Community Education

Discover the brain-based causes of dyslexia through interactive activities. Examine the learning profiles of students with dyslexia as well as instructional methods that support their literacy development. Learn about local and national dyslexia resources available to students, parents, and educators.

Our most popular event! Join members of the Rawson Saunders faculty for an immersive and interactive event designed to simulate the challenges and frustrations dyslexic students face daily when their dyslexia is misunderstood or unsupported. Following the simulation, participants will engage in a thought-provoking discussion.

Your child is required to read to you for a certain number of minutes each night. Do you struggle with motivating your child to complete the requirement? Come to this session to learn ideas for bringing fun back to this time with your child.

Solving math word problems can be—well, a problem!—for many students, especially in the ways that reading and understanding also come into play. Visual models are valuable tools to help students "see the math." Dr. Janna Smith, RS Math Department Chair, will share strategies we use at Rawson Saunders to help students decode the language of math and become powerful problem solvers.

Dyslexia is a neurologically based, specific learning difference that interferes with the acquisition and processing of language. Varying in degrees of severity, dyslexia primarily affects a person’s ability to read text and often also affects writing, spelling, handwriting, and sometimes math. Individuals with dyslexia are bright and may have significant strengths in multiple areas.

According to the International Dyslexia Association, 15-20% of the population have symptoms of dyslexia. It exists in every part of the world, in every country and culture, wherever there is written language. Dyslexia affects individuals regardless of gender, race, native language, or socio-economic background. Dyslexia is genetic in origin and tends to run in families.

The precise causes of dyslexia have yet to be discovered but anatomical and brain imagery show slight differences in the way the brain of a dyslexic person develops and functions, specifically in regards to reading. Written language is a code of abstract symbols and individuals with dyslexia have varying degrees of difficulty deciphering that code. Because dyslexia is a genetic trait, many members of the same family may be dyslexic. It is important to note that dyslexia is never due to lack of intelligence, motivation, nor an inability to learn.

There is a wide spectrum for dyslexia, from mild to severe, and its impact is different for each individual depending on the scope of their dyslexia and the effectiveness of instruction and remediation. Dyslexia can manifest itself in the following ways:

• difficulty decoding words (reading)
• difficulty encoding words (spelling)
• lack of awareness of sounds in words
• unusual speech patterns such as halted speech, mixing up sounds of words, mispronunciation, confusing words that sound alike, or difficulty rhyming
• poor sequencing of letters in words when reading or writing (this can also occur with numbers)
• problems with reading comprehension
• difficulty expressing thoughts in written form
• difficulty with handwriting
• difficulty in mathematics, particularly sequencing of steps, symbol confusion, and rote memorization of facts
• confusion about directions in space or time (right and left, months, days)
• poor organizational skills

While there is no “cure” for dyslexia, specific teaching techniques and remediation have been proven to greatly reduce the difficulties associated with dyslexia. Early intervention and specific structured learning strategies such as multisensory instruction, individualized attention, and academic language therapy are key to rapid remediation. With appropriate teaching methods, dyslexics can excel academically and become skillful, life-long readers.

Dyslexia’s challenges are outweighed by tremendous advantages, specifically in intelligence and creativity.

“Dyslexia is an island of weakness … surrounded by a sea of strengths.” —Sally Shaywitz, M.D., The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity

The International Dyslexia Association is a world-wide nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals with dyslexia, their families, and the communities that support them.

Understood is a welcoming and comprehensive online resource and support center for parents of children with learning and attention details.

The 1 in 5 Initiative is Learning Ally's campaign to promote public awareness of dyslexia and offer inspiration and resources to the millions of individuals affected by it.

The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity serves as a nexus for research on dyslexia and is a leading source of information and advocacy to better the lives of people with dyslexia.

Made by Dyslexia is a global charity led by Richard Branson and other successful dyslexics. Their purpose is to help the world properly understand and support dyslexia.

Dyslexic Advantage is an offshoot of the book by the same name and is a tremendous resource for dyslexia information and advocacy. It has become one of the world's largest dyslexia-focused communities.

Headstrong Nation is a positive and empowering advocacy group created by and for dyslexics.

Decoding Dyslexia is a parent-leg grassroots movement for dyslexia.

The Dyslexia Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 to identify and assist children with dyslexia through specialized programs, conferences, and research projects throughout the world.

The Power of Dyslexia is dedicated to focusing on the positive effects that dyslexia can have on a person's life and in the world.

Science and Dyslexia at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics conducts research on dyslexia and specifically how and why dyslexics may have natural aptitudes in science.

The Child Mind Institute is committed to finding effective and compassionate treatments for childhood psychiatric and learning differences.

Target the Problem is a tool to help parents and classroom teachers understand the specific problems a child may be having with reading. This site provides practical suggestions on what you (and kids themselves) can do to help students overcome or deal with their reading difficulties.

Thinking Differently: An Inspiring Guide for Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities by David Fink

The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan: A Blueprint for Renewing Your Child's Confidence and Love of Learning by Ben Foss

The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain by Dr. Brock L. Eide and Dr. Fernette F. Eide

Overcoming Dyslexia by Dr. Sally Shaywitz

The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child: How She Thinks. How He Feels. How They Can Succeed by Robert Frank and Kathryn E. Livingston

My Dyslexia by Phillip Schultz

In the Mind’s Eye: Creative Visual Thinkers, Gifted Dyslexics, and the Rise of Visual Technologies by Thomas G. West

Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf

Bigger Than Me: How a Boy Conquered Dyslexia to Play in the NFL by Jovan Haye

It’s So Much Work to be Your Friend: Helping a Child with Learning Disabilities Find Social Success by Richard D. Lavoie

Straight Talk About Reading: How Parents Can Make a Difference During the Early Years by Susan L. Hall and Louisa C. Moats

Dyslexia: Myths, Misconceptions, and Some Practical Applications by R. Malatesha Joshi

Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning About Print by Marilyn Jager Adams

The Vocabulary Book: Learning and Instruction by Michael F. Graves

The Connections Between Language and Reading Disabilities by Hugh W. Catts and Alan G. Kamhi

http://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/dyslexia-dyslexic...

http://blog.dyslexia.com

http://www.thepowerofdyslexia.com/blog/

http://inthemindseyedyslexicrenaissance.blogspot.com

The Dyslexic Advantage YouTube channel

What is Dyslexia? TED-Ed video by Kelli Sandman-Hurley

You May be Dyslexic If... by James Reford

Dyslexia Revealed by James Redford

Embracing Dyslexia by Luis Macias

Inside the World of Dyslexia and ADD by Headstrong Nation

The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia by James Redford

Dislecksia: The Movie by Harvey Hubbell V

Journey Into Dyslexia by Alan and Susan Raymond

I Can’t Do This But I Can Do That: A Film for Families about Learning Differences by Ellen Goosenberg Kent, HBO documentary

I am Dyslexic by Tom J. Davies

Dyslexic and Loving Words a film by Vicky Morris

Sir Richard Branson on Dyslexia

Successful Entrepreneurs with Dyslexia on NBC News

Commander Ben

Friends of Quinn

The 1 in 5 Initiative

Welcome to Dyslexia-ville!

Sally Gardner's books