Legislation authored by State Representative Woody Burton (R-Whiteland) and sponsored by Senator Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) to provide resources for teachers to identify students with dyslexia was ceremonially signed into law by the governor.
House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1108 requires aspiring teachers to be instructed on 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.
“By establishing a more clear definition of dyslexia, it is our goal that teachers will be able to identify the signs earlier, thus preventing students from falling behind in their coursework and improving their overall learning,” said Rep. Burton. “Dyslexia presents a challenge to the typical learning process, but with the proper teaching methods, there is no limit to student success.”
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 working with Indiana’s Decoding Dyslexia organization in an effort to bring greater awareness to the needs of students with dyslexia,” said Rep. Burton. “I look forward to the positive impact this new law will have on countless students in our community and throughout the state, and I am proud to author legislation which ensures these students get the quality education they deserve.”
In recognition of his work on HEA 1108, Rep. Burton was recently recognized at Pinnacle School, a school that specializes in teaching students with dyslexia and other information processing differences, as a Dyslexia Champion.
HEA 1108 will got into effect on July 1, 2015. For more information, please visit iga.in.gov.
