Staneski Hails Final House Approval of Dyslexia Bill

To help students who struggle with reading skills, State Rep. Pam Staneski (Milford & Orange) gave final House of Representatives approval to legislation which will improve our state’s dyslexia detection and educational training to the learning disability.

This bill makes several changes to state education law regarding dyslexia by requiring the State Department of Education to designate an employee to help parents and boards of education detect and intervene for students with dyslexia, and for teacher preparation programs and in-service training programs to include dyslexia education and training.

Additionally, the bill also sets a January 1, 2016 deadline for state to develop or approve reading assessments, which, among other things, will help identify students at risk for dyslexia. And it puts dyslexia in the same category as other learning disabilities that call for the development of individual education programs.

“This bill is a critical first step in making sure K-3 educators who might not be schooled in phonemic awareness are fully trained on how to detect and educate students with dyslexia. With proper education, children with dyslexia can be very successful students,” said Rep. Staneski, a former educator herself and a member of the legislature’s Education committee.

Dyslexia is a sub-category of “specific learning disabilities,” which are disorders of at least one basic psychological process involved in the understanding, or use of, written or spoken language that may manifest themselves in a number of ways involving the ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do math. These disabilities do not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, or mental retardation or emotional disturbance, or environmental or economic disadvantage.

The bill now goes to Governor Malloy for his review and signature.