With one in five Georgia students affected by dyslexia—a higher percentage than any other learning disability—the state of Georgia has created a Senate Study Committee on Dyslexia. The purpose of the Study Committee is to study and publicize the impact of dyslexia on Georgia residents, and to recommend appropriate action or legislation.
That committee will have its first meeting on Friday, August 17 and will end its meetings by December 1. The purpose of the first meeting is to gain information about what the Georgia Department of Education is already doing to help students with dyslexia and their teachers. Later meetings will gather information about how state agencies are affected by people with this learning disability. Experts from across the country are expected to testify at later meetings. Members of the public are also welcome to speak to the committee.
Addressing the committee at its first meeting will be Dr. Leslie Stuart, a psychologist, who will speak on “identifying and clarifying the definition of dyslexia”; Dr. Caitlyn Dooley, a deputy superintendent from the Georgia DOE, who will speak on “dyslexia identification and services in Georgia”; and Dr. Jennifer Lindstrom of UGA, who will speak on the causes and treatment of dyslexia,” including teacher training.
Chairing the committee is Sen. Fran Millar. Also appointed to the committee are Sen. Matt Brass, Sen .Gloria Butler, Dr. Leslie Stuart (a clinical psychologist), and Dr. Garry McGiboney (from the Georgia Department of Education).
According to Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, “Evidence shows if we can identify and address dyslexia at an early age – before students reach the 3rd grade – we can significantly improve reading comprehension and overall academic outcomes. Unfortunately, on average, only 1 in 10 dyslexic students are identified by standard screenings.”
According to Donna Nealy, Sen. Millar’s assistant, Kentucky has put into effect a new law relating to dyslexia this summer. Georgia is studying Kentucky’s law, perhaps the most comprehensive in the nation, in hopes of learning from Kentucky’s effort. (More about Kentucky’s new law in the next blog.)
If you are not able to attend, but would like to listen to the committee meeting as it happens, go to the following livestream at the time of the meeting: https://livestream.com/accounts/25225500/events/8321724.
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