LD OnLine News Headlines

Alarm bells. Red flags. A labyrinth.

These are just a few of the metaphors that mothers of children with dyslexia use to describe the journey from noticing their child’s literacy challenges to receiving a diagnosis and then advocating to secure services to help their children succeed. By paying attention to the images used in these metaphors, teachers and administrators can better understand the difficulties parents and children face and learn to be more responsive.

As students struggle with paying attention and managing stress, demand is soaring for a new — and often pricy — kind of support.

Educator’s view: ‘I am a college student’ are powerful words for a young person. Early college validates high expectations and sets a bar for success

It should, instead, be seen as a different way of being normal

The disorder, which affects executive function, can cause distinct challenges in the kitchen, leaving many to develop their own accommodations.

The production, which explores themes of identity, self-expression and magic, includes specially designed sensory materials, along with an original music score and changes to the traditional storyline and characters.

“This production represents a significant step towards addressing this disparity and promoting ongoing inclusivity in the West End and national cultural landscape.”

Early and targeted interventions are critical in helping these students understand increasingly complex tests, a study finds.

Many of our students come to school experiencing many challenges — and bring their feelings about them to our classes. Today’s post is the first in a series in which teachers share stories about how they supported one of their students to turn around some of those challenges.

As we explore ways to empower students and foster engagement in literacy instruction, it is essential to consider how innovative tools, such as artificial intelligence (AI), can play a pivotal role. AI offers educators new opportunities to personalize learning experiences, promote student choice, and streamline the creation of a diverse range of activities.

To comprehend what they’re reading, many middle and high school students still need decoding support, researchers say.

Many older elementary and middle school students still struggle with foundational reading skills.

Emotional well-being plays a major role in teachers’ job satisfaction, and it’s essential that they have effective resources for support.

A high school student walks through what it was like to go through elementary and middle school with undiagnosed dyscalculia, and offers tips for educators looking to help students like her.

Leveled books have been a staple in early elementary reading instruction for more than two decades, with 61 percent of K-2 and special education teachers having said that they use them for small group work. But as the “science of reading” movement has spread, these texts have come under fire. Initially, they encourage students to guess at words rather than use their phonics skills, researchers say, which can prevent children from mapping the letter-sound connections that allow them to become fluent readers. A second problem is how they sort students into levels.

Strong connections with students are essential for showing them that you’re a trustworthy advocate who wants to help them succeed.

The big upsides—and potentials risks—of a “strengths-based” approach to teaching students with disabilities

Education Week interviewed five high school students who attend Jemicy School, an independent co-ed school for grades 1-12 in Baltimore that specializes in serving students with dyslexia and related language-based learning differences. The students opened up about their individual journeys with dyslexia, explained what the diagnosis has come to mean to them, and offered some advice for teachers.

Whether a student has dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, or any other neurodivergent condition that makes learning harder for them, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, it helps for them to have a basic understanding of why they struggle to learn or do things when their neurotypical peers don’t. It can improve students’ confidence and their ability to advocate for themselves in the classroom, which is an especially important skill when they get into high school, college, and the workforce, say experts.

More than one-fourth of students in grades K-3 were placed on a reading improvement plan in the 2023-24 school year.

Many speech issues can be corrected with therapy, so it’s important that teachers know the signs of a potential problem.

After his heartfelt reaction to his father’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention thrust him into the spotlight, 17-year-old Gus Walz has become one of the most high-profile people with nonverbal learning disorder. Gus is one of millions of Americans with nonverbal learning disorder.

How much do America’s schools spend to provide special education services to students with disabilities? How have special education costs nationwide risen over the last two decades? What is the typical cost of providing services to a K-12 student who has autism, or ADHD, or Down syndrome?

The answer to all of these questions is painfully simple: We don’t know.

Gov. Tim Walz announced on Wednesday that the state will invest $10 million to support and train special education teachers in over 35 districts.

The start of the school year can be stressful, but parents of neurodivergent children are more likely to report feeling overwhelmed, unprepared and scared than other parents, according to a new survey shared with The Hechinger Report.

Encouraging parents with concerns about their children’s reading to ‘wait and see’ flies in the face of evidence that reading difficulties present by the end of first grade are persistent. 

Did some famous people throughout history have ADHD? Researchers explain why yes, some could have been neurodivergent and why the traits may be increasing today.

By knowing what to look for, teachers can work with parents and create supports to help girls with ADHD succeed in school.

Early look at state-by-state spending on special ed reveals scattershot efforts, suggests evidence-backed reading instruction for all kids is crucial.

Educators and parents of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities are optimistic about artificial intelligence’s potential to create more inclusive classrooms and close educational gaps between students with disabilities and those without, concludes a report from the Special Olympics Global Center for Inclusion in Education. However, both groups are also concerned about the possibility that AI use in schools could decrease human interaction and that schools with fewer resources could be left behind, the report found.

The capacity of the education sector to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities is broken, according to education secretary Bridget Phillipson.

The mixed reality documentary from directors May Abdalla and Barry Gene Murphy will premiere at the Venice Immersive program of the 2024 Venice Film Festival.

A primary care nurse practitioner with ADHD explains the science

Many other conditions have similar symptoms, experts say, so avoid the pull of self-diagnosis.

From Head Start to student loans, conservative proposals for a new Trump administration have wide reach

For children with ADHD, getting the help they need depends on being correctly diagnosed. As a doctor, I have seen how tricky and frustrating a process that can be.

MPR News early childhood reporter Kyra Miles will periodically take questions from Footnotes subscribers and pose them to early childhood experts.

This week, Carol Gibson-Miller took questions about early childhood special education and development.

After ranking 44th in the nation for inclusionary practices — defined by how many students with disabilities are learning alongside their general education peers — Washington state began working to change that trajectory. Here’s how it’s working to improve the experience of special education students in K-12, and the research behind its efforts.

Dyslexia bills supported by “science of reading” advocates moved Tuesday beyond all previous attempts to turn them into Michigan law.

“We really have to work to change the mindset of faculty to understand the ways in which these adaptations to their delivery and development of content could make all the difference for so many more highly bright and capable students to thrive in higher ed.”

The neighboring states are counting on the science of reading to solve reading woes, but veer far apart on retaining low-scoring third graders.

When teachers and parents talk to kids about having ADHD, autism or learning disabilities, they set them up for success

Solutions to the perennial crisis of special education staffing must extend beyond training and recruiting more teachers to the more complex work of retaining educators who’ve already entered the field, experts say.

In an abrupt reversal, Jeffco school district leaders say they will continue to offer a pioneering program for middle and high school students with dyslexia that just a few weeks ago had been on the chopping block.

The latest episode of The New Way We Work, which talks about how to make workplaces more inclusive to people with invisible disabilities.

The number of students in special education has increased steadily in the last four decades(opens in a new window), with parents more readily seeking additional support and more students being diagnosed with conditions, like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder.

These are key terms educators should know.

A Jeffco school will dramatically scale back a program for older students with dyslexia next year, upsetting parents who say the unique offering has made a profound difference for their children.

It’s one of the most common psychiatric disorders in adults. Yet there are no U.S. guidelines for diagnosing and treating patients beyond childhood.

Reading Reimagined, is a research-and-development initiative aimed at improving reading outcomes for students above second grade, especially those from historically disadvantaged and low-income communities. The project aims not only to fund research in that area but also to bridge the gap between research and practice, coming up with evidence-based solutions.

The impact of undiagnosed ADHD on the relationship between a father and daughter.

People often blame smartphones and other digital distractions as the reason why so many kids today aren’t good readers. But the low reading proficiency rates of middle school students predate the advent of the smartphone, so the answer must lie elsewhere. An often-overlooked culprit may be the increasing demands placed on older students’ foundational literacy skills once they must independently read and comprehend complicated, discipline-specific texts.

Dyslexia affects one in every 5 Americans. But only 2 million are diagnosed and receive the help they need. Why? On Point interviews experts Tim Odegard, Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies at Middle Tennessee State University; and Clarice Jackson, founder of Black Literacy Matters, Voice Advocacy Center, and Decoding Dyslexia Nebraska, a nationwide parent support group created to raise awareness about dyslexia.

Transitioning from university to the workplace is a critical period in anyone’s life, but it can be especially challenging for students with dyslexia. While academic settings often offer accommodations for people with dyslexia, professional environments often fall short on such support systems.

Fortunately, there are strategic interventions that can be established in workplaces to help individuals with dyslexia not only adapt, but excel in their careers.

Students with disabilities face a gamut of challenges when it comes to accessing high-quality K-12 education, including a shortage of specialized teachers. The nation’s growing English-learner population faces outsized needs as their English-language proficiency scores remain lower than pre-COVID-19-pandemic averages, and immigrant English learners in particular require more trauma-informed instruction.

English learners who also have disabilities face their own intersectional issues, researchers and advocates say. They range from schools locking students out of dual-language programs in favor of English-only special education programs, language barriers between schools and families, and teachers ill-equipped to serve their students’ needs.

Special education staffing strategies often focus on recruiting and training new teachers in the specialty, but those efforts alone aren’t enough to address shortages in the high-demand field.

This guest op-ed is by Gil Gershoni is the co-founder and creative director of Gershoni Creative and the founder of Dyslexic Design Thinking.

In the past, seemingly mundane tasks like sending an email presented a challenge, draining time and mental energy. I would often spend upwards of an hour dictating, reading, re-reading, and asking a colleague to proofread before finally hitting send. Now, with a simple prompt in ChatGPT, my thoughts are magically transformed into clear, concise words. What once took precious time can be accomplished with a click, freeing up my brain to focus on what it does best: bringing ideas and strategies to life that help my clients stay ahead of the curve. 

Tara Bachmann, the assistive technology facilitator for the Park Hill School District in Kansas City, uses artificial intelligence in special education in some ways.

Here, she explains some of those use cases, and also talks through what cautions educators should take when using AI in their classrooms.

Special education teachers fill out mountains of paperwork, customize lessons for students with a wide range of learning differences, and attend hours of bureaucratic meetings.

It’s easy to see why it would be tempting to outsource parts of that job to a robot.

School Library Journal has proudly partnered with We Are Kid Lit Collective to share and promote the group’s 10th annual summer reading recommendations. In the next couple of weeks, SLJ will publish individual posts featuring their recommendations for picture books, transitional books, middle grade, and young adult titles. 

Larry Ferlazzo provides a collection of strategies to support older students experiencing reading challenges.

A new book by Penn and Kim Holderness seeks to correct misconceptions about ADHD and accentuate the plus side of the condition