6th Annual Dyslexia Awareness Day

Although Dyslexia Awareness Month is usually celebrated during the month of October, I had the honor of speaking on a panel yesterday, May 6, 2021, for the 6th Annual Dyslexia Awareness Day in New York. The event was sponsored by Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon and Senator John Brooks of New York.

Dyslexia has been defined as “a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin and that is characterized by unexpected difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and poor spelling and decoding abilities, which difficulty typically results from a deficit in the phonological component of language and that is inconsistent with the person’s intelligence, motivation, and sensory capabilities and the provision of effective instruction.” See e.g., https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/A2283.

Special education advocates are excited about four bills currently pending in the New York State Legislature:

  • A2217: This bill would require teacher preparation programs to incorporate evidence-based and structured multisensory approaches to teaching literacy.

  • A2283: This bill would require school districts to conduct full and individual screenings for dyslexia on students beginning in pre-kindergarten or kindergarten and continuing annually until the successful completion of second grade.

  • S1926: This bill would require school districts to provide a multi-sensory sequential phonics-based curriculum to any student who is identified as dyslexic or as having any other phonological learning difference or disability. The curriculum must include explicit and direct instruction without presuming any prior skills or knowledge and must also include meaning-based instruction with an emphasis on student comprehension.

  • A2185: This bill calls for the creation of a State-wide Task Force on Dyslexia with members appointed by the governor and various members of the Legislature. Of the 10 required members would be two physicians or scientists, two educators, on parent advocate, one individual with dyslexia, and one expert in dyslexia who works for the State University. The Task Force would study and develop guidelines for screening programs, intervention, and classroom support services.

If you’re the parent of a chilld diagnosed with or suspected of having dyslexia, book a virtual consultation at https://www.msrlegal.org/book-your-consultation . At MSR Legal, we believe that the foundation of an appropriate special education program is a comprehensive evaluation of your child’s specific learning needs. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @MSRLegalConsulting and Twitter @MSRLegalOroma where we’ll be posting the latest developments in education policy.

Happy Friday!

Oroma

This website contains attorney advertising.

Special Education Lawyer, Special Education Law, Special Education RightsOroma Mpi-Reynolds, Esq.dyslexia, learning disabilities, language based learning disorders, Reading Disorder, reading disability, reading impairment, dyscalculia, Orton-Gillingham, Oroma Mpi-Reynolds, Specialized Reading, remedial tutoring, MSR Legal & Consulting Services, structured literacy, early literacy, specific reading comprehension deficit, specific learning disability, decoding, encoding, spelling, disorder of written expression, developmental auditory imperception, dysphasia, dysgraphia, Dyslexia Awareness Day 2021