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UNTIL DYSLEXIA DIAGNOSIS DAY™

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Dyslexia Diagnosis Day ™

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month

It is estimated that over 40 million adults in America are dyslexic, meaning that just under 1 in 5 people have dyslexia. 20% of school aged children in the U.S. are said to be dyslexic. Astoundingly, 1 in 2 – that’s right,  50%, or more, African-Americans suffer from dyslexia.

Click here to learn more about a  first-of-its-kind screening tool, the Shaywitz DyslexiaScreen™, which enables schools nationwide and internationally to quickly and reliably screen all kindergarten, first and second grade students for dyslexia, allowing early support and intervention for the estimated 20 percent of the population who have dyslexia, including 80 percent of those with learning disabilities.

 

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. To achieve the goal of early detection of as many children and adults as possible around the world, we are launching Dyslexia Diagnosis Day™, which will take place annually on the first Monday of October. This year’s second annual Dyslexia Diagnosis Day™ will take place on Monday, October 1, 2018. On that day, we recommend schools, districts, and other educational institutions purchase and/or use the Shaywitz DyslexiaScreen™ to begin the process of identifying students who may be at risk for dyslexia.

 

Early detection is the key to helping dyslexics become contributors to society. Early detection helps prevent children from being struggling readers. Early detection helps lessen some of the reading difficulties that children face and, importantly increases their self-awareness that they are intelligent and not dumb. The earlier in a child’s life dyslexia can be identified, the sooner interventions and accommodations can be put in place to help kids succeed in school.

Some of the smartest and most accomplished people in history and some of the world’s most creative people are dyslexic. Examples include Albert Einstein, Virgin’s Richard Branson, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Academy Award winner, Octavia Spencer, Jay Leno, Whoopi Goldberg, and Steven Spielberg, among many other greats.

Dyslexic

Click here to hear 12 year old dyslexic, James, in Israel

Dear Mr. Baraka, Thank you for the follow! I am so grateful for your testimony and advocacy for boys with dyslexia, especially black boys. We often hear about successful white men with dyslexia but I often wondered if my black child would have the same opportunities that those men had. I know from living and doing ministry in the inner cities of Atlanta, that black children with dyslexia don’t get the same breaks and end up on the streets or in jail. I read your article to my 12-year-old son (we still read to him out loud so that he can spend his energy enjoying and comprehending instead of struggling).  He has rarely heard the success story of a black man with dyslexia. He said, “Wow, that’s pretty cool.”  We are missionaries in Jerusalem now, and our church pays for his extra tutoring and assistance, so he is not without but still, I worry sometimes if he may face discrimination and told he is not good enough because he is black despite our efforts. Thank you, again. You will forever have a fan in Jerusalem!

 

Click here to hear 12 year old dyslexic, James, in Israel

Helping your student is as easy as 1,2,3!

1) Ask your school administrator to approve and purchase the Shaywitz DyslexiaScreen. The quick, evidence-based screening tool identifies students K-2 who are at risk for dyslexia.

 

  • Quickly and easily identifies dyslexia risk
  • Developed specifically for young students, grades K-2 (screening for older children and adults in process!)
  • Administration takes less than 5 minutes per student rating
  • Allows screening of individuals or groups
  • Easy to use, teacher-friendly rating scale

Online virtual teacher training and on-site 1/2 day and full day in-person teacher training is available for an additional cost.

 

2) Support the screening process. Student screening results will indicate that a student is either “At Risk for Dyslexia” or “Not At Risk for Dyslexia.” This is not a diagnosis, but can help start early intervention for those students at risk.Screening is best conducted in a classroom setting, preferably by a teacher who knows the student being tested, though other qualified individuals can conduct the child’s screening, and screening can be conducted in non-classroom settings if need be.

 

3) Work on language and reading skills at home. Parents or guardians of students who are determined to be “At Risk for Dyslexia” can be given a one (1) page document, “Strategies for Families and/or Caregivers,” that is intended to be sent home to support families as they work on language-based skills, whether oral or written, critical for reading success. This page may be copied and distributed as needed.
 
It’s just that simple!  Get our kids screened early!
 
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  • You can use either a direct upload or you can send a video URL from popular video sharing services like YouTube or Vimeo.
 

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HELP US BUILD THE WALL

THE WORLDWIDE WALL OF LOVE™

Help us build The Wall – the Worldwide Wall of Love™. There is power in numbers, power in purpose, and power in being proud. Use our easy upload form to upload your pictures and videos of you saying simply, “Dyslexia Is Sexy” or, if you happen to be dyslexic, “I’m a sexy dyslexic.” You can also feel free to tell us your own dyslexia story.

 

Ours is not a campaign, but rather it is a movement, a movement whose mission is to create a distinction between “having dyslexia” and “being dyslexic.” People “have” diseases, but people “are” somebody, and people “are” special. We want people to be proud to say “I AM dyslexic.” It’s no longer a dis. Dyslexia Is Sexy™

 

In collaboration with the The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity we are helping to remove the shame and stigma of dyslexia.