As the 2020 Legislative Session opens in Albany, we ask that you contact your local representatives and urge them to support specific bills addressing dyslexia and related disorders. These bills are currently stagnant in the Education Committees of the Senate and Assembly. The bills must move forward to the Floor Calendar before they can be voted upon. The ratification of this legislation will ensure all children with dyslexia and language-based learning differences receive appropriate services, support and the assistance they need in school to be successful. 

Current New York State Dyslexia Bills: 

• Senate Bill S4341 (same as Assembly Bill A5259A), which requires school districts to conduct mandatory early screening for dyslexia in all children.
• Senate Bill S2675, which amends the education law regarding the certification of teachers and administrators in the area of dyslexia.
• Senate Bill S7093 (same as Assembly Bill A8786), which establishes a dyslexia task force to implement interventions and special curricula for students with dyslexia and its related disorders.
• Assembly Bills A7210 (same as Senate Bill S5608), which requires each school district to provide interventions and special curricula for children with dyslexia.
• Assembly Bill A6450, which requires the incorporation of the structured multi-sensory approach into all required literacy courses for prospective teachers.

Nearly 85% of children with learning disabilities have dyslexia, making it the most prevalent learning disability in children. Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference that impacts a person's ability to read, write and spell characterized by difficulties in areas including phonological processing, decoding and fluency. Dyslexia affects 1 in 5 students; that's 20% of our student population! Unfortunately, most parents, teachers, and administrators are not properly trained to recognize the symptoms of dyslexia and its related disorders. The passage of dyslexia legislation will dramatically increase the rate of reading proficiency in all students and improve school conditions, giving children with dyslexia an equal opportunity to learn. Children with dyslexia often have significant strengths, and when their learning challenges are addressed, they excel in school and beyond.

We appreciate you taking the time to support all students. 

“When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” - Alexander Den Heijer