneurs in Britain are twice as likely to be dyslexic as the general population, but are much less likely than their American counterparts, according to research.

Researchers say the findings show that Britain is lagging behind the US in identifying and supporting dyslexic children. One in five British entrepreneurs are dyslexic, compared to 10 per cent of the general population.

But one in three American entrepreneurs suffer from the condition.

Julie Logan, professor of entrepreneurship at the Cass Business School in London, said that dyslexic people display better skills in oral communications and problem-solving. They are also more likely to be better at managing staff, having developed delegation skills in order to cope with their conditions.

Dr Logan said: "It seems very much as though in the US there's much earlier support and remediation. American entrepreneurs felt they had under achieved at school but felt overall they had a positive school and college experience and had extremely high levels of self-confidence. Unfortunately that's not what's happening in our system."

Kate Griggs, founder of the dyslexia charity Xtraordinary People, said: "This new research shows that the need to train a dyslexia specialist in every school is more urgent than ever; every child is to be given the opportunity to reach their full potential.

"Specialist training can cost as little as £1,500 per teacher – so for an investment of less than £10 per child, a specialist can be trained at every school in the country. Surely this is a sound investment in light of this new research?”

Sir Richard Branson, who suffers from dyslexia, believes the condition could be beneficial in business. He said: “Being dyslexic can actually help in the outside world. I see some things clearer than other people do because I have to simplify things to help me”.

Richard Davids, the entrepreneur who bought Aston Martin in a £480 million deal earlier this year, said the condition equipped him to visualise problems.

“I build pictures instead of using words to understand things. The engineers will explain a complex technical problem to me and I will sit back and get a clear picture, which helps me explain it”, he said.

Ben Way, the dot-com millionaire who started his first business when he was 15, said: "I was lucky enough to be recognised as dyslexic very early in my life. I know that dyslexia in many ways gives me an edge against the competition, but only because I received the specialist equipment to enable me to work with dyslexia rather than against it."

The Cass Business School study surveyed 250 British and American entrepreneurs.