Horizon Dec 2023 - Flipbook - Page 10
SHELTON EVALUATION CENTER
Laure Ames, Ph.D., Director
The Shelton Evaluation Center works
with students who have dyslexia on
a weekly basis. The International
Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia
in the following way: “Dyslexia
is a specific learning disability
that is neurobiological in origin.
It is characterized by difficulties
with accurate and/or fluent word
recognition and by poor spelling and
decoding abilities. These difficulties
typically result from a deficit in the
phonological component of language
that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities
and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary
consequences may include problems in reading comprehension
and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of
vocabulary and background knowledge.”
Despite years of research into what dyslexia is and how it can
be remediated, as well as both state and federal laws requiring
the identification and servicing of dyslexia, parents frequently
struggle to get their child identified and served. I struggled
for years to get my own son identified and served in his public
school, and I hear the same frustration that I had from parents
today.
Dyslexic students are not a small number of students in our
population. According to Dr. Sally Shaywitz, co-director of the
Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, “Dyslexia affects one out
of five people. Dyslexia is the most common reading disability
— 20 percent of the population is struggling with this hidden
disability. It crosses racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines. With
proper instruction and accommodations, it can be remediated.
Many students remain undiagnosed and untreated. As a result,
they struggle with the impact of their dyslexia. The diagnosis
and treatment remain elusive in public schools, and even more
so in urban school populations and African American and
Latino communities.”
Recent statistics show that only 15 percent of fourth graders
read on grade level in a local public school system in Dallas. The
results of reading failure impact students, families and society.
Dr. Reid Lyon, chief of the Child Development and Behavior
Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health,
addressed Congress in 2001 and stated that, “The educational
and public health consequences of this level of reading failure
are dire. Of the 10 to 15 percent of children who will eventually
drop out of school, over 75 percent will report difficulties
learning to read. Likewise, only 2 percent of students receiving
special or compensatory education for difficulties learning to
read will complete a four-year college program. Surveys of
adolescents and young adults with criminal records indicate
that at least half have reading difficulties, and in some states
the size of prisons a decade in the future is predicted by fourth
grade reading failure rates. Approximately half of children and
adolescents with a history of substance abuse have reading
problems. It goes without saying that failure to learn to read
places children’s futures and lives at risk for highly deleterious
outcomes. It is for this reason that the NICHD considers reading
failure to reflect a national public health problem.”
Remembering my son’s struggles, my attempts to advocate
for him and students like him, and knowing how important it
is to identify dyslexia and intervene early, I have watched in
awe as a group of dedicated parents with Decoding Dyslexia,
educational advocates and lawmakers have worked tirelessly
over the last several years to clarify existing laws in support
of dyslexic students. House Bill 3928, named for Shelton
student Beckley Wilson, is the latest result of that dedication.
Because of this new law, students with dyslexia and families
have access to the unique educational rights of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Schools must offer
evaluations for dyslexia via IDEA and include all areas of
suspected disability (vs. the previous limited, dyslexia-only
evaluations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973). Significantly, the identification of dyslexia (or any
Specific Learning Disability) no longer requires a significant
variance among specific areas of cognitive
function or between specific areas of cognitive
function and academic achievement, an invalid
identification model used for years in our
schools. Further, the IDEA multidisciplinary
evaluation team must include a highly trained
member with specific knowledge about the
reading process, dyslexia and related disorders
and dyslexia instruction. This person’s signature
is required to ensure dyslexia professionals
are not excluded from new district evaluation
practices under IDEA. And finally, the law
requires school boards to create a policy
requiring compliance with the Texas Dyslexia
Handbook and subsequent TEA guidance.
From left: Joni Williams, Debbie Ripchick, Stephanie McCain and Dr. Laure Ames.
8
DECEMBER 2023
THE HORIZON
SHELTON SCHOOL
Dr. Shaywitz has said that it is “inexcusable”
to miss the diagnosis of dyslexia as it can
“determine the course of a child’s life.” Maybe
this is the real progress needed to resolve the
inequity often experienced by our dyslexic
students.