House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1108, authored by State Rep. Woody Burton (R-Whiteland), was signed into law by Governor Mike Pence. HEA 1108 requires that aspiring teachers be instructed in how to recognize dyslexia and other reading disorders in their students. This will allow them to teach their students more effectively according to their needs.
“I authored this legislation to make sure that students dealing with dyslexia get the quality education they deserve,” said Rep. Burton. “It is important that our teachers know how to instruct students with dyslexia, who have the same potential as any student but just learn in a different way. This legislation is a step toward that goal.”
Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that may affect an individual’s ability to read, write, spell and pronounce words. Dyslexia occurs in people of all backgrounds and is unrelated to intelligence—it does not inhibit a student’s ability to think or be creative. One in five people in the U.S. are dyslexic to some degree. Many famous and successful people have dealt with dyslexia, including Steve Jobs, Charles Schwab and Steven Spielberg.
“I have enjoyed learning from and working with Indiana’s Decoding Dyslexia organization,” said Rep. Burton. “These Hoosiers understand the importance of advocating for children with dyslexia, and they have done an admirable job of supporting this legislation. Our combined efforts to support children with dyslexia have paid off with the signing of the law.”
