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Educator Chester Goad: Why November Matters for Dyslexia

Categories: Learning Disabilities, Public Policy/Advocacy

November matters for dyslexiaIn the following excerpt, educator and advocate Chester Goad, Ed.D. shares his thoughts on how voting this November will impact the future of dyslexia legislation in the United States.

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October may be Dyslexia Month, but this year the more important month for dyslexia advocates may actually be November.  Terrorism, immigration, the economy, and continued healthcare issues, are dominating the news, but the impact of the midterm elections on the issue of dyslexia must not go unnoticed.

While parents, teachers, and other dyslexia advocates have been trying to triage the problem state-by-state, the solutions vary with many state legislatures passing different prescriptions for what is ailing the system when it comes to dyslexia.  But the problem isn’t the teachers.  The problem in most cases is not the local school system.

The problem is often each state’s perception of what federal law mandates.

Chester Goad1The incredible efforts of stalwart groups like the International Dyslexia Association and all its branches, as well as those of relative newcomer network, “Decoding Dyslexia” born out of New Jersey, only serve to underscore the need for a federal resolution. Often these group’s efforts are met with a tacit response and the typical line:  “federal legislation already addresses dyslexia so there is no need for anything additional.”  If that was the case though there would be no outcry from parent and advocacy groups from around the country.

 Read the complete article at Chester's blog, The EdVenturist.