Proposal to increase Dyslexia Awareness passes both the House and Senate

State Representatives Vincent Candelora (R-86) & Noreen Kokoruda (R-101) praise the passage of a proposal in both the House and Senate, which would expand upon dyslexia awareness legislation passed last session. The proposal, which Candelora and Kokoruda cosponsored, Raised Senate Bill No. 1054, An Act Concerning Students With Dyslexia, would require an employee of the Department of Education to be responsible for: providing information and assistance to the public relating to dyslexia, include specific programmatic requirements for teacher preparation courses relating to dyslexia, and include dyslexia instruction as part of the in-service training for educators. The legislation, introduced in January and followed by an outpouring of support during a March public hearing, now heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. “With a clear focus on Dyslexia awareness, we will now be able to effectively diagnose and treat this learning disability,” said Rep. Kokoruda.  “Our young learners will grow in an environment that is fully equipped with the tools necessary to meet their individual needs – this is a great bill,” said Rep. Kokoruda.  “This bill is a step in the right direction and I am happy to support it,” said Rep. Candelora. “It’s important that Connecticut schools have the ability to diagnose and treat students who are, or could be, dyslexic – early intervention is essential.” According to the U.S. Department of Education, more than 2 million students ages 3–21 have learning disabilities and the vast majority of them have trouble with reading. In fact, the term dyslexia is often used to mean disabilities with reading.