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August 2016 -- Edited by A. Eaton, S. Morbey and S. Roberts
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Advocate, educate, and disseminate -- that's the mission of NHIDA.
I am happy to report that this year has seen our branch working actively, aggressively, and successfully in each of those areas.
Beginning in the fall of 2015, NHIDA joined with Decoding Dyslexia NH and others to
advocate
for the adoption of a dyslexia law in New Hampshire. Those efforts came to fruition on June 16, 2016 when Governor Maggie Hassan signed that bill into law. (See article below.)
NHIDA's
education
-related activities so far in 2016 include a Report Form webinar, a presentation about dyslexia for educators and the general public offered as part of Nashua Community College's lecture series, and dyslexia simulations for two community/school groups this spring.
Upcoming events
include a presentation about
technology resources
that can make life easier for individuals with dyslexia. This free event is being offered to adults with dyslexia and the parents of middle- to high-school aged students with language-based learning disabilities. We will begin..... click here to read more
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Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of legislators, spurred on by the advocacy of Decoding Dyslexia NH and supported by an equally dedicated cadre of individuals and organizations, HB1644 was signed into law on June 16, 2016 by Governor Maggie Hassan. Click here to read more.
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P
ictured above are some of the individuals who attended the Senate Education Committee Hearing on the dyslexia bill in April. L to R: NHIDA member and Reading Tutor
Elizabeth Witham, House Education Chair Rep. David Kidder, NHIDA President Anne Eaton, bill co-sponsor Rep. Karen Ebel, Children's Dyslexia Center of Nashua Director Aileen Cormier, Special Educator Heidi Zollman, Rep. John Balcom, and Decoding Dyslexia NH co-founder Bebe Casey with son, Henry.
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A ceremonial signing of HB1644 by Gov. Hassan on August 15, 2016 was attended by many of the individuals who worked in support of the bill's passage.
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TEACHER TRAINING
Teacher training has long been a focus of the International Dyslexia Association and its many branches. What has been known clinically by practitioners for many decades has been confirmed by researchers in more recent times; namely that most reading difficulties can be resolved or reduced when well-trained teachers provide dyslexic students with appropriate, multi-sensory, structured literacy instruction.
In support of this, IDA developed knowledge and practice standards for teachers of reading and embarked on a process of accrediting college and university teacher training programs whose teaching is consistent with these knowledge and practice standards.
For more information about the knowledge and practice standards and for a list of accredited university-based and independent teacher training programs click here.
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MASTER ORTON-GILLINGHAM TRAINER,
RONALD YOSHIMOTO,
AND O-G INTERNATIONAL
If you were not able to register for NHIDA's fall conference, or even if you were, you might like to read these pieces by or about Ronald Yoshimoto and his work in multi-sensory structured literacy teaching. click here
On Friday, October 28th, Yoshimoto will be doing a 2 hour presentation entitled "Morphology for All Primary Students in the Public Schools"
at IDA's national conference in Orlando.
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PREPARING AMERICA'S TEACHERS
T
O TEACH STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA
This Huffington Post piece by Jessica Toste, Assistant Professor of Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin, briefly discusses the READ (Research Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia) Act. Signed into law in February by President Obama, the READ Act requires the National Science Foundation to devote specified funding (subject to availability of appropriations) to support research in learning disabilities, including dyslexia, with the goal of practical application.
While the READ Act will support new research, Toste poses this question: How are teacher preparation programs going to use this information to ensure that our nation’s teachers can address the needs of students with dyslexia?
Click here to read the full article.
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Understood.org reports that the U.S. Senate's Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a rare single-issue hearing earlier this year. The single issue that was discussed at that hearing? Dyslexia.
Read more.....
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US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
CLARIFIES POLICIES RELATING TO DYSLEXIA
In October 2015 the United States DOE issued a guidance letter clarifying that there is nothing in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that prohibits the use of the terms ‘dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia’ in special education evaluations, eligibility determinations, and Individualized education program documents.
Additionally, the letter clarified that Response to Intervention (RTI) strategies cannot be used to deny or delay evaluation for special education eligibility.
To read the full text of this letter, click here.
In April 2016, the US DOE issued yet another guidance letter to clarify that Response to Intervention (RTI) strategies also cannot be used to deny or delay evaluation of 3-, 4- or 5-year old children. In the letter, Acting Director Ruth Ryder wrote, "OSEP supports State and local implementation of RTI strategies to ensure that children who are struggling academically and behaviorally are identified early and provided needed interventions in a timely and effective manner. ...The IDEA, however, does not require, or encourage, an LEA or preschool program to use an RTI approach prior to a referral for evaluation or as part of determining whether a 3-, 4- or 5-year old is eligible for special education and related services."
If you have any reason to believe that your school district is not aware of this information, consider printing out these letters and sharing them with your local school district representative.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
RELEASES FINAL REGULATIONS
CONCERNING TEST ACCOMMODATIONS
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New rules issued by the US Department of Justice clarify eligibility for test taking accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act in both academic and employment settings. Some key points include:
- In most cases, if an individual has been eligible for testing accommodations in the past, evidence of that eligibility should be sufficient to support a current request for testing accommodations. This includes academic testing at all levels (for example, GED, SSAT, SAT, ACT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT, etc.), as well as licensing, trade, or professional exams (e.g., cosmetology license testing, or legal bar exams).
- Students do not need to be failing academically to be eligible for testing accommodations.
- The organization doing the testing must administer its testing in such a way that the test results reflect the test-taker's aptitude, achievement, or level of skill in the particular area that the test is measuring as opposed to measuring the test taker's impairment.
- What constitutes appropriate documentation will vary according to the nature of the individual's disability; however it must be reasonable and focused solely on the need for the specific accommodations that have been requested.
The nonprofit organization Dyslexic Advantage has posted an excellent overview, complete with videos from the DOJ, on its website. To view that, click here.
To print a copy of the new regulations, click here.
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TECHNOLOGY TOOLS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DYSLEXIA
Here is a good article from Holly Korbey and WQED News' MindShift about technology tools that are making a difference for individuals with dyslexia. Have you heard about Google's VoiceNote speech-to-text app or Amazon's Whispersync text-to-speech app?
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As an engineer, automotive designer and design researcher, Søren Petersen
has found himself working with many highly creative individuals who were also dyslexic. In this
Huffington Post
blog, Petersen asks the question: Is dyslexia linked to creativity?
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DYSLEXIA: A LEARNING DISABILITY OR
AN ENTREPRENEURIAL ADVANTAGE?
Elliot Weisbluth is an attorney and the CEO of High Tower, a financial services firm. Elliot Weisbluth is also dyslexic. In this
Huffington Post
blog, Weisbluth shares his experience about being dyslexic and some strategies that helped him achieve his success in the business world.
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Orton Oak status is conferred upon
individuals who have been IDA members
for 25 years or longer.
NHIDA is proud to recognize its
Orton Oaks and is grateful for their strong commitment to the organization.
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ON-LINE INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES
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Are you a teacher, parent, individual with dyslexia, professional, school, or other organization?
Become a member of IDA today!
The benefits of membership
vary
according to membership level,
Are you a service provider?
Become a member at the professional level and have your name/business included in NHIDA's provider list.
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Have you thought about attending IDA's national conference in Orlando
October 26-29, 2016?
Early registration rates apply until Sept. 23rd.
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2016 NHIDA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NHIDA's Board of Directors
consists of up to 15 individuals who serve on a volunteer basis for 2 or 3 year terms. Members of the Board are guided and assisted in their work by former Directors who serve on the Advisory Board
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2016 Board Officers:
President
: Anne Eaton, Concord, NH
Past President
: Michael Patten, Westfield, MA
Vice President
: Audrey Burke, Bow, NH
Secretary
: Rebecca Nelson-Avery, Manchester, NH
Treasurer
: Sue Morbey, Amherst, NH
2016 Members at Large:
Jayne Beaton, Amherst, NH
Leslie Benton-Norris, Manchester, NH
Shannon Dixon-Yandow, Essex Junction, VT
Anne Ehret, Arlington, VT
Kara Garvey-Knapp, East Dummerston, VT
Valerie Leuchter, Barnstead, NH
E. Bette Nelson, Manchester, NH
Sandy Roberts, Gilford, NH
Michelle Stinson, Hanover, NH
Advisory Board:
Aileen Cormier, Amherst, NH
Melissa Farrall, St. Albans, VT
Claudia Golda-Dominguez, Hudson, NH
Renee LeCain, Sandown, NH
Beth McClure, Canterbury, NH
Caryl Patten, Bedford, NH
NHIDA
P.O. Box 3724, Concord, NH 03302-3724
(603) 229-7355 (to leave a message)
contact@nhida.org
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