“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein.
Dys means difficult. Lexia means language.
These Greek root words form the literal definition of dyslexia. Difficult language. I find this definition agreeable. It speaks to the truth of what dyslexia is — a challenge.
As defined by the Alabama state Department of Education, dyslexia is “a learning challenge that is neurological in origin and characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.”
Dyslexia is often mischaracterized as a disability. It is a different way of learning, not a wrong way. Dyslexia is not a disorder or condition.
Dyslexia stems, not from a physical problem with the eyes or ears, but rather from the basic neurological processes of the brain. These unseen processes are not wrong or deficient; they’re just different.
October is National Dyslexia Awareness Month. Mayor Ronnie Marks proclaimed Oct. 20 as Dyslexia Awareness Day in Athens.
'I commend Athens City Schools for being proactive and recognizing that students learn differently,' Marks said. 'More importantly, the school system is taking the extra step to ensure students and their peers understand it is OK to learn differently.'
It is a mistake to consider a dyslexic person to be found wanting. People with dyslexia often have average to superior intelligence. Many are gifted in math, science, fine arts and other creative fields.
A list of such people would include Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Steven Spielberg and many others who have affected change in the world. They overcame the challenges presented by dyslexia.
In that same spirit, Athens City Schools are working to empower students to meet these challenges. In October 2015, the Alabama Legislature amended state law to require schools to provide dyslexia screening for students who score below the 25th percentile in reading on state assessments.
Beginning in October of this year, ACS implemented an intensive reading intervention program, S.P.I.R.E. (Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence).
S.P.I.R.E. is a research-proven, comprehensive and multisensory reading system that integrates phonological awareness, phonics, handwriting, fluency, vocabulary, spelling and comprehension in an instructional design that is based on how struggling readers learn.
S.P.I.R.E. is based on the Orton-Gillingham Approach, which helps students with dyslexic difficulties.
At least two teachers at each school are specially trained in this approach. A well-trained teacher in Orton-Gillingham is effective in helping students overcome their challenges.
Early intervention provides a greater opportunity to develop strategies to empower our students, and having these trained teachers share their knowledge with colleagues is an invaluable step in the process.
“The efforts to raise awareness, the sharing of information and the spirit of collaboration are all working together to truly make a difference,” said Dr. Jessica Lynn, exceptional services coordinator for ACS.
A major move by ACS this fall was the restructuring of the phonics progression for all elementary schools. It was changed to align with the Orton-Gillingham Approach for all our students.
“The updated progression lends itself to early intervention,” Lynn said. “It incorporates multisensory strategies in our classrooms, thereby increasing the early detection and intervention, benefitting all students.”
We at ACS join Mayor Marks in his proclamation and encouragement of all citizens to learn more about dyslexia and to offer support to parents, educators and individuals affected by dyslexia.
We believe it is our differences that make us beautiful, and we champion our students who learn just a little differently.