HARTFORD – Senator Gayle Slossberg (D-Milford) led unanimous, bipartisan passage of a bill designed to help the thousands of Connecticut children struggling with reading skills due to dyslexia. Now that SB 317 has passed in the Senate, it moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
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“Requiring educators who provide remedial reading and language arts courses be trained to recognize dyslexia is critical to the early intervention that is so important for students with this condition,” said Senator Slossberg Senate Chair of the Education Committee. “Dozens of parents came to testify in favor of this common-sense policy. Working with these parents and their advocates has allowed us to greatly enhance the quality of education that Connecticut provides to students with dyslexia.”
SB 317, An Act Concerning Dyslexia ensures that educators seeking endorsement as a remedial reading, remedial language arts, or reading specialist be equipped to engage and educate students with dyslexia. Following enactment of this legislation, affected teachers will need to complete a reading and language diagnosis and remediation program of study. Educators will receive instruction, including supervised practicum hours, on the diagnosis and remediation of dyslexia, aligned with evidenced-based structured literacy interventions that have been proven to help these students become better readers.
Dyslexia is defined as a learning disability that affects reading, specifically spelling and word recognition. Dyslexia is a neurobiological disorder and is often inconsistent with a student’s other cognitive abilities. It is estimated that 15-20% of children struggle with this condition.