Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 30, 2013 11:22 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Ed Neilson and Rep. Bernie O'Neill |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Co-sponsorship of Legislation – Resolution Designating October 2013 as “Dyslexia Awareness Month” in Pennsylvania |
| In the near future, we will be introducing a resolution designating October 2013 as “Dyslexia Awareness Month” in Pennsylvania. It is my sincere hope you will join me in this effort. Developmental reading disorder (DRD), or dyslexia, occurs when there is a problem in areas of the brain that help interpret language. The disorder is a specific information processing problem that does not interfere with one's ability to think or to understand complex ideas. Students with dyslexia are likely to struggle with many aspects of academic learning, are at a higher risk of dropping out of school entirely, and often go years without being properly diagnosed. Aside from problems in school, individuals with dyslexia can experience a loss of self-esteem and general reading problems that may persist into adulthood – which can affect job performance. According to the International Dyslexia Association, approximately 85 percent of students classified as having a primary learning disability have difficulty in reading and language processing. However, the number of people having some symptoms of dyslexia is much higher, perhaps as much as 15 to 20 percent of the entire U.S. population as a whole. These symptoms include slow or inaccurate reading, poor spelling, poor writing or mixing up similar words. Dyslexia affects individuals throughout their lives; however, its impact can change at different stages in a person’s life. In response to this, my resolution will designate October 2013 as “Dyslexia Awareness Month” in Pennsylvania. The goal of this resolution is to call attention to this often misunderstood language-based learning disability and the large percentage of residents in the state who experience one or more symptoms. We invite all members to co-sponsor this important legislation. |
Introduced as HR430