Welcome

The International Dyslexia Association Georgia Branch is here to serve the needs of families, educators, and professionals concerned with struggling readers. IDA Georgia is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals living with dyslexia, a learning difference that affects up to 20% of the U.S. population, as well as their families and the communities that support them. Our goal is to provide essential evidence-based research information about assessment, diagnosis, resources, and appropriate educational intervention. We offer information and referral, community outreach events, professional education conferences, and teacher training opportunities to increase public awareness and remediation of dyslexia.

Whether you are dyslexic, a parent, a professional, or someone who is interested in learning more and being a part of the growing demand for change, we hope you will find inspiration and guidance here. We welcome you to contact us for additional information – until everyone can read!

Renee Bernhardt
President
International Dyslexia Association Georgia

TONIGHT! Wednesday, February 24, 7 pm
Dyslexia: What is it and What kind of instruction will help?

Register HERE to be added to the waitlist. All registrants will receive a link to the recording.

Devin Kearns, Ph.D. is our first guest for IDA-GA’s 3-series Dyslexia Knowledge Wednesday Webinars. All IDA-GA Wednesday Webinars in this series are offered at no cost to attendees. We invite everyone to come and learn!

What to Expect: Dr. Kearns will begin by explaining the skills students require for reading success. He will then address the nature of dyslexia and how it causes reading problems. Finally, Dr. Kearns will provide guidance about the elements of instruction that are essential for the success of students with dyslexia and how to address dyslexia within an MTSS/RTI process. The goal of the presentation is for attendees to leave with a strong understanding of the types of problems involved in dyslexia and knowledge about the critical elements of instruction.

Following this one-hour presentation, we will invite questions from the audience.

Register HERE to be added to the waitlist. All registrants will receive a link to the recording.

IDA-GA is offering the Wednesday Webinars at no cost to registrants. Thank you to our schools and educational organizations for their donations and support. It is with the continued support of our sponsors that we are able to offer not only scholarship and grant opportunities but also events like this that are free and open to all those interested in learning more about dyslexia and effective interventions.

Questions? Email Mary McPherson at drmaryemcpherson@gmail.com for information. Deadline: Feb. 17

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is pleased to present a forum for information to benefit its constituents. It is IDA’s policy not to recommend or endorse any specific program, product, institution, company, or instructional material, noting that there are a number of these that present the critical components of instruction defined by IDA’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading. Any program, product, institution, company, or instructional material carrying the IDA seal of accreditation meets the IDA Standards.

February 23 was Dyslexia Day 2021

Visit the Decoding Dyslexia GA Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/decodingdyslexiaga/ to learn about the day’s events.

Check out these videos created for Dyslexia Day 2021:

Dyslexia Is My Superpower, a poem written for Dyslexia Day 2021, is performed by students from across the state of Georgia: https://fb.watch/3QYPQZUqLH/

In the short video below, students and teachers from the Howard School answer the question, “Why is Early Identification and Intervention critical for Dyslexic students?”

Participants Needed for UGA Research Study Investigating Diagnostic Practices for Dyslexia

If your child has been tested for dyslexia, he or she can participate. Parents submit a copy of the testing report and fill out a brief demographic and educational history form. All identifying information will be removed from the report when received (or parents may do that before sending), and an ID code will be assigned. Participants receive $25.

More information: https://ugeorgia.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9HUf1Zg6asWg7nD

Questions? Contact Hannah Krimm, Principal Investigator, UGA Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education at Hannah.Krimm@uga.edu.

Assistance for Georgia Families and Schools 2020-2021

As a part of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funding allocated to Georgia through the CARES Act and in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the GA SOLVE Program was established. The purpose of SOLVE is to provide scholarships for families with students enrolled in a Georgia public school, state charter commission school, or locally approved charter school that offers primarily virtual learning.

GA SOLVE offers scholarships to support working families with children and young adults ages 5-12 (kindergarten through grade 7), or up to age 22 for students with qualifying disabilities, by paying for care, supervision, and support during the school day while students are engaged in virtual learning.

Find out more: https://www.decal.ga.gov/CAPS/Solve.aspx

2021 Outreach

Due to Georgia’s stay-at-home orders, IDA-GA will not be hosting in-person outreach meetings over the next few months. However, we are working on other free outreach initiatives. We hope to keep you informed of the many resources available from IDA and other trusted sources. IDA has compiled the Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities Resource Guide For Families and Teachers Affected by COVID-19. Learn more and download the guide for FREE at bit.ly/IDAGuide

GA DOE’s Dyslexia Informational Handbook

Gov. Kemp Signed Dyslexia Bill SB48 into Law on May 2, 2019. Watch this historic moment. CLICK HERE for more information. The Georgia Department of Education released the Dyslexia Informational Handbook: Guidance for Local School Systems on November 22, 2019.

Dyslexia Dash 2021 – October 16, 2021

Funds raised through the Dyslexia Dash 5K enable IDA-GA to provide grants to institutions and scholarships for Structured Literacy training. Mark your calendars! Polish off your racing shoes. The 2021 Dyslexia Dash is scheduled for Perimeter Mall on October 16.

This year participants can sign up to run in-person on October 16 or run a virtual race anytime before or on October 16.

In-Person Events.

There will be three races at the Perimeter Mall. A timed 5K walk/run, an untimed 5K walk/run, and a 1-mile kids run for athletes with big hearts but small legs.
The time 5K run is a Peachtree Qualifying run.
Every participant gets a Dyslexia Dash T-shirt and a participant medal.
At the race, there will be a kids’ play area, a disc jockey, and sponsor tents.

Virtual Race

Virtual Race can be run anytime after you register
Participants can log their times into the Dyslexia Dash website on October 16
All Virtual Race participants will have a swag back with their T-shirt and participant medal mailed to them.

Keep your eye on this spot for more information concerning the Dyslexia Dash and how to become a sponsor or a fundraiser.

IDA-GA Teacher Training Scholarships and Grants

“…even the most competent teacher cannot be successful in teaching reading, especially to children who are at risk or struggling with literacy, if provided with inadequate instructional contexts or inappropriate instructional materials and approaches…”

CLICK HERE to read IDA’s 2019 Educator Training Initiative Brief Structured Literacy: An Introductory Guide.

The goal of the IDA-GA Scholarship Program is to offer scholarships for individuals taking courses in structured literacy professional education methodologies that provide an understanding of evidence-based best practices for educating students with dyslexia.

CLICK HERE for scholarship details and to apply.

CLICK HERE for grant details and to apply.

How IDA-GA Invests Your Membership and Donation Dollars

The following are ways that IDA-GA invests back into the community membership fees, donations, and funds raised via events such as Dyslexia Dash:

Provide free Educational Outreach Meetings for both teachers and parents
Provide Scholarships and Grants to expand capabilities for structured literacy training
Provide Resources, Information, and Support to parents and teachers

Caps for Sale! Until Everyone Can Read!

Wear your support! Best selling 100% cotton twill, garment washed, 6 panel, unstructured with hook and loop velcro closing. Classic mid-to-low cap profile with one size fits all. “Until Everyone Can Read” on front of cap, IDA logo on left side. $24.95 including shipping.

To order, CLICK HERE.

IDA-GA Invests in Georgia with a Grant Giving Program

IDA-GA is awarding grants to qualified applicants twice a year beginning in 2019. Current grants are available up to $10,000 each for programs that further Structured Literacy teacher training and/or expand public awareness of dyslexia. Application deadlines for grants are March 1 and September 1.

CLICK HERE for all the details and how to apply.

Raising Awareness of Dyslexia

IDA-GA joined forces with Atlanta Parents magazine to raise awareness about Dyslexia. The Article gives information to parents to help detect Dyslexia in their child and steps to be taken to become a successful advocate for your Dyslexic child.

Read the full article that appeared in the October issue of Atlanta Parents magazine by clicking here.

Leading Organizations in the Field Challenge Myths about Learning Disabilities Including Dyslexia

Myths about learning disabilities rob many of their potential to succeed and contribute in school and in the workplace, according to a white paper released during Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia Awareness Month in October by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA).

“IDA does not recommend or endorse any individual, business, school, or program.”

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