U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on Dec. 2 led four Republican colleagues in introducing legislation that would amend the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to improve provisions related to dyslexia.
“Dyslexia has no impact on a student’s intelligence,” Sen. Cassidy said. “We know how to teach a student with dyslexia how to read and reach their full potential, but we have to identify their need before they fall behind.”
The 21st Century Dyslexia Act, S. 3302, which is sponsored by Sen. Cassidy, aims to bring a modern, scientific understanding of dyslexia to federal statute, according to information provided by the lawmaker’s office.
Currently, the IDEA includes dyslexia as one of many disabilities under “Specific Learning Disabilities” (SLD), the most common disability category under the IDEA representing more than 33 percent of students.
And while dyslexia is the most prevalent disability within SLD, students are rarely diagnosed with it, the information says, preventing them from receiving necessary services and accommodations.
If enacted, S. 3302 would pull out dyslexia from the overly broad definition of SLD and place it in the list of disabilities included in the IDEA’s definition of a “child with a disability,” classifying dyslexia as its own category within the IDEA, according to the information.
S. 3302 received endorsement from Dr. Sally Shaywitz and Dr. Bennett Shaywitz, co-directors of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. “The 21st Century Dyslexia Act will encourage schools to not only identify dyslexia but to also provide evidence-based interventions to children with dyslexia who make up 20% of the school-age population, over 11 million children in our country,” the co-directors said in a joint statement.