AISD observes Dyslexia Awareness
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Students with dyslexia face countless problems during the years they are in the classroom and throughout their lifetimes, an issue that the Albany ISD is fighting to reduce.
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, and Albany ISD specialist Kristie Smith has been trying to share as many facts about dyslexia as possible.
As part of the district’s ongoing effort to help students with reading problems or delays, Smith is planning to implement Scottish Rite’s “Build” program, written specifically for kindergarten and first grade students to fulfill the requirementto“implement targeted intervention.”
Local members of the Masonic Lodge #482 and school personnel have already been working together for over a decade through Texas Scottish RiteChildren’sTakeFlight program to support and help local students who have been identified with dyslexia “to achieve and maintain better word recognition, reading fluency, reading comprehension and aid in the transition from a therapy setting to ‘real world’ learning.”
Now the new program for younger students will help those with reading problems even earlier.
“I recently attended a training at Region 10 where the writers of Build hosted a training on the curriculum,” Smith said. “The curriculum is written so classroom teachers can use it, not just those specifically trainedindyslexia, and I will be able to train our kindergarten and first grade teachers.”
Smith hopes to get that training done soon.
“The curriculum is good for any student struggling with any of the five components of reading, not just those ‘at risk’ for dyslexia,” Smith said.
According to Smith, dyslexia is one of the most prevalent language-based learning disabilities.
She is currently serving 15 students within the district, but there are actually 36 Albany students identifiedwithdyslexiaand related disorders. There are another 15 in the Build program.
UnderTexaslaw,allkindergarten and first-grade publicschoolstudentsmust be screened for dyslexia and related disorders. This law also requires school districts to administer a reading instrument at the beginning of seventh grade to students who did not demonstrate reading proficiency on the sixth-grade state reading assessment.
Smith,whoisaLicensed Dyslexia Therapist (LDT), explained that once the screening has been administered, the next steps are to analyze results, identify level of risk for each student, and make informed decisions. The next steps are broadly categorized as: refer for evaluation, implement targeted intervention, and/or continue with core instruction.
Smith said that Albany students continue to receive comprehensive intervention using the Take Flight program and now Build, utilizing multisensory techniques for basic instruction in reading, writing, and spelling.
Parents can find the AISDdyslexiahandbookon the school website at www. albanyisd.net.
Recent studies reveal that the whole spectrum of reading disabilities is strongly determined by genetic predispositions.
For some individuals who remain undiagnosed, dyslexia is a hidden disability that can result in underemployment, difficulty navigating academic environments,difficultyon the job, and reduced selfconfidence.
