Dyslexia can often be the elephant in the room when talking to a school about a child's education. Dyslexic people typically need many accommodations in school, and schools do not always want to provide the level of help the children need. This past week, the hashtag #SayDyslexia has been bringing this into light.
In the state of North Carolina, instead of listing dyslexia as a reason for a child's IEP, or individualized education program, it labels the child as someone with a specific learning disability (SLD). By not being clear with what the child has, the school system does not have to provide the specific help that goes along with that disability.
The SLD classification is grouped with other disabilities such as visual impairment, so the help that children receive from this plan is not what they actually need. Dyslexia is a very specific issue, and by throwing some action plans at families, the school systems are supplying the bare minimum and hoping that they can just get by with that.
It is the job of the public education system to provide the future of our nation with the tools they need to succeed, and if they keep ignoring learning disabilities they are not fulfilling their job. It is not fair to dyslexic children who cannot help that they need IEPs, that the only reason they are not getting the help they deserve is because of their the laziness or lack of funding the schools want to put into their education.
The #SayDyslexia campaign has not only shown North Carolina, but the rest of the nation, that we are not going to take it any longer. With one out of five children being diagnosed with dyslexia, this issue is not something the education system can keep ignoring. The campaign is calling for the disbandment of the SLD designation, and demanding that we officially describe a student's actual disability, so that they can get the specific help they need.
I encourage you to look into the hashtag, or contribute something yourself. This issue effects 20 percent of children, and it is our job to see that they can get the help that they deserve and need.
