Is Your Child Struggling in School? Could it be dyslexia? What exactly IS dyslexia?

Decoding Dyslexia NJ invites you to a free event  that we are hosting at Rider University on May 2, 2013.  Decoding Dyslexia NJ is a grassroots movement driven by New Jersey families concerned with the limited access of educational intervention for their dyslexic children.  The Decoding Dyslexia movement started in New Jersey in October of 2011 and we are happy to report that we are now in 23 states and growing everyday.

According to the National Institute of Health’s report published in 1994, dyslexia affects 1 out of every 5 students in the United States. Dyslexia represents the most common and prevalent of all learning disabilities which can be identifiable with 92% accuracy at ages 5 ½ to 6 ½. Unfortunately, only 5% of the 20% of the dyslexic population have ever been properly diagnosed. Steven Speilberg was just diagnosed at the age of 60!

A report by the New Jersey Commission of Business Efficiency of the Public Schools on the topic of Special Education Reform, published in 2006, states the following:

Nationwide, approximately 80% of Specific Learning Disabled (SLD) students have primary difficulties in reading. Approximately half of all New Jersey students with the special education classification are classified SLD. Research indicates that as many as 70% of the children with the classification of SLD would not have been classified at all had they been appropriately screened prior to 1st grade and thus received the appropriate early intervention strategies.

Unfortunately, under the present practice many of these children struggle in traditional classrooms until they are classified SLD at the end of second grade or beginning of 3rd grade. According to the 2011 National Assessment Educational Progress Report, 56.1% of NJ 4th graders are below proficient in reading. This statistic speaks volumes for the need for educational reform.

Currently, dyslexia legislation is in the New Jersey Assembly and we are hoping to bring it to New Jersey Senate and eventually to the desk of Governor Christie for his signature.

If your bright child is struggling in school, please visit our website www.decodingdyslexianj.org or Facebook for warning signs and resources.  Dyslexic children can learn with evidence based programs, so please register today! 

Keynote speakers Drs. Bennett & Sally Shaywitz will discuss the need to bridge science into practice in today’s classrooms, followed by a free screening of James Redford's film "The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia."  There will also be a panel discussion with a Q & A which will prove to be both informative and entertaining.

We hope to see you there!