The committee will explore and draw attention to the educational impact of dyslexia on countless children and adults in the state. Research has indicated that early diagnosis is critical.
Research suggests that 80 percent of people with learning disabilities have dyslexia which affects one in five people.
“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.”
Although the final plan is still being crafted, legislation hopes to mandate dyslexia screening at every Georgia public school for students who exhibit signs of the disorder and should happen as early as pre-K and kindergarten.
Dyslexia reportedly affects every aspect of learning, which is why it is so important that dyslexia become a part of the teaching curriculum. Children should be reading at grade level by third grade since, according to the International Dyslexia Foundation, it is almost impossible to catch up if basic reading skills haven’t been mastered by then.
