Dyslexia is difficulty in learning how to read, write and spell. It is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. Dyslexia in not rare; its prevalence in the population is from 10-20%. If your child is in a classroom of 30, as many as six students have dyslexia.
Leaders Supporting Readers is a charitable non-profit corporation with a mission of providing funding for those affected by dyslexia, whether needing dyslexia diagnosis, one on one reading Intervention, or Orton Gillingham based professional development services.
Having diagnosis, an appropriate intervention, and the resources to access both truly changed our lives. We were extremely lucky that our dyslexia was caught by age 5. Sadly that’s not the case for most. Many students find out they have dyslexia later in life but aren’t able to get the help that they need due to financial constraints and/or lack of resources. This is frustrating to hear because we believe everyone has a right to read. Having trouble learning to read at the same pace as peers not only affects achievement in academics and life course but can have a major effect on self-confidence and mental health. For this reason, we decided to act.
Why is this Necessary: In WI, teacher training programs at the university level often do not include training on dyslexia or information/training on Structured Literacy (Orton Gilingham) based teaching approaches. This means our WI public school system does not test or screen for dyslexia and most school personnel are not educated on the topic.
Dyslexia is an often misunderstood topic, and because of this, there are a lot of misconceptions. Here are some examples of common dyslexia myths and their truths.
ReadIn 2020 Wisconsin passed its first piece of dyslexia legislation. This is an exciting first step towards getting dyslexia on the map in WI. There is a lot of progress that still needs to …
ReadOur board of directors reviews applications for funding three times a year every October, March, and June. The amount of funding provided is dependent on current …
Read
Please Donate Today! You will change lives just by donating! Your donation will directly fund individuals needing dyslexia diagnosis, scientifically based one on one reading intervention, and Orton Gillingham based professional development services for educators. 100% of proceeds will be donated to those in need of these essential resources. All gifts are tax-deductible and will be used solely for services in the state of WI.
Some of my earliest memories of school are being laughed at by my classmates for not knowing how to spell my last name, having the hardest time picking which hand to write with and being very confused of how the letters -ing make such a different sound. Lucky for me, my mom was a dyslexia specialist and she had a hunch that my sister and I might be dyslexic. Turns out we were both very very severely dyslexic. Our mom tutored us 5 days a week for two years starting in kindergarten. This included summers and even during vacations. The main difference between my mom’s tutoring and school was that the tutoring was actually working and school didn’t even put a dent in my reading ability. It was what’s called Orton Gillingham. It was super different from how our teachers taught us to read at school. After all the work and tutoring that my mom put into us, I’m able to say that I’ve overcome dyslexia. But, dyslexia can never really go away. It can lessen and get better, but will never disappear. Even to this day, as I sit here trying to write this, I realize that the very reason I’m struggling to put my thoughts and words onto paper, is because of my dyslexia.
I was diagnosed with dyslexia in Kindergarten, around the same time my mom was working in special education and had a student of her own who introduced her to the learning disability. After I was diagnosed as severely dyslexic, my mom and I began one on one intervention five days a week for an hour each lesson. This was very hard for an active kindergartener - if I do say so myself. This was not my favorite thing to do when I was little, and I actually remember trying to get out of it. I’m glad I didn’t. I remember on several occasions having to read out loud in front of my class. I would get so worked up and stressed out that I would read my part of the page over and over instead of following along and listening because I knew that the only way I could read it fluently was if I practiced ahead of time. That included sounding out words I didn’t know. Eventually though, my reading progressed and started getting better and better. Now I am in high school and I read fine, although I do still struggle with spelling once in a while. Getting dyslexia intervention early truly changed my life, and I don’t know where I would be in my education right now without it. This shows just how important it is to have dyslexia diagnosed and to get the right intervention at an early age.