Hard Words: Why Aren't American Kids Being Taught to Read?
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Reading Screening Symposium, Dec. 8

Decoding Dyslexia Maryland

We are a grassroots movement driven by Maryland families concerned with the limited access to educational interventions for dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities in Maryland public schools.

Our Mission

DD-MD
  • To raise dyslexia awareness
  • To empower others to support struggling readers and students with dyslexia
  • To inform policy-makers on best practices to identify, educate and support students with dyslexia in Maryland public schools.

Where to Find Help

Please connect with your local parent network and learn more about how you can get help and advocate to change reading instruction in Maryland. LOCAL CHAPTERS

Maryland's Faces of Change!

What is Dyslexia?

“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.”
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Adopted by the IDA Board of Directors, Nov. 12, 2002. This Definition is also used by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Many state education codes, including New Jersey, Ohio and Utah, have adopted this definition. Maryland includes this definition in the Dyslexia Technical Assistance Bulletin.  Learn more about how consensus was reached on this definition: Definition Consensus Project.