Dyslexia differs from other learning disabilities. These differences are highly specific and readily identifiable. In dyslexic readers, these neural systems function inefficiently – the signature of dyslexia. There may be other indicators, as well.
With early identification and timely intervention, affected individuals can live productive lives and accomplish great things. Even Nobel Prize-winning scientists, some of the greatest and most creative individuals, have overcome dyslexia. 
Dr. Sally Shaywitz, one of the nation’s leading authorities on dyslexia, told a hearing of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, “The really good news is that science is there for those who are dyslexic. We have not a knowledge gap but an action gap.”

In order to close the action gap, we authored the Research Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia Act – the READ Act. After winning unanimous Congressional support, the READ Act was signed into law in February 2016. The new law directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to prioritize dyslexia research that supports action: “early identification of children and students with dyslexia, professional development for teachers and administrators of students with dyslexia, and curricula and educational tools needed for children with dyslexia.” 

Thirty states now mandate early dyslexia screening. More teachers and school administrators are receiving special training to recognize dyslexia and deliver individualized instruction and support for affected students. More schools are implementing proven new teaching methods and learning tools. These successes are encouraging. 

Nevertheless, millions of Americans with dyslexia remain undiagnosed and untreated. In thousands of public schools, children are not effectively screened. Even when a young student is identified as having dyslexia, many teachers do not have the training and learning support tools to deliver needed intensive reading skills intervention. 

Further, undiagnosed dyslexia leads to heart-breaking problems. More than eight million of our schoolchildren are affected, according to estimates. Children with undiagnosed and untreated dyslexia have reading struggles that make learning in every subject more difficult. They are more likely to drop out of high school and half as likely to go to college. 

As adults, individuals with untreated dyslexia face lifelong challenges and their reading difficulties are likely to be permanent. They have significantly lower lifetime earnings and much higher unemployment. They also experience higher rates of mental health issues and incarceration and lower life expectancy. Their children face substantial risks of the same problems. The accumulated costs of millions of cases of unfulfilled potential are an enormous burden and an ongoing tragedy that deserves our attention.

Last month, an NSF-supported conference about the READ Act brought together learning disability researchers from across the country. Information presented at the conference underscored the importance of timely, results-driven actions. Studies show that nearly three-quarters of children with dyslexia will attain their expected educational development if two practical actions are adopted in every school district: simple, standardized screening for reading difficulties among children in kindergarten and first grade, and explicit, comprehensive reading instruction for those who are identified as having dyslexia.

Changing the way we approach dyslexia will create opportunities for brighter, more productive futures for millions of young Americans. It also will help individuals follow in the footsteps of geniuses like Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple, who overcame dyslexia and achieved wonderful, helpful innovations for our country and humankind. 
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The READ Act was authored by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and cosponsored by Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) and Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.). Chairman Smith and Rep. Brownley co-chair the bipartisan Congressional Dyslexia Caucus.

Dyslexia Advocacy Day -- An Opportunity to Learn and ACT-vocate

Please join us and wear RED to show your support for erasing years of red ink on work with poor spelling and grammar, but full of great ideas that get lost in a sea of red.  Join us to learn about dyslexia and reading solutions that will help narrow the reading and writing achievement gap in Maryland.  These students are in every class, in every underserved subgroup and in every neighborhood -- they all need help early to prevent failure and the trauma that sticks to a child who thinks he or she is stupid, dumb or lazy.  

WHEN:           Thursday, February 2, 2017, 12:00pm-1:00pm
 
WHERE:         Room 180, Lowe House Office Building, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis, 21401

Morning Program

8:00 - 10:30am

• Community Partner Open House
• Lisa Blottenberger: Decoding Dyslexia Maryland: The Science of Reading: How to Help Struggling Readers Thrive!
• Dr. Joan Mele-McCarthy: Chair, Task Force to Study the Implementation of a Dyslexia Education Program in Maryland: Task Force Findings & Recommendations     
• Delegate Anne Kaiser: Chair, House Ways & Means Committee, D-Montgomery: What Legislators Need to Know About Dyslexia & Reading  
• Marcella Franczkowski: Assistant State Superintendent, Special Education & Early Intervention Services, MSDE:  Newly Released Technical Assistance Bulletin Drives Identification and Instruction for Students with Disabilities & Dyslexia
• Susie Fowler: Director of Special Education, St. Mary's County: Practical Advice on How to Implement the Dyslexia Technical Assistance Bulletin
• Rick Smith, CEO, International Dyslexia Association: How Revisions to University Accreditation on Reading will Improve Student Learning
• Laura Schultz: Decoding Dyslexia Maryland: How to be an ACT-vocate for Dyslexia
  
  

Lunch & Panel Discussion: 12:00-1:00pm
Reading & Dyslexia Policy Solutions

On February 2 in Annapolis, Dayne Guest and Ella-Jane Miller will talk about their experiences with dyslexia in Maryland public schools to a room of legislators, parents and teachers interested to know of their experiences and solutions.

7th grade student Ella-Jane Miller, Montgomery County Public Schools and Dayne Guest, recent graduate, Baltimore County Public Schools, will offer their perspective on the impacts of delayed dyslexia identification and the fight for effective reading instruction. Unfortunately their stories are joined by a chorus of Maryland students who continue to struggle through school without identification or appropriate instruction for their reading difficulties.  Many families join Decoding Dyslexia Maryland to tell their stories and to work for educational change; students, parents and teachers alike provided testimony during the public comment period for the Task Force to Study the Implementation of a Dyslexia Education Program; public TESTIMONY is available at this link. 

Additional panelists include Calvert County Public Schools  teacher educator Amy Siracusano, who will offer her perspective about what we can do differently to help teachers.  Also joining the panel are Pennsylvania School District Superintendent Monica McHale-Small, Dr. Fran Warkomski, Dyslexia Pilot Coordinator for the PA Department of Education and a Q&A session, time permitting.

Solutions for Students & Families with Dyslexia

Over the last 4 years, Decoding Dyslexia Maryland families tirelessly advocated for change by forming coalitions, working with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), meeting with stakeholder groups and participating in the work groups, Task Forces and advisory committees to shed a light on the problems and solutions.  That work produced two important changes for families and educators:

1) The “Task Force to Implement a Dyslexia Education Program in Maryland” commissioned by a joint effort by the Governor & the MD General Assembly, produced six compelling solutions to change literacy education in Maryland.  The report was created by a diverse group of Maryland leaders including the MSDE (education department), MSDE (teachers union), MSPA (school psychologists), leading speech language pathologists, MABE (school board association), PSSAM (school superintendents), parents, Decoding Dyslexia MD, and MD teachers and administrators.

This diverse group developed "Best Practices for Dyslexia," "A Pilot Program for Dyslexia," and 6 policy recommendations on dyslexia identification, instruction, teacher preparation and professional learning.  There are also a number of useful appendices that review dyslexia programs and laws in other states, funding opportunities (both private and public) and a cost analysis.  

LINK:  Dyslexia Task Force FINAL REPORT.

2) The second important change is the Maryland State Department of Education's Technical Assistance Bulletin on Specific Learning Disabilities, with a Focus on Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia. This bulletin from Maryland's education leadership recognizes and attempts to fill a knowledge gap in schools about dyslexia -- the technical assistance defines dyslexia, provides a brief summary of early warning signs for dyslexia and and lists the elements and principles of effective instruction, known as "structured literacy."  

​Teaching the structure of language shows positive results for students with learning disabilities as well as culturally and linguistically diverse students.  Structured literacy is marked by several elements and principles: elements of instruction include: phonology, sound symbol association, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax and semantics and principles of instruction that are: systematic, sequential, explicit, comprehensive, and individually diagnostic.  Brain scans of students with reading difficulties show that the brain can be re-wired using a structured literacy approach to teach reading and writing (Norton, Gabrieli, Wolf, 2016).

What's Next?

Although families feel empowered by the new Dyslexia Technical Assistance Bulletin and are hopeful about implementation of a Dyslexia Pilot Program, more advocacy work remains.  Families report that school teams continue to avoid the term dyslexia and don't know how to identify dyslexia or provide effective instruction.  A few school districts are providing structured literacy professional learning to their teachers, which we applaud; but there are many classrooms without an educator who can identify and provide interventions for dyslexia.  

The State of Reading & Dyslexia in Maryland
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Reading & Dyslexia Policy Solutions

FREE EVENT, REGISTER HERE

Thursday, February 2, 2017 ~ Room 180 ~ Lowe House Office Building, Annapolis, Maryland

2016 was a year of solution finding for families and educators concerned about access to effective instruction for dyslexia and reading.  The “Task Force to Implement a Dyslexia Education Program in Maryland” completed its recommendations and provided a report to the Maryland General Assembly and the Governor.  The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) developed a Technical Assistance Bulletin on Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) with a focus on dyslexia to help facilitate and implement effective instruction for students with dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia.

But we must do more.  Join us to learn about dyslexia and reading solutions that will narrow the reading and writing achievement gap in Maryland.  Many students with average to above average intelligence have trouble learning to read, write and/or spell in Maryland public schools.  The 2016 Maryland state assessment (PARCC) for 4th grade students shows that 91% of special education, 77% of African American, 98% of limited English proficiency and 79% of students in poverty are not on grade level for reading and writing.  Maryland can change this outcome with your help.

Dyslexia Advocacy Day 2017

PROGRAM

8:00 - 9:00am -- Community Partner Open House 

8:00am -- Delegate Al Carr, Montgomery County, Welcome Message

9:00 - 9:20am -- Lisa Blottenberger: Decoding Dyslexia Maryland: The Science of Reading: How to Help Struggling Readers Thrive!

9:20 - 9:35am -- Dr. Joan Mele-McCarthy: Chair, Task Force to Implement a Dyslexia Education Program in MD: Best Practices to Serve Students with Dyslexia in Maryland: Task Force Update

9:35 - 9:45am -- Delegate Anne Kaiser: Chair, House Education Subcommittee, D-Montgomery
What Legislators Need to Know About Dyslexia & Reading

9:45 - 10:00am -- Marcella Franczkowski: Assistant State Superintendent, Special Education & Early Intervention Services, MSDE:  Newly Released Technical Assistance Bulletin Drives Identification and Instruction for Students with Disabilities & Dyslexia

​10:00 - 10:10am --  Susie Fowler: Director of Special Education, St. Mary's County: Practical Advice on How to Implement the Dyslexia Technical Assistance Bulletin

10:10 - 10:20am -- Rick Smith, CEO, International Dyslexia Association: How Revisions to University Accreditation on Reading will Improve Student Learning

10:20 - 10:30am -- Laura Schultz: Decoding Dyslexia Maryland: ACT-vocate for Dyslexia

10:30 - 11:45am -- BREAK -- Pre-scheduled individual/group legislator meetings

​12:00 - 1:00pm -- Panel Discussion (see below)

12:00 - 1:00pm    
PANELISTS -- Moderator: Karleen Spitulnik, Decoding Dyslexia MD, State Leader

• Dayne Guest, Recent Graduate, Baltimore County Public Schools: What I Needed from my School
  
  
• Ella Jane Miller,  7th grade student, Earle B. Woods Middle School in Rockville: What I Need for School Success
  
  
• Amy Siracusano, MS, Ed., Maryland Teacher, Literacy Coach, Higher Education Adjunct:  What Teachers Need to Know about Reading and Dyslexia
  
  
• Monica McHale-Small, Superintendent, Saucon Valley School District, PA & Dr. Fran Warkomski, Dyslexia Pilot Coordinator, PA Dept. of Ed: Creating and Sustaining Reading Achievement Through Teacher Training
  
  
• Delegate Anne Kaiser, Chair, House Ways & Means Committee and Member, Task Force to Study the Implementation of a Dyslexia Education Program
  Next Steps for Reading and Dyslexia Policy

1:00 - 4:00pm -- Pre-scheduled legislator meetings

Downloadable Advocacy Day Flyer, 3-color, Legislator Invite

Downloadable Dyslexia Advocacy Day Panel, Multi-color Legislator Invite

Downloadable Advocacy Day Flyer, Public Flyer Invite

Downloadable Advocacy Day Program, 2017

Dyslexia Advocacy Day in Annapolis 2017!