Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE – Sag Harbor) today announced that Governor Cuomo signed into law dyslexia legislation, which the Assemblyman co-sponsored, that will improve the lives of thousands of students suffering from learning disabilities. The bill will inform school districts about the unique educational needs of students with dyslexia and other related disorders so that language-based interventions can be tailored to help them succeed in school.

One in five children have dyslexia, a language-based learning disability that makes word recognition, spelling and reading success a difficult task. But for decades, school districts believed that schools were not allowed to use the word “dyslexia” in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Instead, they believed that only the special education classification term “learning disability” was permissible. However, federal regulations implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) contained no such restriction. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Education issued regulatory guidance clarifying this longstanding and widespread misunderstanding. Nevertheless, it has remained an area of confusion.

This new law instructs the State Department of Education to develop a guidance memorandum for schools consistent with the federal requirements and inform schools that they may include the names of specific learning disorders, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalculia, in IEPs.

Assemblyman Thiele stated, “School districts have been reluctant to reference dyslexia and other related disorders when developing Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). In October 2015, the U.S. Department of Education, issued guidance to clarify that there is nothing in the IDEA that would prohibit the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia in IDEA evaluations, eligibility determinations, or IEP documents. This bill will help inform school districts and BOCES about the educational needs of students with dyslexia, so that early interventions and services can be provided to help these children become proficient readers.”