U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office

Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800

Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001

97–273 PDF 2017

S. HRG. 114–692 

DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE ON TESTING 

FOR DYSLEXIA 

FIELD HEARING 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, 

LABOR, AND PENSIONS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

ON

EXAMINING THE DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE ON TESTING FOR 

DYSLEXIA 

OCTOBER 13, 2015 (New Orleans, LA) 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

( 

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ 

COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS 

LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee, Chairman 

MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 

RICHARD BURR, North Carolina 

JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia 

RAND PAUL, Kentucky 

SUSAN COLLINS, Maine 

LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska 

MARK KIRK, Illinois 

TIM SCOTT, South Carolina 

ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah 

PAT ROBERTS, Kansas 

BILL CASSIDY, M.D., Louisiana 

PATTY MURRAY, Washington 

BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland 

BERNARD SANDERS (I), Vermont 

ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania 

AL FRANKEN, Minnesota 

MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado 

SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island 

TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin 

CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY, Connecticut 

ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts 

DAVID P. CLEARY, Republican Staff Director 

EVAN SCHATZ, Minority Staff Director 

JOHN RIGHTER, Minority Deputy Staff Director 

(II) 

C O N T E N T S 

STATEMENTS 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015 

Page 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Cassidy, Hon. Bill, a U.S. Senator from the State of Louisiana, opening 

statement .............................................................................................................. 1 

WITNESSES— 

Shaywitz, Bennett A., M.D., Chief of Pediatric Neurology and Co-Director 

of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, Yale University School 

of Medicine, New Haven, CT ............................................................................... 4 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 5 

Shaywitz, Sally E., M.D., Audrey G. Ratner Professor in Learning Development and Co-Director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, Yale 

University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT ................................................ 9 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 12 

Baraka, Ameer, Author/Actor, New Orleans, LA .................................................. 19 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 22 

Buquet, J.J., President, Buquet Distributing Co., Houma, LA ............................ 23 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 24 

Chauvin, Karen, Director, Louisiana Center for Dyslexia and Related Learning Disorders, Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, LA ................................. 25 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 28 

(III) 

(1) 

DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE ON TESTING 

FOR DYSLEXIA 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015 

U.S. SENATE, 

COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS, 

New Orleans, LA 

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m. in Homer L. 

Hitt Alumni and Visitor Center Ballroom, University of New Orleans, Lakefront Campus, New Orleans, LA, Hon. Bill Cassidy presiding. 

Present: Senator Cassidy. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR CASSIDY

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you all for being here today. This is the 

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. I 

ask that we please come to order. 

This morning, we are having a hearing titled ‘‘Developmental 

Perspective on Testing for Dyslexia’’ that will highlight the importance of early identification of students with dyslexia, how highstakes testing affects such students, and the need for appropriate 

accommodations. 

I will make an opening statement, and then I will introduce our 

panel of witnesses. Each panelist will have 5 minutes to summarize 

their testimony. We have a timer. The green light is go. The yellow 

light means you have 1 minute left, and so please wrap up your 

comments. The red light means your 5 minutes have passed, and 

I am coming over there with the gavel. 

After our witness testimony, I will begin with a round of questioning. I would like to give my opening statement. Again, thank 

you all for being here. 

I want to acknowledge a couple people who are running for State 

office who are here, Sharon Hewitt and J.J. Buquet, just to say 

that we would like to influence those who are influencers. Those 

who care about dyslexia need to know this message. They are going 

to hear today. Either by watching online or being here, please 

spread the message. 

Next, I am very pleased to host this and discuss the issue of dyslexia, an issue important to me as a parent and as a Senator. Our 

hope is that we bring greater awareness of the issue of dyslexia to 

help drive new Federal policies and to develop those resources to 

help those students who are identified as dyslexic. The goals of the 

hearing are to show the importance of this and how high-stakes 

2 

testing affects such students, and the need to provide appropriate 

accommodations for those students who are dyslexic. 

Dyslexia—it is defined as an unexpected difficulty in reading, 

highlighted by a gap between an individual’s intelligence and their 

reading level. It is the most common learning disability. A National 

Institutes of Health study found that the prevalence rate of dyslexia is nearly 20 percent. Dyslexia impacts Americans from all 

walks of life, Members of Congress, our staff, our families, thousands of participants—again, 20 percent of the population. 

A couple years ago, my daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, 

and that is when my wife and I began to learn as much as we could 

about the topic. You are amazed by how much is known and yet 

far too often not incorporated into public policy. 

One example, I asked the Secretary of Education on the Federal 

level, of all the money spent on reading programs, how much was 

spent on dyslexia? He looks off into space and comes back and says, 

‘‘as far as I know, not any.’’ It is 20 percent of our population, the 

most common reading disorder, and we are not addressing it on the 

Federal level? It just leads to the need for a hearing such as this, 

so that awareness increases, and hopefully that will change. 

A recent GAO report found that many students with learning 

and other disabilities including dyslexia are not receiving accommodations, such as extended testing time, as required by the American with Disabilities Act when they take high-stakes testing, such 

as the SAT, the GRE, the LSAT, the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination, and others. 

This is unacceptable. Working together, we need to make sure 

that those with learning disabilities are receiving the proper and 

legally required accommodations. 

For those with money, you can figure it out. That is the issue. 

There are excellent schools where you can go and have a child and 

there will be remediation. There are also schools and parochial programs. We are joined by Jan Lancaster, who is the superintendent 

of education for parochial schools here in Louisiana in the archdiocese in New Orleans. There are programs, say E.D. White and 

Vandebilt Catholic, parochial schools in which they have integrated 

such programs for children with dyslexia. 

If you cannot afford this tuition, what do you do? Many public 

schools, like I said, they mainstream dyslexics. Frankly, that is to 

say that most likely they are not receiving the remediation they 

need. 

I applaud the schools and educators who embrace science and are 

providing students with the proper educational environment and 

curriculum that will allow their remediation. 

As far as we know, there are two public charter schools in the 

Nation that address—maybe three, maybe four, but the two we 

know of are in Louisiana. These are schools specifically for those 

with dyslexia. 

I will say it again later, but Karen Chauvin represents the MAX 

Charter School, which was the first charter school, the best we 

know, in the Nation to address the needs of children with dyslexia. 

The second is the Louisiana Key Academy, which is in Baton 

Rouge, which, in the interest of full disclosure, my wife helped to 

start. As you might guess, I am a little partial to it. 

3 

I am partial to it mainly because it makes a science-based curriculum available for children whose parents might not be able to 

afford $10,000 to $50,000 a year in tuition. That said, although 

most of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch, the student 

body comes from all socioeconomic strata, because when parents 

are looking for answers, they are looking for answers. 

These charter schools are great examples of where we can go forward. 

In the House of Representatives, I started a congressional Dyslexia Caucus to raise awareness of those affected. I continue this 

work in the Senate. Last week, a resolution passed in the Senate 

that Senator Mikulski of Maryland and I passed, which calls on 

Congress, schools, States, and local educational agencies to recognize the significant educational implications of dyslexia that must 

be addressed, and designates October 2015 as National Dyslexia 

Awareness Month. It is the hope that this resolution is the first of 

many steps in the right direction. 

Despite great strides, we have a lot to learn about dyslexia. I am 

looking forward to hearing what our panel of witnesses have to say. 

Our first witness who will join us via video conference, who had 

attempted to be here but circumstances did not allow, will be Dr. 

Sally Shaywitz, who is the Audrey Ratner Professor of Learning 

Development at the Yale University School of Medicine and co-director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. 

Dr. Shaywitz has authored more than 200 scientific articles and 

books, and together with her husband, Dr. Bennett Shaywitz, is the 

originator of the Sea of Strengths model of dyslexia. Dr. Shaywitz 

is also an elected member of the Institute of Medicine, of the National Academy of Sciences. She received her bachelor’s degree 

from the City University and medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. 

The next witness is Dr. Bennett Shaywitz. He is the Charles and 

Henry Schwab Professor in Dyslexia and Learning Development 

and co-director of the Yale Center of Dyslexia and Creativity, and 

has devoted his career to better understanding and elucidating the 

neurobiological basis of reading and dyslexia to ensure that this 

new knowledge is translated into better care and treatment of children and adults who are dyslexic. 

Dr. Shaywitz has authored more than 300 scientific papers and 

has received many honors for his contributions. He currently serves 

on the Scientific Advisory Board of the March of Dimes and the 

National Vaccine Program Office Safety Subcommittee. He sits on 

the editorial board of Pediatrics in Review, Learning Disabilities: 

A Contemporary Journal, and Clinical Neuropsychology. He received his bachelor’s degree from Washington University and his 

medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine. 

Next is Mr. Ameer Baraka. He is an actor and author from New 

Orleans. He struggled with reading his whole life, but did not learn 

he was dyslexic until 19 and incarcerated. In prison, Ameer earned 

his GED and was empowered to influence youth who struggle the 

way he did. 

We are eager to hear how he has used his personal testimony to 

steer young dyslexics onto the path of reading and off the path to 

incarceration. 

4 

Mr. J.J. Buquet is the president of Buquet Distributing Company 

in Houma. He is actively involved in numerous civic and community organizations, including past chair of the Houma-Terrebonne 

Chamber of Commerce, current chair of the Bayou Community 

Foundation, and chairman of the South Louisiana Economic Council, and serves on other boards and foundations. He received his 

bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University and his 

MBA from Tulane. 

Last, Ms. Karen Chauvin has been involved in the education of 

dyslexics since 1992. She is currently the director of the Louisiana 

Center for Dyslexia and is the Jimmy and Glenny Lee Buquet Endowed Professor at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. She is 

the founding board member and president of the board of the Maxine Giardina Charter School in Thibodaux and founding board 

member of the Louisiana Key Academy in Baton Rouge, both charter schools were created to serve the needs of children with dyslexia. She is a graduate of Nicholls State University with a master’s in education. 

I will now go to Dr. Sally Shaywitz or Bennett. I will let you two 

decide. 

STATEMENT OF BENNETT A. SHAYWITZ, M.D., CHIEF OF PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY AND CO-DIRECTOR OF THE YALE CENTER FOR DYSLEXIA AND CREATIVITY, YALE UNIVERSITY 

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, NEW HAVEN, CT 

Dr. BENNETT SHAYWITZ. Senator Cassidy, this is Bennett 

Shaywitz. Sally and I switched. I am going to go first. 

Can everybody hear me and see our slides? 

The CHAIRMAN. Yes, we can. 

Dr. BENNETT SHAYWITZ. That is great. 

Thank you, Senator Cassidy. We are pleased to be part of this 

panel and say hello to the other panel members. 

What we would like to do in the next few minutes is give you 

a sense of why we think this dyslexia is an explanation and potential solution to the national epidemic of reading and school failure. 

The problem is that we know we have a national epidemic of 

reading and academic failure, and science has told us that dyslexia 

may be at the root of all these reading difficulties. The problem, of 

course, is that schools are not using scientific knowledge to address 

and remediate what we know scientifically about dyslexia. Schools 

really need to increase their awareness of dyslexia. 

This is data from the National Assessment of Educational 

Progress, the so-called Nation’s report card. This is the most recent 

data. It shows that half of African-American children in this national survey were reading below basic level, compared to 21 percent of white children. That is still a large number of white children who are not reading at basic levels, but significantly even 

more African-American and disadvantaged children. 

What we know about dyslexia is that it is especially prevalent 

and unrecognized in children of color and children who are disadvantaged. In these children, reading difficulties are often written 

off to environmental issues or lack of ability when they are in fact 

dyslexic. These problems can be addressed and remediated, but 

only if the child is identified as dyslexic. 

5 

Senator Cassidy talked about the 21st century definition of dyslexia. In fact, this 21st century definition of dyslexia is incorporated into the Cassidy-Mikulski Senate resolution. It is an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader, and we know it is due to a difficulty in getting to the individual sounds of spoken language, 

which affects the ability of an individual to speak, to read, to spell, 

and often to learn a second language. 

This data is from a paper we published several years ago, and 

it is documentation of the unexpected nature of dyslexia. Here are 

the typical readers, their intelligence along this line, their reading 

along this line. What we see, as Sally likes to say, is that they are 

kissing cousins. Intelligence affects reading; reading affects intelligence, and so on. They are dynamically linked. 

That is what we know about typical readers. Look at dyslexic 

readers. A child can be very intelligent and have a very low reading level. They are not linked in dyslexic readers. This is scientific 

documentation of the unexpected nature of dyslexia. 

Senator Cassidy mentioned that dyslexia is the most common of 

the learning disabilities. As you see here, dyslexia represents 80 

percent to 90 percent of all of those children who are labeled 

‘‘learning disabled.’’ It is far and away the most common of the 

learning disabilities. 

We know that dyslexia is universal. It affects all racial, ethnic, 

and social groups. We know it affects one in five children. That is 

10 million children in the United States. Every classroom has children who are struggling. 

Here we see the neural signature of dyslexia. This is very welldocumented. It is an inefficient function in systems in the back of 

the brain. We have illustrated it here in this view. Here is the left 

side of the brain, and you see systems for reading in typical readers in the front of the brain and two in the back of the brain. In 

dyslexic readers, those systems in the back of the brain are functioning inefficiently. We term that the neural signature of dyslexia. 

It is very, very well-documented. 

What is really important for you all to know is that in dyslexia 

we have all the scientific knowledge. There is not a knowledge gap 

in dyslexia but an action gap. The critical issue is to align education with 21st century science. 

I am going to stop here, and Sally is going to resume. 

[The prepared statement of Dr. Bennett Shaywitz follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF BENNETT A. SHAYWITZ, M.D. 

Good morning Senator Cassidy, fellow members of the panel and attendees. 

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you about the science of dyslexia and 

share with you the tremendous scientific progress that has been made in dyslexia. 

In particular, we want to focus on dyslexia as an explanation and potential solution 

to the national epidemic of reading/school failure. 

My name is Bennett Shaywitz, M.D., I am a physician-scientist and the Charles 

and Helen Schwab Professor in Dyslexia and Learning Development and co-director 

of the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity at the Yale University School of Medicine. Both a child neurologist and neuroscientist I have been a leader in applying 

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to understand the neurobiology of 

reading and dyslexia in children and adults. These studies identify a neural signature for dyslexia, making a previously hidden disability visible, and for the first 

time demonstrate the brain basis for the lack of fluency in dyslexia. Our most recent 

studies focus on differences in brain connectivity between dyslexic and typical readVerDate Nov 24 2008 14:33 Nov 13, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\DOCS\97273.TXT CAROL
6 

ing children and adults and studies in progress use fMRI to investigate attentional 

mechanisms in reading and dyslexia. 

The author of over 300 scientific papers, my honors include election to membership in the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and 

recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Washington University. I currently serve on the boards of the Park Century School and the Westmark School. 

I previously served on the Institute of Medicine Immunization Safety Review Committee, on the National Vaccine Program Safety Subcommittee and on the Scientific 

Advisory Board of the March of Dimes. I have been selected annually for Best Doctors in Amer;ca and America’s Top Doctors. 

As you will hear, in dyslexia, science has moved forward at a rapid pace so that 

we now possess the data to reliably define dyslexia, to know it’s prevalence, it’s cognitive basis, it’s symptoms and remarkably, where it lives in the brain and evidencebased interventions which can turn a sad, struggling child into not only a good reader, but one who sees herself as a student with self esteem and a fulfilling future. 

THE PROBLEM

Overwhelming evidence indicates that we are in the midst of a national epidemic 

of reading/academic failure. Accumulating scientific evidence demonstrates 

that dyslexia both may be at the root of the reading difficulties noted and 

provide a potential solution to this unfortunate epidemic. The difficulty is 

that although the evidence is there, schools do not appear to be aware of and/or 

using this scientific knowledge to remediate the highly prevalent epidemic of reading failure. It is imperative that schools must increase their awareness of dyslexia. 

The most recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress 

(NAEP, 2013) demonstrate that African American students are especially impacted 

by this epidemic of reading failure. For example, fully half (50 percent) of African 

American boys and girls are reading below basic levels compared to 21 percent of 

white students. Sadly, these reading difficulties are not only highly prevalent in 

children of color and those who are disadvantaged, but they far too often go unrecognized and unaddressed. In these children their significant reading difficulties tend 

to be written off to environmental issues or lack of ability. What science has taught 

us is that these reading difficulties can be addressed and remediated, but only if 

the child is identified as dyslexic. 

UNEXPECTED NATURE OF DYSLEXIA

Dr. Morgan’s initial description of dyslexia over 100 years ago as an unexpected 

difficulty in reading has now been validated by empiric evidence. Our research 

group found that in typical readers, IQ and reading are dynamically linked, they 

track together over time and influence each other. In contrast, in dyslexic readers. 

reading and intelligence are not linked and develop more independently so that a 

child who is dyslexic can have a very high IQ and, unexpectedly, read at a much 

lower level. 

This unexpected nature of dyslexia is now recognized in the 21st century definition of dyslexia found in Cassidy-Mikulski Senate resolution 275. Here dyslexia is: 

(1) ‘‘Defined as an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the 

intelligence to be a much better reader’’; and 

7 

(2) Due to a difficulty in getting to the individual sounds of spoken language 

which affects the ability of an individual to speak read, spell and often, learn a second language. 

The Cassidy-Mikulski resolution not only recognizes the unexpected nature of dyslexia but also incorporates what 21st century science knows about the cognitive 

basis of dyslexia. Dyslexia is a difficulty within the language system, more specifically, the phonological component of language—it is not seeing words backward. 

Data from laboratories around the world now answer the question—why do otherwise bright and motivated children struggle or even fail to learn to read? Almost 

invariably, they have a phonologic deficit. To explain, converging evidence over the 

past several decades supports the phonological basis of dyslexia. Phonological refers 

to the smaller pieces of language that make up a spoken word. To understand the 

implications of this theory, we compare what we know about spoken compared to 

written language. Spoken language is natural and does not have to be taught—everyone speaks. Reading is artificial and must be taught. The key in learning to read 

is that the letters have to be linked to something that has inherent meaning—the 

sounds of spoken language. To read, the beginning reader must come to recognize 

that the letters and letter strings represent the sounds of spoken language. She has 

to develop the awareness that spoken words can be pulled apart into their basic elements, phonemes, and that the letters in a written word represent these sounds. 

Children and adults who are dyslexic struggle to pull apart the spoken word and, 

as a result, cannot isolate each sound and attach it to its letter. Results from large 

and well-studied populations of dyslexic children confirm that in young children as 

well as adolescents a deficit in phonology represents the most specific and robust 

correlate of dyslexia. 

DYSLEXIA IS SPECIFIC; LEARNING DISABILITIES ARE GENERAL

Dyslexia is the most common and most carefully studied of the learning disabilities, affecting 80 percent to 90 percent of all individuals identified as learning disabled. Of the learning disabilities, dyslexia is also the best characterized and the 

oldest. In fact, the first description of dyslexia preceded the first mention of learning 

disability by over 60 years—dyslexia was first reported by British physician, Dr. 

Pringle Morgan, in 1896, describing Percy F., 

‘‘He has always been a bright and intelligent boy, quick at games, and in no 

way inferior to others of his age. His great difficulty has been, and is now, his 

inability to learn to read.’’ 

A description that characterizes the boys and girls, men and women, I continue 

to see to this day. In contrast, the term learning disabilities was first used only in 

1962. 


97273-4.eps
8 

Dyslexia differs markedly from all other learning disabilities. Dyslexia is very specific and scientifically validated: we know its prevalence, cognitive and 

neurobiological origins, symptoms, and effective, evidence-based interventions. 

Learning disabilities is a general term referring to a range of difficulties which have 

not yet been delineated or scientifically validated. Learning disabilities are comparable to what in medicine are referred to as ‘‘infectious’’ diseases, while dyslexia 

is akin to being diagnosed with a strep throat—a highly specific disorder in which 

the causative agent and evidence-based treatment are both known and validated. 

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DYSLEXIA

Scientific studies in a range of disciplines provide epidemiologic, cognitive and 

neurobiological data to characterize dyslexia. Epidemiologic data from sample surveys, in which each individual is assessed, indicate that dyslexia is highly prevalent, 

affecting one in five—yes you read this correctly. It is not the stated prevalence 

often quoted. Why? The why is the reason we are here today—schools far too often 

fail to acknowledge, much less identify, students who are dyslexic. Consequently, 

schools will report low, but incorrect numbers of students affected. If dyslexic children are not identified, they cannot be counted. 

Many believe that even this one in five estimate may be too low. For example, 

data from the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, the Nation ’s Report Card) indicate that two in three students in 4th or 8th grade are not 

proficient readers. Among some groups of students the numbers are far worse. The 

NAEP data show that four in five African American, Latino and Native American 

students are not proficient readers. Many would consider this to be an out-of-control 

epidemic of reading failure, and considering its negative consequences, a national 

crisis demanding action. Longitudinal studies, prospective and retrospective, indicate dyslexia is a persistent, chronic condition; it does not represent a ‘‘developmental lag.’’ 

Sample surveys in which every subject has been individually assessed show relatively equal numbers of males and females affected. Studies based on school-based 

identification show a high male prevalence with accompanying data indicating that 

the often disruptive behaviors of the boys in the classroom play a strong role in 

bringing them to the attention of their teacher with subsequent referral. Girls who 

may be struggling readers, but who are sitting quietly in their seats, far too often 

fail to be identified. 

Dyslexia has no known boundaries, it is universal, affecting virtually all geographic areas, and both alphabetic and logographic languages. For example, my 

book. Overcoming Dyslexia. (Knopf) has been translated, as expected, into alphabetic 

languages (Portuguese, Dutch, Croatian, etc.) but also, a surprise to me, logographic 

scripts including Japanese and Korean and most recently, Chinese. In addition, dyslexia occurs in every ethnic, race and socio-economic class. 


97273-5.eps
9 

NEURAL SIGNATURE OF DYSLEXIA

Converging evidence using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) from 

our own and laboratories around the world has identified three major neural systems for reading in the left hemisphere, one region, anterior, in Broca’s area and 

two regions posterior, one in the parieto-temporal (or Wernicke’s area), and another, 

in the occipito-temporal region, often referred to as the word form area. Furthermore, such fMRl studies indicate that in dyslexic readers, the posterior neural systems are functioning inefficiently, providing a neural signature for dyslexia. Critically, these posterior neural systems appear to be important in skilled, automatic 

reading and inefficient functioning in these neural systems suggest an explanation 

for the slow, effortful reading characterizing dyslexic readers. Recent studies of 

brain connectivity by us and others demonstrate that in dyslexic readers there is 

reduced connectivity to the posterior neural systems responsible for skilled. automatic reading. 

IN DYSLEXIA: AN ACTION GAP

So what’s the problem? The good news is that our problem is a solvable one. Of 

course, we are always seeking new knowledge. In dyslexia there is sufficient high 

quality scientific knowledge to help and to turn around the lives of so many struggling children. In dyslexia, remarkably in America, in the year 2015, we have not 

a knowledge gap but an action gap. We have the knowledge but it is not being put 

into policy and practice and far too many children and adults, too, are suffering 

needlessly. There is an epidemic of reading failure that we have the scientific evidence to treat effectively and we are not acknowledging or implementing it. It is 

our hope that hearing the depth and extent of the scientific knowledge of dyslexia 

will alert policymakers to act and to act with a sense of urgency. 

The really good news: Science is there for those who are dyslexic. We must align 

education with 21st century science. A major step in bringing science and education 

together is the Cassidy-Mikulski Senate resolution 275 which provides the most upto-date. universal, scientifically valid definition of dyslexia incorporating scientific 

advances in understanding dyslexia, especially, its unexpected nature, and represents a landmark in aligning science and education. 

STATEMENT OF SALLY E. SHAYWITZ, M.D., AUDREY G. RATNER 

PROFESSOR IN LEARNING DEVELOPMENT AND CO-DIRECTOR OF THE YALE CENTER FOR DYSLEXIA AND CREATIVITY, 

YALE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, NEW HAVEN, CT 

Dr. SALLY SHAYWITZ. In working toward translating all of the 

great scientific progress we have in each practice, the first step is 

recognizing what is dyslexia, what does dyslexia look like? I will 

just say here, it is not reversing letters. That is the first answer 

90 percent of the people will say. 

This is a model that we developed, a conceptual model of dyslexia, to recognize the paradoxical nature of dyslexia. We are using 

a pointer, but it just isn’t showing up on the screen. 

In the center, you see an encapsulated weakness in getting to the 

sounds of words. Initially, it manifests as decoding difficulties and 

then difficulties in fluency. 

That is difficulty. There are also strengths, higher level 

strengths, as you can see on the slide, in reasoning, concept formation, problem-solving, vocabulary, and critical thinking. The goal is 

to recognize the weakness and remediate it, but also recognize the 

strengths and make sure students who are dyslexic can access 

those strengths, most often through accommodations. 

This is a really important slide because dyslexia is an entity 

where we know the origin of the difficulties, which is getting to the 

sounds of spoken language. It is not a mystery. But what are the 

symptoms? What can parents and teachers and others look for? 

10 

If you have difficulty getting to the sounds of spoken language, 

you are going to have problems with spoken language, and particularly, for children, with word retrieval. A child knows what he or 

she wants to say, but it doesn’t come out of his or her mouth. You 

can imagine how embarrassing that can be. 

People who are dyslexic have difficulties getting to the sound of 

spoken words, so they have trouble pulling apart a spoken word 

and then attaching the letters to the sound that it represents. 

Therefore, you have difficulties in reading accuracy and reading 

fluency. 

Reading is decoding, and spelling is encoding. You have differences going from the sound of the spoken word to putting it into 

print, spelling difficulties. If you have difficulties getting to the 

sound of your primary language, imagine what happens when you 

are trying to learn a second language. There are great difficulties 

in trying to learn a second or foreign language. 

We know so much, but at the same time, and almost unbelievably, there are barriers that are preventing the great scientific 

knowledge we have, that can help so many children to be implemented. 

Some of the major barriers are schools—yes, schools—who apparently or seemingly are unwilling to diagnose or even accept a diagnosis of dyslexia. Schools will say, ‘‘We don’t believe in dyslexia.’’ 

My response to that is, if you are talking about religion, you can 

pick what religion to believe in. If you are talking about a scientifically validated entity, it is not yours to believe in or not. It is 

yours to accept and use the science. 

Also there are barriers and failure to provide evidence-based 

interventions and accommodations. 

This is also very important. It is the failure to address the whole 

child, to only think of this part or that part and ignore the whole 

child. 

Here is something we are very, very excited about. This is a 

paper in the Journal of Pediatrics that is online now and will be 

officially published in the Journal in November, next month. What 

this does is we direct a longitudinal study, so we were able to 

look—the orange are typical readers and the blue are dyslexic readers. 

What is the trajectory of reading over time? You can see right 

at the beginning, it says one below. At first grade already—already 

in first grade—there is a large achievement gap that has a very 

powerful influence over what happens after. We have to get to that 

gap early. We cannot wait until third grade. We have to begin to 

address this right at the beginning of schooling. 

So what do you do? What is the most effective reading intervention for dyslexia? This is something that Dr. Bennett Shaywitz and 

I think about a great deal. We are very fortunate that we have opportunities to visit schools nationally, public schools, private 

schools, parochial schools, specialized schools. We sit on the boards 

of quite a number of these. 

First of all, we now emphasize, by the data showing the achievement gap present in the first grade, early diagnosis leading to early 

intervention, and screening of dyslexia early. 

11 

All of our knowledge and all of our clinical experience have come 

to the very strong conclusion that children who are dyslexic require 

not 45 minutes two times a week but a specialized school that focuses on the whole child and providing effective interventions. 

What is important is the school climate, school climate plus the 

atmosphere. For a dyslexic child, it cannot be your reading interventionist knows about dyslexia, but no one else does. You need to 

have everyone on board, from the principal to the teachers to the 

phys ed—everybody needs to be on board. 

Small classes, you cannot do this with large classes. You must 

have small classes. 

You have to use evidence-based methods—methods that have evidence that have proven effectiveness. 

You need to have knowledgeable, flexible teachers. 

This is really important, consistency in instruction across all 

classes. What happens to the child who is pulled out, receives his 

or her 45 minutes, and then goes to a class in history or social 

studies where the teacher is clueless and doesn’t understand why 

when he is asked to read aloud he cannot or why he needs extra 

time? 

You also require constant communication between teachers. You 

need a team and not one isolated instructor. 

We visited schools that were specialized schools in dyslexia. 

There is a wonderful school in Westchester County, NY, and now 

Manhattan as well. It is great. How many of us have $52,000 a 

year for tuition? 

That is going to work for the top SES group, but what about everybody else, particularly the disadvantaged? 

There is another model. I am so proud to know it and to have 

visited it and to watch it grow and prosper. This is the Louisiana 

Key Academy that is free to all dyslexic children. Here you see one 

of my heroes, Dr. Laura Cassidy, who founded and is intimately involved with the school, the principal Evelyn, and one of the teachers, and one of the students. 

I am glad Senator Cassidy mentioned accommodations. They are 

essential for dyslexic students. They are based on scientific knowledge, the law, and ethics. 

With the child, you have a child who can think at the highest 

levels but can’t read fluently; that is, quickly or automatically. It 

becomes critical to ensure that a test measures ability rather than 

disability. 

Basically, accommodations level the playing field, and especially 

in high-stakes tests. The tests must be appropriate for dyslexic students or the results will be incorrect. Accommodations are supported by scientific knowledge, by Americans with Disabilities Act, 

and by ethics. I just want to quickly show you that we have 

neurobiological evidence for requiring extra time. 

Basically, as you see on the left, in typical readers, this is the 

left side of the brain you are looking at, the systems for reading 

are shown in the front in the green, Broca’s area, and also two systems in the back, parietal temporal and the other, occipital temporal. 

If you are dyslexic, those systems function inefficiently. If you see 

a word and you are a typical reader, you are on the express side. 

12 

If you are dyslexic, that express line is blocked off and you have 

to take an alternate, secondary pathway that is much more strenuous and will take you a lot longer. You have to work harder and 

it will take you longer. You will get there, but you will be exhausted. 

By our recommendations, we have to align the patient with 21st 

century science. Schools must not be allowed to ignore or fail to 

recognize dyslexia, and we have to create and strongly support specialized schools for dyslexic students using the state-of-the-art Louisiana Key Academy model. 

We have to act now. Children go through childhood once in their 

lives. Our children can’t wait. 

We have to use the word ‘‘dyslexia.’’ It is specific. It is highly relevant and has explanatory meaning. Science provides the definition, its epidemiology and cognitive basis, where it lives in the 

brain, development and progression, and long-term outcome. 

Especially, it is important for the student to help herself, a student who is dyslexic. Knowing what she has is so empowering. It 

helps the student for the first time to understand what they have, 

to be aware of what they have, and understand what they need in 

order to succeed. 

Also very often for the first time, it provides students with a 

community to join, to know they are not alone. 

And importantly for the student, the knowledge that he or she 

is dyslexic brings with it the powerful information that they are 

not stupid or lazy. Sometimes teachers call them one or the other, 

and they become to think that. When you know what dyslexia is, 

it frees them from that misunderstanding. 

We want to thank you, and we are so delighted that we are having this hearing. Dyslexia is so prevalent, so well-understood scientifically, and it is so important to address the needs of these children, particularly through specialized public charter schools. 

[The prepared statement of Dr. Sally Shaywitz follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF SALLY E. SHAYWITZ, M.D. 

Good morning Senator Cassidy and fellow panel members. I too, thank you for 

the opportunity to speak with you about the science of dyslexia and share with you 

the tremendous scientific progress that has been made in dyslexia. Following Dr. 

Bennett Shaywitz, I, too, will focus my statement on dyslexia as an explanation and 

potential solution to the national epidemic of reading/school failure. 

My name is Sally Shaywitz and I am a physician-scientist. The Audrey G. Ratner 

Professor in Learning Development and co-director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia 

& Creativity at the Yale University School of Medicine. I am a member of the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, and have served 

on the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and 

Stroke (NINDS). the National Research Council Committee on Women in Science 

and Engineering, co-chaired the National Research Council Committee on Gender 

Differences in the Careers of Science, Engineering and Mathematics Faculty and 

have served on the congressionally mandated National Reading Panel and the Committee to Prevent Reading Difficulties in Young Children of the National Research 

Council. I am also the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Williams College. 

I speak to you as a physician-scientist. As a physician, I have all too many memories of sitting by an ailing child’s bedside, wishing so desperately that we had the 

knowledge to help that child. As a physician I know the power of science and how 

once new knowledge becomes available we act quickly, indeed, race to put that 

knowledge to good use. We want to close that knowledge gap and improve the lives 

of the affected children. When I sat on the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, we constantly asked ourselves: how have 

13 

we benefited mankind, how has our research improved the well-being of children 

and adults. 

Given that there has been so much scientific progress, we must take definitive 

steps to translate this remarkable scientific progress into practice. A fundamental 

question we can now address is what is dyslexia and what does dyslexia look like. 

THE PARADOX OF DYSLEXIA

Dyslexia is a paradox, the same slow reader is often a very fast and able thinker—giving rise to our conceptual Sea of Strengths model of dyslexia as a weakness 

in getting to the sounds of spoken words surrounded by a sea of strengths in higher 

level thinking processes such as reasoning and problem solving. Reflecting this paradox are many eminent dyslexics—financier Charles Schwab, attorney David Boies, 

cardiac surgeon Dr. Toby Cosgrove, Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel, producer Brian 

Grazer and economist, Diane Swonk. On the other side of the coin, are many who 

are not identified, do not receive evidence-based instructiond, continue to struggle 

to read and see themselves as failures. Sadly, these boys and girls have no knowledge of what their difficulty is or that it even has a name, have no self-understanding, come to view themselves as dumb or stupid, see themselves as not meant 

for school, suffer low self-esteem, often drop out of school with a loss to themselves, 

to their families and to society. 

UNDERSTANDING THE ORIGIN OF THE DIFFICULTIES LEADS TO AN UNDERSTANDING

OF THE SYMPTOMS OF DYSLEXIA

With the phonologic deficit recognized and validated, it is now possible to understand and to predict the symptoms emanating from this basic difficulty, which can 

be both observed and measured, resulting in an accurate diagnosis of dyslexia. Dyslexia is a language-based difficulty and impacts spoken language, for example, word 

retrieval difficulties: reading, initially impacting reading accuracy and then reading 

fluency, the ability to read not only accurately, but also rapidly and automatically 

with good understanding. Not being able to read automatically, dyslexic readers 

must read what I refer to as ‘‘manually,’’ requiring the output of large amounts of 

effort and consuming much of the individual’s attention. A dyslexic reader lacks fluency meaning that he reads slowly and with great effort, although he may understand the content at a high level. Importantly, the dyslexic’s vocabulary and comprehension may be quite high. Spelling is also problematic as is learning a foreign 

language—all reflected in the Cassidy-Mikulski Senate Resolution 275. 

BARRIERS TO UTILIZING SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE TO ENHANCE THE EDUCATION

OF DYSLEXIC STUDENTS

Unfortunately, scientific knowledge is not being utilized by far too many schools. 

The major barriers include: schools that are unwilling to diagnose or accept a diagnosis of dyslexia and schools that don’t ‘‘believe’’ in dyslexia. As a consequence, students are hurt by the failure of these schools to provide evidence-based interventions and accommodations. In addition, the lack of understanding of dyslexia leads 

to a failure to address the needs of the whole child. As noted, dyslexia affects: spoken language, reading accuracy and reading fluency and the ability to read math 

problems, to spell and to learn a second or foreign language. These struggles particularly when not addressed lead to anxiety and at times depression and loss of 

self-esteem, often with negative life-long effects. 

READING GAP ALREADY PRESENT BY FIRST GRADE AND PERSISTS

Scientific knowledge, too, has delineated the progression of reading development. 

Reading growth is most rapid early on, during the first few years of school and then 

plateaus. In a report to be published in November 2015, we report the results of 

a longitudinal study of reading from first grade to 12th grade and beyond. We find 

that as early as first grade, compared with typical readers, dyslexic readers had 

lower reading scores and their trajectories over time never converge with those of 

typical readers. These data demonstrate that such differences are not so much a 

function of increasing disparities over time but instead because of differences already present in first grade between typical and dyslexic readers. We conclude that 

the achievement gap between typical and dyslexic readers is evident as early as first 

grade, and this gap persists into adolescence. These findings provide strong evidence 

and impetus for early identification of, and intervention for, young children at risk 

for dyslexia. Implementing effective reading programs as early as kindergarten or 

even preschool offers the potential to close the achievement gap. 

14 

NATIONAL READING PANEL AND TEACHING READING

Fortunately, thanks to congressional action there is now strong evidence of what 

treatment elements are effective in teaching children to read. In 1998 Congress 

mandated the formation of a National Reading Panel to investigate the teaching of 

reading. I was proud to serve on the panel which produced the Report of the National Reading Panel. As a result, today it is no longer acceptable to use reading 

programs lacking scientific evidence of efficacy: instead it should be mandatory to 

use programs that are evidence-based, proven to be effective in the same way that 

medications must be tested and proven to be effective before they can be approved 

by the FDA. Our children deserve no less. And yet, today, this powerful information 

is not being used in schools, children are not learning to read and giving up, and 

not reaching their full potential. We have what amounts to an educational emergency in the United States. Children are not learning to read with serious academic, 

economic and health consequences including, school drop-out, being half as likely to 

go on to college, significantly lower lifetime earnings, significantly higher unemployment, higher rates of mental health issues such as often incapacitating anxiety, and 

as reported in 2013. significantly higher mortality rates related to lack of a high 

school diploma. These harsh consequences harm not only the dyslexic individual but 

place our country at a competitive disadvantage. 

EFFECTIVE READING INTERVENTION FOR DYSLEXIA

There is much known scientifically and clinically about dyslexia and its impact 

on children. Synthesizing that information brings with it the strong suggestion that 

a dyslexic child is best served, first by early diagnosis which should lead to early 

intervention, especially that there are now data indicating, as noted above, that the 

achievement gap is already present and large at first grade. The size of this gap 

makes it exceedingly difficult to overcome with time. It provides a strong impetus 

to identify and address dyslexia very early in the student’s school career. Assessment for phonological skills early on and/or having the child’s teacher complete a 

relatively short questionnaire, such as the Dyslexia Screening Measure (DSM) 

which is based on longitudinal data, can provide data with good sensitivity and 

specificity indicating a child’s risk of being dyslexic. 

Currently, dyslexic children are either not identified, and even if, identified provided with pull-out instruction of about 45 minutes several times a week. The child 

feels isolated and embarrassed. S/he is often teased and/or bullied, and returns to 

a class where s/he has missed the instruction other students have received. Most 

of his/her teachers have no idea of what dyslexia is, and believe it is reversing letters. This means that teachers in the child’s other classes such as social studies, 

science or biology, math or literature are totally unprepared to understand or educate the dyslexic child. These educators have no or little idea of the student’s reading level and how to best address the child’s reading, writing, spelling and word retrieval difficulties. Points are taken off for mis-spellings in history, a student’s difVerDate Nov 24 2008 14:33 Nov 13, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\DOCS\97273.TXT CAROL

97273-3.eps
15 

ficulty in reading the words in a math problem are mistakenly ascribed to lack of 

understanding of math principles and so it goes. It is critical that the dyslexic child 

is in a school where the entire faculty is on board and understands dyslexia and 

how best to address the needs of a child who is dyslexic. 

Dyslexic students require frequent opportunities to interact with their instructor; 

this is only possible in small groups as noted by the Report of the National Reading 

Panel. In large groups, dyslexic students have little opportunity to interact with the 

instructor, perhaps once during a period, if that. This is totally insufficient and does 

not provide the opportunity for the instruction to take hold. Methods must be based 

on evidence and not anecdote or belief systems, e.g., ‘‘I know in my heart that this 

methods works. I believe in it.’’ Teachers must be knowledgeable about dyslexia and 

flexible. Dyslexic students are not fluent readers, this means that they may know 

how to read one moment and then, a short while later, not be able to decipher the 

very same word. It is imperative that teachers understand the impact of lack of fluency on reading, and similarly, are aware that if a dyslexic student is called on to 

read aloud, it is often unbearably embarrassing or if she is asked a question, her 

word retrieval difficulties arising from her dyslexia may result in her not being able 

to retrieve the correct word—due not to a problem in higher level cognitive functioning or lack of knowledge but due to her inability to access and retrieve the 

sounds of the words that are needed for her to articulate the word correctly. Students are in a school during the day going to many classes: it is critical that the 

child’s teachers are united and function as a knowing and caring team that is fully 

aware of where the child is in his/her reading, how s/he is being instructed and the 

effective approaches to supporting this student in each teacher’s subject class and 

is aware of, and following, the student’s progress carefully. This requires teachers 

to function as a team, that is, to be in constant contact with one another and there 

to be on-going consistency in instruction. 

The most effective models that work for dyslexic students are specialized schools 

specifically for these students. There are a number of such specialized schools for 

dyslexic students nationally. Students attending such schools benefit, learn to read 

and succeed in their academic work and come to appreciate, too, that they are not 

stupid. However, what these independent schools have in common is high tuitions 

that many middle-class parents, and certainly not disadvantaged families, can afford. What is wonderful to see is a new model that has been developed, one exemplified by the Louisiana Key Academy (LKA) started by Dr. Laura Cassidy, which is 

a free public charter school that brings into the school and each and every classroom 

all the scientific knowledge now known about dyslexia, along with a deep understanding and concern for each student at the school. I have personally visited the 

school, spoken with teachers, students and parents and was elated to see how well 

the students are learning. how they now viewed themselves as learners rather than 

as school failures, and, perhaps, most importantly, how much pride and self-esteem 

they have developed. It is very powerful to be at a school where you are part of a 

community of dyslexic students who are bright and where you are no longer viewed 

as different, inferior and not part of the group. Given the terrible epidemic of reading and school failure, and the high prevalence of dyslexia of one in five, we must 

ensure that LKA is sustainable and strongly supported. This school has made an 

extraordinary difference for so many dyslexic students who were previously ignored, 

feared going to school and were on the path to academic, and sadly, life failure. The 

difference this school has made in these students’ lives is breath-taking and life-affirming. This opportunity for a chance at success must be made available to every 

boy and girl who is dyslexic, especially those who are disadvantaged or African 

American. We, as a society, must do no less; having successful learners will not only 

benefit the student, but his family and community, and, indeed, the Nation. The 

model of LKA, a free public charter school is a model that works, a school 

that provides the needed ‘‘all hands on board’’ climate and instruction to 

dyslexic students. Critically LKA addresses the needs of the whole child 

the entire day rather than the artificial belief that giving a child a package 

of instructions for a period a day will address the significant and on-going 

needs of a dyslexic child. 

ACCOMMODATIONS

Given that a student who is dyslexic has both a weakness and strengths, it is critical that, for example, tests, both in school and on high stakes standardized examinations and Common Core assessments actually measure the student’s ability and 

not his disability. The dyslexic student may learn to read fairly accurately but hardly ever with fluency; he remains a slow reader albeit a quick thinker. These dyslexic 

students may know the answer to a test question, but as a result of their slow readVerDate Nov 24 2008 14:33 Nov 13, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\DOCS\97273.TXT CAROL
16 

ing never get to reach many questions or to finish the test, the student simply runs 

out of time. Or, she is so anxious about finishing the exam that she races through 

it and misses questions which, given the needed time, she would be able to answer 

correctly. Thus, it is critical that students who are dyslexic receive the accommodation of extra time; it is not a perk but a necessity if the result of the test is to reflect 

that student’s knowledge. In adolescents and young adults applying for high-stakes 

standardized tests for college, graduate or professional schools, the Americans with 

Disability Amendment Act (ADAA) of 2008 is highly supportive of the need for accommodations for those with disabilities like dyslexia that impair a major life activity like reading. The ADAA regulations also state that students should receive accommodations even if they are doing well in school, it is not the outcome of their 

performance but rather what they have to do to achieve the outcome. 

High school and college students with a history of childhood dyslexia often present 

a paradoxical picture; they may be similar to their unimpaired peers on measures 

of comprehension, but they continue to suffer from the phonologic deficit that makes 

reading less automatic, more effortful, and slow. Neurobiological data provide strong 

evidence for the necessity of extra time for readers with dyslexia. Functional MRI 

data demonstrate that in dyslexic readers the word-form area, the region supporting 

rapid reading, functions inefficiently. Readers compensate by developing anterior 

systems bilaterally and the right homolog of the left word-form area. Such compensation allows for more accurate reading, but it does not support fluent or rapid 

reading. For these readers with dyslexia, the provision of extra time is an essential 

accommodation, particularly on high stakes tests such as SAT, ACT and tests for 

professional schools such as LSAT, MCAT and GRE—and for the Common Core 

tests. The accommodation of extra time allows the student time to decode each word 

and to apply his unimpaired higher order cognitive and linguistic skills to the surrounding context to get at the meaning of words that he cannot entirely or rapidly 

decode. While readers who are dyslexic improve greatly with additional time, providing additional time to non-dyslexic readers results in very minimal or no improvement in scores. 

A special word about the Common Core State standards (CCSS) and tests such 

as PARCC, which are designed to assess whether students are meeting the CCSS. 

It can be stated unequivocally, that the CCSS and accompanying tests such 

as PARCC are totally inappropriate for students with dyslexia. Such tests 

are based on the mistaken belief that all students, including dyslexic students, will be fluent readers by the end of second grade and that all students should read at grade level and above, clearly an expectation that 

flies in the face of all that has been learned about the development of reading in dyslexic children. 

Furthermore, CCSS and PARCC are based on the belief that comprehensionfocused reading instructions using ‘‘complex text’’ should be the basis of reading instructions, ignoring whether or not the student can actually read the words in the 

‘‘complex text.’’ This has had serious implications for dyslexic students. For example, 

the PARCC test for third-grade students is more targeted to the reading level of students in fifth grade and focused on reading comprehension. This has had the pernicious effect of schools dropping all other instruction, including the much-needed 

decoding instruction, to focus almost exclusively on comprehension. In addition, it 

is well-known that multiple choice questions in the PARCC are inappropriate for 

students who are dyslexic. Common Core’s overwhelming focus on comprehension 

may be appropriate for students in high school but is wholly inappropriate for children in very early grades, especially dyslexic students who are invariably still struggling with and working hard to master decoding. 

Although providing extra time for reading is by far the most common accommodation for people with dyslexia, other helpful accommodations include allowing the use 

of computers for writing essay answers on tests, access to recorded books and text 

to voice software. Other helpful accommodations include providing access to syllabi 

and lecture notes, tutors to ‘‘talk through’’ and review the content of reading material, alternatives to multiple-choice tests (e.g., reports or projects), waivers of highstakes oral exams, a separate, quiet room for taking tests, and a partial waiver of 

the foreign language requirement. Dyslexic students who have difficulty accessing 

the sound system of their primary language will, almost invariably, have difficulties 

learning a foreign language. Students with dyslexia most often have no difficulty 

with the mastery of high level courses. The problem lies in their lack of fluent, rapid 

reading so that it is the time necessary for them to read through the materials that 

is problematic. Many rigorous schools allow these students to take one course less 

during the school year and take this course during the summer. With such accommodations, many students with dyslexia are successfully completing studies in a 

range of disciplines, including science, law, medicine and education. It is accomVerDate Nov 24 2008 14:33 Nov 13, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\DOCS\97273.TXT CAROL
17 

modations such as these that are encouraging and allowing more students who are 

dyslexic to enter and to succeed in STEM fields. 

SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE SCIENCE OF DYSLEXIA

Yes, dyslexic children can learn to read and must be taught to read. It is imperative that teachers and parents learn about the powerful science of dyslexia, know 

how to identify dyslexia early on and to provide a positive climate where the entire 

school faculty is on-board in understanding and teaching students who are dyslexic. 

This can only take place in specialized schools where dyslexic students are understood, taught by evidence-based methods and are part of a community that they are 

welcomed into, rather than being isolated. We must not give up on teaching dyslexic 

children and limit a child’s future options. Education must, and can be, aligned with 

science. To best serve the dyslexic child, we must serve the whole child throughout 

the school day and not limit his education to a 45-minute pull-out once a day. 

We must ensure that scientific knowledge is translated into policy and practice 

and that ignorance and injustice do not prevail. We know better, we must act better. 

I cannot look into the face of one more child who has lost faith in himself and 

the world, I cannot look into the face of a child’s father who is desperately trying 

to hold back tears; I cannot hear once again about how a school told a mother, ‘‘we 

do not believe in dyslexia.’’ 

As an iceberg is 90 percent underwater with only 10 percent visible; similarly, in 

dyslexia, we hear about the 10 percent who have made it. Let’s not give up on the 

invisible 90 percent still underwater asking, indeed begging, to be helped. 

I am optimistic, once Congress, educators and parents are aware of the strong 

science of dyslexia, educators will want to align their practices and policies with 

21st century science. Congress, in particular, can do much to address the needs of 

dyslexic students, to transform struggling students who do not see themselves as 

learners into empowered learners who see themselves as having a positive future. 

First and foremost, it is critical that all recognize that dyslexia cuts across all 

boundaries—ethnic, racial, SES, gender, national and political. All including Republicans and Democrats must come together on this human issue; dyslexia is not, and 

should not, be used as a political issue. Recognizing and addressing dyslexia, the 

explanation and potential solution to our terrible epidemic of reading and academic 

failure is in the interest of the one in five who are dyslexic, their families and our 

Nation. I congratulate Senators Cassidy and Mikulski who have come together to 

sponsor the bipartisan Senate Resolution 275 that provides a 21st century definition 

of dyslexia and states, unequivocally, that dyslexia has significant educational implications. Isn’t it time that the IDEA written first in 1974 joins the 21st century 

science and gives dyslexia the primacy it deserves, rather than being lost in the verbiage as an afterthought. Let’s rise above political interests, acknowledge dyslexia 

and 21st century knowledge of dyslexia, including its prevalence, definition, identification, provision of not only evidence-based instruction but, critically, strong support for specialized schools for dyslexic students, schools whose climate of having everyone on-board and instructional methods allow dyslexic students to have their 

strengths, rather than their weaknesses characterize their future lives. 

Schools must not be allowed to ignore or fail to recognize dyslexia. We must act 

now. This requires creating and supporting specialized schools for dyslexic students 

using the state-of-the-art LKA model. We must always keep in mind: OUR CHILDREN CAN’T WAIT. 

For far too long, the word and the condition it represents, dyslexia, has been overlooked, not said and not used, much to the detriment of the millions of children who 

are dyslexic. Dyslexia is specific, highly relevant and carries with it explanatory 

meaning. Science provides its definition, epidemiology, cognitive basis, neurobiological basis, developmental progression, and long-term outcome. 

Perhaps, most important of all, the greatest beneficiary of knowing who she or 

he is, is the dyslexic student him/herself. To know what you have has a name and 

explains so much of what you experience on a daily basis and lets you know that 

you are intelligent, even if you can’t read quickly, is incredibly empowering. I have 

had the experience of telling so many children (and adults, too) that they are 

dyslexic and what that means. The absolute relief this provides can be life-changing, 

and indeed, life-saving. Knowledge that you are dyslexic provides the student with 

self-understanding and self-awareness of what s/he has and what s/he needs to do 

in order to succeed. Furthermore, such knowledge provides students with a community to join—for many, it is the very first time they know they are not alone. For 

his or her parent, teacher and importantly, the student, knowledge that s/he is 

dyslexic brings with it the information that the individual is not stupid or lazy. 

Top priority recommendation: 

18 

Given that dyslexia affects the whole child in every class throughout the 

school day it seems reasonable to strongly encourage the creation of specialized charter schools that focus solely on dyslexia. Recognizing the rapid 

growth in reading in the very first years of school and the already present gap by 

first grade the school should begin as early as possible, by kindergarten or first 

grade. The goal is to reach children at-risk for dyslexia early on when reading intervention can be maximally effective and before the students fall further and further 

behind. At such specialized charter schools, such as the Louisiana Key Academy, the 

entire educational team from principal to classroom teacher to physical education 

instructor understand dyslexia, it impact students in various situations and are on 

board to support the students throughout their day. Here, students learn and there 

is no bullying by students or frustration expressed by teachers who may not understand the impact of dyslexia. These schools can also serve as resources where teachers can come, spend time and learn about dyslexia, what it is and how it impacts 

a student and learn specific evidence-based methods for teaching reading to dyslexic 

students and how to best implement these methods. 

Other Recommendations: 

• Schools must not be allowed to ignore, fail to recognize or deny the reality or 

diagnosis of dyslexia. 

• Schools, including teachers, principals and other administrators and parents 

should make every effort to use the word dyslexia since it has specific, highly relevant and explanatory meaning; science has provided its: definition; epidemiology; 

cognitive basis; neurobiological basis; developmental progression; and long-term outcome. For dyslexia, knowledge of its cognitive basis indicates what symptoms to look 

for so that symptoms of dyslexia in the classroom (and at home) are noted and acknowledged rather than as currently happens, ignored or overlooked. This greater 

awareness and understanding of dyslexia and its impact will benefit both the teacher and student both in the teaching of reading and in the climate and attitudes 

within the classroom. 

• Using the word dyslexia provides a common language facilitating communication among teachers, clinicians, scientists and parents. 

• For the student, the knowledge that he is dyslexic is empowering, providing the 

student with self-understanding and self-awareness of what he has and what he 

needs to do in order to succeed. 

• For students, knowledge that they are dyslexic also provides a community to 

join—they know they are not alone. 

• For the parent and teacher, and importantly the student, knowledge that he or 

she is dyslexic brings with it the information that the individual is not stupid or 

lazy. 

• Critically important is that schools must use evidence-based programs that have 

proven efficacy; research-based simply indicates that there are theoretical suggestions but does not provide evidence that the program is, indeed, effective. Evidencebased programs are akin to the level of evidence the FDA requires before a medication can be approved for use. Many, many theoretical, research-based approaches, 

when tested in the field, prove to be ineffective. Our children’s reading is too important to be left to theoretical, but unproven, practices and methods. We must replace 

anecdotal and common, but non-evidence-based practices, with those that are proven, that is, they are evidence-based. 

• Professional development programs targeted for teachers must provide evidence 

that the students of the teachers using these programs actually improve in their 

reading performance. This is in contrast to some professional development programs 

which seem to improve teacher’s understanding but not in a way that results in improvement in their student’s reading performance. 

• Schools of education must ensure that aspiring teachers are taught evidencebased methods to teach reading and have monitored experience demonstrating that 

they are effective in implementing these methods. 

• Scientific evidence that reading growth is maximum in the very first few years 

of school and then plateaus together with new data indicating that the reading gap 

between typical and dyslexic readers is already present at first grade and persists 

means that students must receive evidence-based instructions at the start of their 

school experience and their progress carefully monitored. Waiting is harmful and 

not acceptable. 

There is so much more to tell; for those who have questions and want to know 

more, visit the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity website: dyslexia.yale.edu or 

look at my book, ‘‘Overcoming Dyslexia,’’ which discusses the scientific basis of dyslexia and how to translate this knowledge into practice. 

19 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. 

Now we go to Ameer. 

Let me just say, when I saw that slide, I took a picture of it, 

about the Sea of Strengths model of dyslexia. Ameer, I looked at 

you. If you can speak about your testimony, which I think shows 

the issue of decoding in the midst of a sea of strengths. 

STATEMENT OF AMEER BARAKA, AUTHOR/ACTOR, 

NEW ORLEANS, LA 

Mr. BARAKA. First, I want to say good morning to everyone who 

is here. I want to thank the Senator and his wife and the panelists 

for their participation, particularly for allowing me to be here. 

It is pretty disturbing. Every time I look at something like that 

or listen to that lady and seeing that chalkboard with comprehension, reading, the diagram that she has, I find it very difficult. 

Even as a man, as a grown man right now, there is a sense of 


97273-1.eps 97273-2.eps
20 

shame. It is not as overbearing as it was years ago, but it still lies 

there, dormant, waiting to be activated by things like that because 

it is facts. It is facts. 

Both brothers and sisters of mine who went on to college did extremely well. I couldn’t get it. 

I am going to read my testimony to you guys. This is my story. 

This is my pain. This is my struggle and, ultimately, my success. 

I first would like to thank the committee for allowing me the opportunity to tell my story. I also would like to thank Senator Bill 

Cassidy and his wife for what they do to help those who struggle 

with dyslexia. 

As a young kid living in abject poverty, it was hard on my mother, who was trying to raise three kids. My two siblings effortlessly 

excelled in school, and there was joy around their accomplishments. 

For some reason, I wasn’t able to understand what was being 

taught. 

My mother and my siblings couldn’t understand why school 

didn’t come as easily for me, so I was called stupid, dumb, and 

other names that pushed me into darkness and shyness. I became 

disengaged with school and believed that I just might really be 

dumb because I couldn’t read. 

In third grade, I started cutting school and would sleep in the 

project hallways on Fridays to avoid spelling tests. There was one 

teacher who tried to help me, but by this time, it was too late. I 

created this distorted image of myself, and nothing was going to 

alter it. 

I was incarcerated by my own self-imposed limitations. I couldn’t 

read or spell, and my family and peers made that very clear to me. 

I’ll never forget the day I was called upon to read out loud in the 

sixth grade. Other kids had their hands up eager to read, but the 

teacher must have seen me with my head down, trying not to be 

noticed. It was the most embarrassing moment of my life. I didn’t 

know a single word, and I struggled to read the paragraph. 

As I look back now, I can’t imagine how teachers kept pushing 

me to the next grade. That day I made up my mind that I was 

never going back to school. 

Shortly after that incident in school, I was introduced to a drug 

dealer by another friend who had given up on school as well. This 

was my solution because dealing drugs required no reading. I 

would pray at night for God to help me become a big-time drug 

dealer so I could help my family and community. 

Making that choice seemed like my best and only option. I did 

really well and felt good about myself in the drug world. No one 

called me dumb or stupid, and we all basically shared the same 

mindset about hating school. 

I made a few attempts to get back into school to alleviate my 

mother’s concerns about my future, but it was not successful. I 

would just show up for a couple hours and leave to get back to 

dealing my drugs. 

I bought into the lies of the streets, that real men get money by 

any means necessary and to protect their block, even if it came 

down to using guns. 

21 

I took another kid’s life because he was dealing in my projects, 

and that was a no-no if you weren’t from my projects. After serving 

a year for manslaughter as a juvenile, I was released. 

I still couldn’t read, so I got right back into the lifestyle of dealing drugs. As time went on, I was getting deeper into this life and 

was eventually caught with a lot of drugs and was facing 60 years 

in prison. 

With God’s help, I was found guilty and received a lesser sentence of 4 years. 

That’s when the metamorphosis took place. I wanted to learn to 

read. My GED teacher in prison realized that I was reading poorly 

and had me tested for a learning disability. Dyslexia was a word 

I had never heard until I was in prison. He said, if I tried hard 

enough, I could get my GED. 

Every day after I came out of working in the fields, I would go 

to school and at night stay up learning to spell words. It was hard 

work trying to believe that learning to read and getting my GED 

was possible, but my teacher helped me get through it. After 4 

years, I attained my GED. 

If someone detected this problem earlier in my childhood education, it would have saved me a lot of suffering and possibly my 

time in jail. My self-esteem shot through the roof after I received 

my GED. 

There are so many kids today that have this same issue with 

reading and can’t get adequate help because teachers can’t devote 

their entire day or class time to one individual student who struggles with reading, or they are never diagnosed and never understood why they are having so many problems in school. 

Also, I read my memoir, The Life I Chose, to many men in prison 

now, and they want to learn to read. We can’t wait until people get 

into prison to help them realize their potential. 

I hope the committee will take prevention measures now. When 

a boy or girl can read, anything becomes possible. To reduce incarceration, let’s get ahead of this epidemic and turn lives around 

early. If it wasn’t for teachers in prison and God’s mercy, I would 

be dead or in prison with no chance of returning to society. 

Reading set me free to dream of becoming an actor, producer, 

and author. 

I appreciate you listening to my testimony, and I hope that you 

share my story with educators around the world. 

This is my story. This is real, people. In this great country that 

we live in, the Founding Fathers did not construct the Constitution 

to leave no one behind. It is for everybody to excel. 

For some reason, we are declining now. We have gotten away 

from what the Fathers have said. We have gotten away from looking back and helping our fellow brothers and sisters. We have become selfish. 

This is evidence-based practices. It is an epidemic. Both brothers 

and sisters of mine went on to college. They did extremely well. 

But I could not get it. I could not get it. 

There are thousands of children I come across daily in schools, 

because I go to schools throughout New Orleans, I go to prisons, 

and people tell me, ‘‘Ameer, I can’t read, either. Do you think I can 

read?’’ I say, ‘‘Yes, you can read.’’ I say, ‘‘Can your brother and sisVerDate Nov 24 2008 14:33 Nov 13, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 S:\DOCS\97273.TXT CAROL
22 

ter read?’’ ‘‘Yes, they can read.’’ ‘‘So you can, too, but you have to 

work hard.’’ 

They are so in a pit, they have dug themselves so down in an 

emotional pit, they don’t even believe. Only by God’s grace I was 

able to believe, because there was a white man that told me, ‘‘Sit 

in the front of the class in prison.’’ He said, ‘‘If you want to read, 

I am going to help you read.’’ 

When I had seen what the Senator is doing, and his wife, when 

I went to that school and I saw that there was no disparity among 

race, I said to myself, I want to support these people. These people 

are trying to help people. I am here today to let you know that 

what they are saying is true. I experienced it. 

Thank you, and God bless you. May you go out and share the 

message. 

[Applause.] 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Baraka follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF AMEER BARAKA

I would first like to thank the committee for allowing me the opportunity to tell 

my story. I also would like to thank Senator Bill Cassidy and his wife for the work 

they do to help those who struggle with dyslexia. 

As a young kid living in abject poverty, it was hard on my mother who was trying 

to raise three kids. My two siblings effortlessly excelled in school and there was joy 

around their accomplishments. But for some reason I wasn’t able to understand 

what was being taught. My mother and my siblings couldn’t understand why school 

didn’t come as easily for me. I was called stupid, dumb and other names that 

pushed me into darkness and shyness. I became disengaged with school and believed that I just might really be dumb because I couldn’t read. In third grade, I 

started cutting school and would sleep in the project hallways on Fridays to avoid 

spelling tests. There was one teacher who tried to help me, but by this time it was 

too late. I created this distorted image of myself and nothing was going to alter it. 

I was incarcerated by my own self-imposed limitations. I couldn’t read or spell and 

my family and peers made that very clear to me. 

I’ll never forget the day I was called upon to read out loud in my 6th grade class. 

Other kids had their hands up eager to read but the teacher must have saw me 

with my head down trying not to be noticed. It was the most embarrassing moment 

of my life. I didn’t know a single word and I struggled to read the paragraph. As 

I look back now, I can’t understand how teachers kept pushing me to the next 

grade. That day I made up in my mind that I was never going back to school. 

Shortly after that incident in school, I was introduced to a drug dealer by another 

friend who also had given up on school. This was my solution because dealing drugs 

required no reading. I would pray at night for God to help me become a big time 

drug dealer so I could help my family and community. Making that choice seemed 

like my best and only option. I did really well and felt good about myself in the drug 

world. No one called me dumb or stupid and we all basically shared the same 

mindset about hating school. I made a few attempts to get back in school to alleviate 

my mother’s concerns about my future, but it was not successful. I would just show 

up for a couple hours and leave to get back to dealing my drugs. 

I bought into the lies of the streets, that real men get money by any means necessary and to protect their block even if it came down to using a gun. I took another 

kid’s life because he was dealing in my projects and that was a no- no if you weren’t 

from my projects. After serving a year for manslaughter as a juvenile, I was released. I still couldn’t read so I got right back into that lifestyle of dealing drugs. 

As time went on, I was getting deeper into this life and was eventually caught with 

a lot of drugs and was facing 60 years in prison. With God’s help I was found guilty 

of a lesser crime and given 4 years instead. 

That’s when my metamorphosis took place. I wanted to learn to read. My GED 

teacher in prison realized that I was reading poorly and had me tested for a learning disability. Dyslexia was a word I had never heard of until I was in prison. He 

said, if I try hard enough I could get my GED. Every day after I came out of working in the fields, I would go to school and at night stay up learning to spell words. 

It was hard work trying to believe that learning to read and getting my GED was 

23 

possible. But my teacher helped me get through it and after 4 years I attained my 

GED. 

If someone detected this problem earlier in my childhood education it would have 

saved me a lot of suffering and possibly my time in jail. My self-esteem shot through 

the roof after I received my GED. There are so many kids today that have this same 

issue with reading. They can’t get adequate help because teachers can’t devote their 

entire day or class time to one individual student who struggles with reading. Or 

they are never diagnosed, and never understand why they are having so many problems in school. 

Also, I read my memoir book (The Life I Chose) to many of the men in prison 

and now they want to learn to read. We can’t wait until people get into prison to 

help them realize their potential. I hope the committee will take prevention measures now. When a boy or girl can read anything becomes possible. To reduce incarceration, let’s get ahead of this epidemic and turn lives around early. If it wasn’t 

for that teacher in prison and God’s mercy, I would be dead or in prison with no 

chance to return to society. 

Reading set me free to dream of becoming an actor, producer and author. I appreciate you reading my testimony. Please share it with children and educators across 

the world. 

Thank you for listening. 

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Buquet. 

STATEMENT OF J.J. BUQUET, PRESIDENT, BUQUET 

DISTRIBUTING CO., HOUMA, LA 

Mr. BUQUET. I have to follow that? Wow. 

[Laughter.] 

Members of the committee, ladies and gentlemen, let me begin 

by thanking you for this opportunity to address you today and to 

share with you my experience with the learning disability we know 

today as dyslexia. 

My name is J.J. Buquet, and I am the son of Jimmy and Glenny 

Lee Buquet of Houma, LA. My mother was a teacher in her early 

years and, therefore, had a background in the field of education. 

She knew what to look for and could sense when something wasn’t 

right, as my sisters and I proceeded through our formative educational years. 

When I was about 8 years old, my parents recognized that there 

was something wrong. They knew that my sisters and I were going 

to school. We were doing our homework. We were attending class, 

behaving, for the most part. Yet, we were struggling. This was 

around 1974, 1975. 

My mother found a testing facility in Lafayette, LA, that was associated with Dr. Charles Shedd and his research with learning 

disabilities. It was then that my older sister, Andree, and I were 

both diagnosed with dyslexia. 

I wasn’t quite sure what to make of all this at the time. I was 

8. I recall feeling a little relieved in knowing that my academic 

struggles were not simply the result of being stupid. 

Your self-esteem can be greatly affected in the classroom as other 

kids are whizzing through their books and math problems, and you 

are having trouble getting past the first three sentences. This revelation was a little comforting to me at the time. 

The problem was that the K–12 world, both public and private, 

had not really recognized the existence of learning disabilities in 

general, much less something called dyslexia. There were no accommodations in existence. Teachers had no understanding as to 

the nature of the problem much less as to how to help a child with 

dyslexia. The school administrators had no understanding or real 

24 

appreciation of the problem and were, quite frankly, frustrated at 

the thought of having to deal with kids who fell outside of what 

they considered to be the normal educational process. 

Needless to say, my parents, who were very involved in our educational formation, had to fight very hard and advocate strenuously 

on our behalf. And fight they did. 

They began to discuss this discovery of dyslexia with other parents in the community and quickly found out that many of their 

friends, other parents, their kids were having trouble. Those parents, in turn, had their kids tested. Come to find out, their kids 

also had dyslexia. A small community of parents began to coalesce 

in our community. 

As I look back, they began to approach the problem with a twopronged approach. The first was to work within the educational 

system to advocate for various accommodations. As you might expect, some administrators were more willing than others to assist. 

I was fortunate. I was given extra time on tests, provided special 

meal plans, and given some in-the-classroom remedial training. 

The second thing is, in my opinion, the most important thing 

that occurred. The second thing my parents did was to start a Saturday school program in Houma. Every single Saturday, from 8 to 

12, for 4 years, we all went to a site and were given intensive remedial training. This was different from anything that you would 

normally find in a regular classroom. The program utilized extensive multisensory methodologies. There were multiple one-on-one 

sessions, running 30 to 45 minutes each. 

I must tell you that it was this intensive remediation that made 

all the difference in the world for me. I believe that had it not been 

for those efforts and sacrifices of my parents and their friends, I 

would not have gone on to college much less have gotten my MBA 

from Tulane. 

The one thing that I would really like for you to walk away with 

today is an appreciation for the fact that those with dyslexia can 

and indeed do learn. We just learn differently. 

The cookie-cutter, assembly line methodology of education simply 

doesn’t work for a kid with dyslexia. A system or methodology is 

needed that will not only recognize the existence of dyslexia, but 

provide for a set of accommodations and remediation that will 

allow a child to realize their full potential. 

I would like to thank you for your time and allowing me to provide this review of my experience, and I would be happy to answer 

any questions that you may have. 

Senator, thank you again for this opportunity. 

[Applause.] 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Buquet follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF JJ BUQUET

Members of the committee, ladies and gentlemen, let me begin by thanking you 

for this opportunity to address you today and to share with you my experience with 

the learning disability we know of today as Dyslexia. 

My name is JJ Buquet and I am the son of Jimmy and Glenny Lee Buquet of 

Houma, LA. My mother was a teacher in her early years and therefore had a background in the field of education. She knew what to look for and could sense when 

something wasn’t right as my sisters and I proceeded through our formative educational years. When I was about 8 years old, my parents recognized that there was 

something wrong. They knew my sisters and I were doing our homework, were atVerDate Nov 24 2008 14:33 Nov 13, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\DOCS\97273.TXT CAROL
25 

tending class, were behaving and participating. And yet, we were struggling. This 

was around 1974, 1975. My mother found a testing facility in Lafayette that was 

associated with Dr. Charles Shedd and his research with learning disabilities. It 

was then that my older sister, Andree, and I were both diagnosed with Dyslexia. 

I wasn’t quite sure what to make of all this at the age of 8 but I recall feeling 

a little relieved in knowing that my academic struggles were not simply the result 

of being ‘‘stupid’’. Your self-esteem can be greatly affected in the classroom as other 

kids are whizzing through books and math problems and you can’t seem to get past 

the first three sentences. This revelation was a little comforting at first. 

The problem was that the K–12 world, both public and private, had not really recognized the existence of learning disabilities in general much less something called 

Dyslexia. There were no accommodations in existence. Teachers had no understanding as to the nature of the problem much less as to how to help a child with 

Dyslexia. The school administrators had no understanding or appreciation for the 

problem and were quite frankly frustrated at the thought of having to deal with 

kids who fell outside of what they considered to be the normal educational process. 

Needless to say, my parents, who were very involved in our educational formation, 

had to fight very hard and advocate strenuously on our behalf. But fight they did. 

They began to discuss this discovery of Dyslexia with other parents and quickly 

found out that many other parents were having similar struggles with their kids. 

Those parents had their kids tested. And soon, there was a small community of folks 

who all found themselves in the same situation. As I look back—they took a twopronged approach. 

The first was to work within the educational systems to advocate for various accommodations. As you might expected, some administrators were more willing than 

others to help. I was fortunate. I was given extra time on tests, provided special 

meal plans, and given some in-the-classroom remedial training. 

The second thing my parents did was start a Saturday school program. Every single Saturday, from 8 to 12—for 4 years, we all went to a site and were given intensive remedial training. But this was different from anything that you normally 

found in a regular classroom. The program utilized extensive multisensory methodologies. There were multiple one-on-one sessions running 30 to 45 minutes each. 

I must tell you that it was this intensive remediation that made all the difference 

in the world. I believe that had it not been for the efforts and sacrifices of my parents and the others like them; I would not have gone on to college much less achieve 

an MBA from Tulane University. 

The one thing I would really like for you to walk away with today is an appreciation for the fact that those with Dyslexia can and indeed do learn. We just learn 

differently. The cookie cutter, assembly line method of education simply does not 

work for a kid with Dyslexia. A system or methodology is needed that will not only 

recognize the existence of dyslexia, but provide for a set of accommodations and remediation that will allow for the child to realize their full potential. 

I would like to again thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be here today 

and to thank you for taking the time to consider the academic needs of those with 

dyslexia and other related learning disabilities. I would be happy to answer any 

questions that you may have. 

The CHAIRMAN. Karen, we have the contrast between a life with 

no early identification and delayed remediation, and one with early 

identification and remediation. You are the educator. Please comment. 

STATEMENT OF KAREN CHAUVIN, DIRECTOR, LOUISIANA CENTER FOR DYSLEXIA AND RELATED LEARNING DISORDERS, 

NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY, THIBODAUX, LA 

Ms. CHAUVIN. Again, I would like to thank you all for having me. 

I was asked to provide testimony addressing the provision of accommodations for dyslexic students and the resources dyslexic students need to succeed in school and life. 

Dyslexic students, because of their creative thinking abilities, 

can be valuable additions to any classroom. They offer unique perspectives that can enrich learning for all students in the class. 

However, these students are often misunderstood by educators, 

parents, and classmates. Because they struggle with reading, writVerDate Nov 24 2008 14:33 Nov 13, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 S:\DOCS\97273.TXT CAROL
26 

ing, spelling, and even speaking, they are often perceived as lacking intelligence. 

Dyslexia is a deficit in the phonological functioning, or the ability 

to manipulate the sounds of language, that results in difficulty or 

inability to decode even the simplest words, as Dr. Shaywitz described earlier. 

As a result, a highly intelligent student with great vocabulary 

and reasoning skills may not be able to decode words, preventing 

him from using his intelligence, vocabulary, and reasoning skills to 

make sense of what is printed on the page. One way students with 

dyslexia can succeed in spite of their reading challenges is to provide them with accommodations. 

In addition to effective teaching, accommodations are the key to 

dyslexic success in school. Some of the most common accommodations are tests read aloud and extended time for tests and assignments. Having a test or reading assignment read aloud or using 

text-to-speech software allows the student to access his knowledge 

and utilize his reasoning skills. 

Even for a student who has learned to read, reading is mechanical and laborious when you have dyslexia, thus resulting in insufficient cognitive desk space. They can’t think about what they are 

reading, because the reading is so difficult. 

Good readers recognize many thousands of words by sight; 

dyslexic readers tend to have to decode every word on the page, as 

very few of them are instantly recognized. The student takes so 

long to read, and reading is so difficult, that he cannot think about 

what he is reading. 

Providing extended time for tests allows the student the opportunity to perhaps read and re-read the material and then to process what has been read. Also, when tests require writing answers, 

as opposed to just bubbling in answer sheets, the same amount of 

effort goes into formulating the answer and getting the words onto 

the page. Extended time is critical. 

Another option is to have the student dictate his answers either 

to a live person or using speech-to-text software. Being able to 

speak his answers eliminates the troublesome spelling and grammar problems associated with writing. 

Another accommodation for dyslexic students is the ability to 

have a note taker or copies of the teacher’s notes for a class lecture. 

Because of the dyslexic’s difficulty with printed words, both reading 

and writing, the student should have access to the notes while the 

lecture is going on, so he can simply listen and enhance or highlight the given notes. 

All too often, students are forced to try to write notes while the 

teacher is talking, but there again is the limited cognitive desk 

space. They can’t pay attention to what is said because they are 

trying to spell words. He may get some words onto the page, but 

because it is such a struggle, he misses the gist of what the teacher 

is saying and cannot participate in discussions. Therefore, he seems 

to either lack motivation or interest, or maybe he just seems like 

he does not understand. 

Imagine the overwhelming challenge of having to attend to each 

letter printed or each sound spoken in words before you can even 

begin to think about the meaning of the words. 

27 

These types of accommodations eliminate that burden. Unfortunately, many educators and testing companies believe that providing accommodations to some students is not fair to others. 

Rick Lavoie, an educator for over 30 years and an advocate for 

students with learning disabilities, expresses that fairness does not 

mean that everyone gets the same thing; fairness means that everyone gets what he or she needs to be successful. When students 

are treated fairly by Rick Lavoie’s definition, they can succeed and 

even thrive in the classroom. We see this happen with college students every day at Nicholls State University. 

What Congress can do to help students with dyslexia is provide 

them with the resources they need to succeed in life and school. 

As an educator who travels extensively through the State of Louisiana and into other States, I feel that there are two important 

issues at hand. 

I am going to run out of time. 

The CHAIRMAN. You have 30 seconds. 

Ms. CHAUVIN. OK. 

One is the preparation of teachers at the college level. In 1997, 

Congress asked the NICHD and the U.S. Department of Education 

to establish the National Reading Panel that would evaluate existing research and evidence to find the best ways of teaching children to read. The National Reading Panel submitted its final report 

in April 2000. Back in June 1999, Dr. Louisa Moats published a 

paper titled ‘‘Teaching Reading IS Rocket Science’’ in which she 

elaborated on the importance of effective teacher preparation in 

reading instructions. 

Over 15 years later, we still have young teachers in America’s 

classrooms who have received minimal instructions at the college 

level on how to teach struggling readers. Where months of instructions in the structure of the English language and hands-on application are needed to be an effective reading teacher, particularly 

for students with dyslexia and similar learning disabilities, many 

teacher education candidates receive a simple glossing over of 

phonics. 

The research is there. It should guide the profession. It should 

start in every teacher preparation program in the country. 

As I travel to school districts providing professional development, 

I hear the same story, ‘‘We should have learned that in college.’’ 

The second important issue, also dependent on funding, is the 

availability of resources in the public school systems. Right here in 

Louisiana, there are huge discrepancies in what is available for 

dyslexic students. School districts are funded largely based on the 

tax base of the parish. Is it fair that a student who is dyslexic in 

a poor rural parish cannot have access to the same effective teacher and assistive technology as a dyslexic student in a more prosperous district? 

Remember the fairness definition. Give the students what they 

need to succeed. Allocate Federal funding for dyslexia. Thank you. 

[Applause.] 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Chauvin follows:] 

28 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF KAREN CHAUVIN

I was asked to provide a testimony addressing the provision of accommodations 

for dyslexic students and the resources dyslexic students need to succeed in school 

and life. Dyslexic students, because of their creative thinking abilities, can be valuable additions to any classroom. They offer unique perspectives that can enrich 

learning for all students in the class. However, these students are often misunderstood by educators, parents, and classmates. Because they struggle with reading, 

writing, spelling, and even speaking, they are often perceived as lacking intelligence. Dyslexia is a deficit in the phonological functioning (the ability to manipulate the sounds of language) of the brain that results in difficulty or inability to decode even the simplest words. As a result, a highly intelligent student with great 

vocabulary and reasoning skills may not be able to decode words, preventing him 

from using his intelligence, vocabulary, and reasoning skills to make sense of what 

is printed on the page. 

One way students with dyslexia can succeed in spite of their reading challenges 

is to provide them with accommodations. In addition to effective teaching, accommodations are the key to dyslexics’ success in school. Some of the most common accommodations are tests read aloud and extended time for tests and assignments. 

Having a test or reading assignment read aloud or using text to speech software 

allows the student to access his knowledge and reasoning skills. Even for a student 

who has learned to read, reading is mechanical (not smooth) and laborious, thus resulting in insufficient cognitive desk space. Good readers recognize many thousands 

of words by sight; dyslexic readers tend to have to decode every word on the page 

as very few of them are instantly recognized. The student takes so long to read, and 

reading is so difficult, that he cannot think about what he is reading; he has limited 

cognitive desk space. Providing extended time for tests allows the student the opportunity to perhaps read and re-read the material and then to process what has been 

read. Also, when tests require writing answers (as opposed to bubbling in answer 

sheets), the same amount of effort goes into formulating the answer and getting the 

words onto the page. Extended time is critical. Another option is to have the student 

dictate his answers either to a live person or using speech to text software. Being 

able to speak his answers eliminates the troublesome spelling and grammar problems associated with writing. Another valuable accommodation for dyslexic students 

is the ability to have a note-taker or copies of the teacher’s notes for a class lecture. 

Because of the dyslexic’s difficulty with printed words (reading and writing) the student should have access to the notes while the lecture is going on so he or she can 

simply listen and enhance or highlight the given notes. All too often, students are 

forced to write notes while the teacher is talking, but again, there is limited cognitive desk space. He may get some words onto the page, but because it is such a 

struggle, he misses out of getting the gist of what the teacher says, and he cannot 

participate in discussions because of it. Imagine the overwhelming challenge of having to attend to each letter in printed words or each sound in spoken words before 

you can even begin to think about the meaning of the words. These types of accommodations eliminate that burden. Unfortunately, many educators and testing companies believe that providing accommodations to some students is not fair to the 

others. Rick Lavoie, an educator for over 30 years and an advocate for students with 

learning disabilities, expresses that fairness does not mean that everyone gets the 

same thing; fairness means that everyone gets what he or she needs to be successful. 

When students are treated fairly by Rick Lavoie’s definition, they can succeed and 

even thrive in the classroom. 

What can Congress do to help students with dyslexia have the resources they 

need to succeed in life and school? As an educator who travels extensively throughout the State of Louisiana and into other States, I feel that there are two important 

issues at hand. One is the preparation of teachers at the college level. In 1997, Congress asked the NICHD and the U.S. Department of Education to establish the National Reading Panel that would evaluate existing research and evidence to find the 

best ways of teaching children to read. The National Reading Panel submitted its 

final report in April 2000. In June 1999, Dr. Louisa Moats published a paper titled 

Teaching Reading IS Rocket Science in which she elaborated on the importance of 

effective teacher preparation in reading instruction. Now, over 15 years later, we 

still have young teachers in America’s classrooms who have received minimal instruction at the college level on how to teach struggling readers. Where months of 

instruction in the structure of the English language and hands-on application are 

needed to be an effective reading teacher, particularly for students with dyslexia 

and similar learning disabilities, many teacher education candidates receive a simple glossing over of phonics. The research is there. It should guide the profession, 

and it should start in every teacher preparation program in the country. Then, the 

29 

research should guide professional development for current teachers. As I travel to 

school districts around the country, providing professional development, I hear the 

same story, we should have learned that in college. 

I realize that most decisions boil down to funding, but for the future of our children, we need to be sure that adequate funding is available for teachers (pre-service 

and in-service) to access high-quality teacher education programs that utilize the research and prepare teachers to teach ALL children. It is estimated that 1 in 5 children are dyslexic. It is not good enough to prepare teachers to teach 4 out of 5 children. 

The second important issue, also dependent on funding, is the availability of resources in the public school systems. Right here in Louisiana there are huge discrepancies in what is available for dyslexic students. School districts are funded 

largely based on the tax base of the parish. Is it fair that a student who is dyslexic 

in a poor rural parish cannot have access to the same effective teacher and assistive 

technology as a dyslexic student in a more prosperous district? Remember the fairness definition? Give the students what they need to succeed. Allocate Federal funding for students with dyslexia. 

The CHAIRMAN. Let me just say, to hear the Shaywitzes with 

their slides, and then to hear Ameer and J.J. kind of give the real 

life of what it was about—one thing I took notes from what I think 

Dr. Sally Shaywitz said, that students must be empowered. They 

need to understand what is going on with themselves. They need 

to be in a community and know that they are not alone. And then 

everybody else must be on board. 

Ameer, let me ask, at some point you realized that there was 

nothing to be ashamed of. You had the brainpower. You had a sea 

of strengths. For whatever reason, you couldn’t read. When were 

you actually told that there was something called dyslexia and that 

you might have it? 

Mr. BARAKA. I was told that when I was sent to the penitentiary. 

The CHAIRMAN. Who told you? 

Mr. BARAKA. A schoolteacher. 

The CHAIRMAN. What did that do? Sally mentioned, once given 

the diagnosis, it kind of allows the child or the adult that selfinsight. Did that occur with you? I am going to ask the same thing 

of you, J.J. 

If so, what did it mean? 

Mr. BARAKA. What made me feel good about myself was, in prison, there are so many men who cannot read. When you go to prison, you are tested. Everyone goes to class and you take this exam. 

I found out they said I was at the second or third grade level. Another guy said he was on the fourth grade level. I felt good that 

I was in a room with people that were maybe a year or two above 

me, but who were all grown men. I felt really good about that. 

I said to myself, OK, these guys are just like me. They are just 

like me, unfortunately. 

The CHAIRMAN. That was a community of those who struggle to 

read. What about the community of those who might have dyslexia 

and, my gosh, maybe you can read? 

By the way, I didn’t realize until you just said it that the prisons 

have data on their percent of newly incarcerated who are functionally illiterate. 

Mr. BARAKA. Yes. Very high. 

The CHAIRMAN. I knew it was high. I didn’t know that they routinely screen for that. 

Mr. BARAKA. They do. 

30 

The CHAIRMAN. J.J., at some point, you see your sisters. Sibling 

rivalry must have been tough on you. They are doing well. You are 

not. Yet then you were told there is a reason that you were not. 

Dr. Sally mentioned how much that can mean to a child. Then you 

are instantly went into the community. 

It is like you were the PowerPoint slide, J.J. Buquet. 

Mr. BUQUET. Right. 

The CHAIRMAN. Give us your real life experience with that. 

Mr. BUQUET. My older sister and I were both diagnosed, so there 

was not too much competition. It was early on. I was 8 years old. 

She was 12. As you progress in age, the more difficult it becomes 

because the further and further behind you become at your grade 

level. My sister, Andree, was 4 years ahead and really had more 

of a compensatory lag to make up for. 

It is very, very frustrating. It is a relief. Again, I was 8 years old. 

That was a long time ago. I had a friend of mine who discovered 

that he was dyslexic about 20 years ago. He was in college. To see 

the relief on his face that, 

‘‘Hey, I am really not stupid. I just have this little neurological issue, and there is actually some programming out 

there to help me overcome it.’’ 

It is a huge relief to those who find out. 

Senator, the prison system, a lot of those guys who are illiterate, 

a lot of them have dyslexia. It goes all the way back to—knowledge 

is power, but power can be dangerous, and it requires a response. 

If we were testing in our public school systems, and in private, for 

that matter, at an early age, grades one, two, three, and determined what kids have dyslexia—we test kids so much today, why 

can’t we test for this? I am afraid the administrators don’t want 

to know, because that means they would have to respond to it. 

If you have 20 percent of your population with a particular virus, 

that would be all over the news as a pandemic. You do not hear 

about it in the field of education with dyslexia. 

I really think that the diagnosis early on is a critical first step 

as we try to wrap our hands around the problem nationally. 

The CHAIRMAN. That feeds nicely into the story of your sister— 

delayed diagnosis bringing on greater difficulty. 

Let me ask of either Dr. Bennett or Dr. Sally, you mention that 

those differences can be found detected in first grade. What is the 

consequence of not making early diagnosis and not also having that 

early remediation? 

Dr. SALLY SHAYWITZ. The consequences are severe and grave. 

One is the student and the way that student is treated by his or 

her teacher. They are often called dumb or, ‘‘How can you not understand that?’’ Or called to read aloud and cannot. That student 

is teased and bullied. 

Because that achievement gap is so large at the beginning, it is 

just going to persist. The student will believe that they don’t have 

intelligence. 

Just like Ameer said, they will feel that school is not the place 

for me and also feel that they are dumb. 

The CHAIRMAN. Sally, so the delayed remediation, it is not as if 

you don’t begin remediation until the fourth grade, you quickly 

catch up. I am gathering from what you are saying that there will 

31 

still be the normal kind of—no, it takes 3 years to learn this course 

material. 

Is that a correct assessment? 

Dr. SALLY SHAYWITZ. Yes, and they don’t. That is the real difficulty. The systems that are in place are not appropriate, and you 

have to undo the incorrect and, on top of that, undo all the aversion and lowered self-esteem. 

We have to get rid of this reading by grade three. We need to 

start saying reading in first grade and second grade, at least be on 

the pathway to reading and not to ignore children who are struggling early on. 

There are ways to detect that, to identify that, and to address 

that. 

The CHAIRMAN. Let me ask, because I have learned from you and 

from others, so let me just bring something to the table, that the 

first grader has a brain particularly capable at that stage of development, the elasticity, if you will, of that first grade brain may be 

greater. Not only is it that the intervention is delayed but that that 

critical moment in which the child’s brain is ready to take off, that 

period is lost. 

Do I understand that correctly? Am I overstating it? What would 

your comment be? 

Dr. SALLY SHAYWITZ. That pretty much sums it up. Children are 

ready, eager when they enter school. Their brains are ready. When 

children enter school, we tell them, ‘‘Oh, you are going to learn to 

read and you are going to be a reader,’’ and they are all anticipating. Then they see everyone around them doing it and they 

begin to wonder, ‘‘Why can’t I?’’ There is nobody typically around 

who answers that or helps them. 

The CHAIRMAN. Let me ask you both again before I come back 

to the panel here, J.J. mentioned, why aren’t we screening children 

in first grade? Ameer’s testimony suggests that would have made 

all the difference in the world. You mentioned almost one of five 

children are dyslexic. 

Yet that is not what a typical elementary school will have identified. They will not identify 20 percent of the children as dyslexic. 

J.J.’s point that we should be screening all first-graders, would 

you endorse that? 

Dr. SALLY SHAYWITZ. Oh, absolutely. We should be screening kindergartners and first graders. 

We can do that. We have the methods to do it. Some methods 

involve actually testing children, for example, on life knowledge. 

They are newly developed—I must admit that we develop such an 

instrument—that teachers complete in 5 or 10 minutes and are 

highly predictive of which children will go on to have more serious 

reading problems. 

The important thing is it has to be part of the agenda. It has to 

be part of the curriculum. 

I have had parents tell me, for example, ‘‘Well, I saw it in kindergarten. I saw it in first grade, and I was told it was a glitch. It 

will get better.’’ Then in second grade, ‘‘Oh, don’t worry. He’ll catch 

on.’’ And then it was fifth grade and he was struggling and didn’t 

want to go to school. 

32 

We have to detect things early on. Imagine if this was any kind 

of medical condition. ‘‘Oh, well, let’s wait.’’ That is unconscionable 

with all the science we have and all that we know. We heard these 

really incredibly riveting stories of what happens when it is not 

identified. 

We know how to identify it. We can identify it, and there is absolutely no reason that it should not be. It has to be a permanent 

part of a school’s agenda early, early on. 

The CHAIRMAN. We have been speaking about primary and secondary education, but Karen, You might be qualified to speak to 

this. I have been to Nicholls State University. I know that that is 

a university that attempts to accommodate children with dyslexia. 

I am struck when Sally says that everybody has to be on board, 

that you can’t have the PE coach not knowing or the history teacher not knowing. We have been speaking about primary and secondary, but speak about how it also, if you will, in the university 

setting continues. 

Ms. CHAUVIN. Oh, yes. We have a program for dyslexic students 

over at Nicholls State University. This is our record enrollment. We 

have 130 college students in our program. They attend the classes 

just as everyone else. They receive a little assistance from us. We 

have some insight into which professors are more likely to work 

with them, so we steer them that way. They receive the same instruction, the same curriculum as anyone else. But they get support. 

It is sometimes very heartbreaking to see college students who 

read at the third or fourth grade level who want to succeed so 

badly. They will suspend hours on end in our Dyslexia Center getting re-taught what they were taught in the classroom. But, they 

do it. 

We have had students who have come through our program who 

have gone on to fight much bigger and better things. A graduate 

that I can think of, she is a manager. She came from Lake Charles, 

LA, and she is a manager at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York 

City. She got that way through a culinary arts degree at Nicholls 

State University with the help of the Dyslexia Center. 

It boils down to re-teaching, the remediation, and the provision 

of accommodations. 

One thing that I have noticed, though, that is also kind of heartbreaking is that these people come through high school. They have 

a diagnosis. They get into college. They do very well in our program. Then some of them want to go on and get an advanced degree, and in many cases—this was mentioned earlier—some of 

those standardized tests, like the LSAT, they have to get reevaluated when we have been knowing for 12 to 15 years that they have 

dyslexia. 

They have to get reevaluated to get accommodations on that test. 

That should not be because when you have dyslexia, you have dyslexia. 

I would like to see that type of requirement changed. Those testing companies could just take their word for it, if they have a documented history. 

Some of our students do not get to take that next step because 

they cannot afford a reevaluation. That shouldn’t be the case. 

33 

The CHAIRMAN. I will say that when I was in Congress, we sent 

letters to a lot of the boards to find which accommodated and 

which did not. Some do. Some have begun to. And some don’t. 

Sally has worked on this. It is against the law. Sometimes, I hate 

to say this, it may take a lawsuit, because you can pass another 

law, but if they are not obeying the current law, they probably are 

not going to obey another law, if that makes sense. 

Nonetheless, I totally agree with that. 

In fact, Sally once told me that many dyslexics are architects, but 

they do not have a test. They say go draw your project and you 

draw it. I am speaking for Sally, but she is on mute, so I can get 

away with it. 

Bennett, Karen mentioned people going to college who have 

struggled so much, and then mentioned the test they must take to 

go on. For whatever reason, that triggers in my mind standardized 

testing that is now so prevalent in primary and secondary education. 

Can you speak about standardized testing in the primary and 

secondary setting and what that means for children with dyslexia? 

Dr. BENNETT SHAYWITZ. Yes. Thank you for asking, Senator 

Cassidy. 

In fact, we think that the Common Core State standards and the 

associated PARCC are really inappropriate for dyslexic students, 

and particularly for dyslexic elementary students. There are reasons for this. There are several that I listed. 

These tests, standards and the tests that go along with them, are 

based on the mistaken belief that all students, including dyslexic 

students, will be fluent readers by the end of second grade, and 

that all students, including dyslexic students, should read at grade 

level and above. 

Furthermore, this comprehension-focused reading structure, and 

I put in quotes using ‘‘complex text,’’ because that is the wording 

of the Common Core standards, that should be the basis of reading 

instruction. The problem is that ignores whether or not the student 

can actually read the words in the complex text. 

What we think, and more and more evidence is coming to support this, is that this has serious implications for dyslexic students. 

For example, the PARCC for third-grade students is more targeted 

for the reading level in fifth grade and is focused on reading comprehension. That is terribly unfair for a dyslexic student. 

This further has the pernicious effect of schools dropping all 

other instructions, including much-needed decoding instructions, to 

focus almost exclusively on comprehension. 

Again, the multiple-choice questions in the PARCC are very inappropriate for students who are dyslexic. It does not give them the 

context to understand what the question actually is. 

We also know that this Common Core focus on comprehension, 

while it may be appropriate for students in high school who are 

good readers, it is really inappropriate for students in the very 

early grades, especially dyslexic students who are invariably still 

struggling with and working hard to master decoding. 

What I think this also has is the terrible consequence of providing misleading data with very serious consequences for students 

and for schools and for teachers. What really is the problem is that 

34 

this is an inappropriate test for dyslexic students. People are beginning to recognize that. Everybody at this meeting should recognize 

that this is a very serious problem. 

The CHAIRMAN. Bennett, that begs the question, if you want to 

have some way to assess the progress of a child who is dyslexic 

grades one, four, six, eight, whatever, how do you do so? Can it be 

done? 

Dr. BENNETT SHAYWITZ. Yes. There are a number of other tests 

that can be used that would give you a sense of whether the child 

is mastering reading. There are many good reading tests. You can 

see whether the child is improving their reading as they are going 

through school. 

What I am saying is that the way the Common Core standards 

and the PARCC tests are set up are very inappropriate for dyslexic 

students who are still learning to decode text, and that is a very 

inappropriate way to assess their progress. There many other reading tests that can be used to assess the reading progress of students who are dyslexic. The PARCC is a very inappropriate one. 

Dr. SALLY SHAYWITZ. I am going to jump in, too, Senator. Given 

that dyslexia is so prevalent, one out of five, it really behooves companies like the company that is responsible for PARCC, dyslexia is 

an important issue to them, to get together and develop tests that 

are appropriate for dyslexic students. 

In developing both the Common Core-based standards and 

PARCC, it was as if they weren’t aware that dyslexia exists, that 

dyslexia is highly prevalent, and sort of went ahead. It is harming 

many, many students and teachers, too. 

The CHAIRMAN. Let me ask, as long as you all are up right now, 

J.J. spoke about his mother, who is an educator, detecting that he 

had dyslexia at an early age. 

If there is somebody who sees this testimony and is concerned 

that their child might be dyslexic, what would be the indicator 

that, ‘‘Oh, my gosh, my daughter or my son may be having this 

issue. We need to have it further pursued.’’ Just the fact that the 

child is not reading as quickly as others? Or is there a way to be 

more proactive? 

Dr. SALLY SHAYWITZ. Let me take a shot at that. 

Because we know that dyslexia reflects a difficulty in getting to 

the sounds of spoken language, we can look for signs even before 

the child is expected to read, signs relating to spoken language. 

For example, there may be delayed—not hugely, but somewhat 

delayed language. A very young child, a toddler, may have trouble 

learning nursery rhymes, because in order to appreciate a rhyme, 

you have to be able to pull out a part and focus on just the end— 

the rhyme, at, hat, cat, et cetera. There may be a lack of appreciation of rhymes. There may be mispronounced words or persistent 

baby talk. 

As the child becomes 4 or 5, there may be difficulty learning and 

remembering the names of letters. The child may not even recognize letters in his or her own name. 

Then as the child enters kindergarten or first grade, they just 

don’t get it, and not because they are not intelligent but because 

they have phonological difficulties. Words that come apart, ‘‘cowVerDate Nov 24 2008 14:33 Nov 13, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 S:\DOCS\97273.TXT CAROL
35 

boy’’ you can pull apart as ‘‘cow’’ and ‘‘boy,’’ they have a real difficulty, if not inability, to associate letters with sounds. 

They make reading errors that show no connection of what comes 

out of the child’s mouth to the letters of the sound. They will read 

the word ‘‘milk’’ as ‘‘hat,’’ for example. 

Then sadly, the child will turn off of reading and complain how 

hard reading is and run away or find ways even to get into trouble 

to avoid having to read, particularly to read aloud. 

Early on, there are signs. In my book, ‘‘Overcoming Dyslexia,’’ I 

list at every couple grades what the signs are. There are often 

signs, just like we were hearing about intelligence on what children 

can do. So it fits the Sea of Strengths model. 

We have to pay attention to both, and we can’t say, ‘‘He will grow 

out of it.’’ What we learned from science is that he will not grow 

out of it. We have to address this early on, and now we can. 

The CHAIRMAN. Drawing to a close, first, I will address this to 

you, Karen, and then come back to the Shaywitzes, because you all 

are both at academic institutions. 

You mentioned the problem of schools and education not teaching 

teachers, if you will, what Dr. Shaywitz was just talking about. 

There was a teacher in sixth grade that figured out that Ameer 

had an issue. He had a lot of teachers before the sixth grade. 

I will first turn to you and then to the Shaywitzes, what should 

we do? 

Ms. CHAUVIN. That is a question we all ask, what should be 

done? Like I said, the research is there. The research has been 

there. I actually have a book that was written by Anna Gillingham. 

I believe it was in the 1940s or the 1960s or something. It discusses 

how children with dyslexia should be taught to read. 

What is kind of ironic is that that was the way for dyslexic kids, 

but what Louisa Moats published in ‘‘Teaching Reading IS Rocket 

Science,’’ she basically said the same thing. 

We have been saying the same thing over and over for decades 

now. The Shaywitzes have said it. Others have said it. We know 

how people learn to read. We know why dyslexics students don’t 

learn to read easily. 

I don’t know. The resources definitely need to be dedicated toward training teachers before they get out into the field to work 

with dyslexic students. When I was a new teacher, my first classroom, they say, one in five? I can name three or four students from 

that first class that had dyslexia, but I didn’t know it because I 

wasn’t trained to look for dyslexia. 

I had never heard the word dyslexia in 1988 in Louisiana. We 

had a law that was passed in the early 1990s. I didn’t know one 

thing about dyslexia. 

I had a 10-year-old child in my first class—second grade. I was 

his first second-grade teacher. What a failure. Somebody failed. His 

other teachers before me didn’t know. 

It’s not their fault. They weren’t taught either. 

I don’t know exactly what the answer is, but something needs to 

be done. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER. Senator, may I? 

The CHAIRMAN. See that guy over there in the corner?

AUDIENCE MEMBER. I’d have to punch him? 

36 

The CHAIRMAN. Exactly. You would have to punch him out first. 

Under Senate rules, we are not allowed to take questions from the 

audience, so I apologize for that. I tried to bend the rules, and they 

told me I would be carted away, too, in a perp walk. We will speak 

afterwards. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER. OK. 

The CHAIRMAN. Sally. 

Dr. SALLY SHAYWITZ. I have a comment. 

The CHAIRMAN. Yes, ma’am. 

Dr. SALLY SHAYWITZ. Schools of education have to improve their 

teaching of reading, but I think it is actually a bigger issue because 

dyslexia doesn’t only affect the child’s ability to read. It affects the 

whole child. 

Senator Cassidy, you, Bennett and I know that when we train to 

become physicians, we have several years of book study, but where 

we really learn how to take care of patients is where we have reallife experiences—intern, resident, et cetera, seeing and caring for 

patients under supervision and mentorship. 

For example, one of the real advantages of specialized schools for 

dyslexic students is that teachers in training can come and experience in real life what a dyslexic child is like. It is not only what 

is written on the page, you can’t do this or that, but the whole of 

that. 

Such specialized schools give an opportunity for teachers to really learn in a much broader way and in a much deeper way what 

dyslexia is and how it impacts a child and how it is best addressed. 

The CHAIRMAN. I am going to finish with this question for 

Ameer. There clearly are multiple challenges here, but one thing 

we draw from this is, if we choose not to address these challenges, 

there are incredible consequences. 

Ameer, you go to prisons now to speak to those who are in prison 

about illiteracy. Knowing you do not have hard specifics, but give 

us a sense, what percent of inmates you interact with who cannot 

read, and if you can, what percent of those you find really pretty 

bright and talented, with lots of reasoning skills, who know what 

is going on? Maybe they used to do a big drug ring. They have business skills. But they cannot read. 

Can you give me a sense of the scope of that? 

Mr. BARAKA. I would say, just recently I was in a class and they 

were reading. Only a couple guys in this whole dorm of 60 guys 

who were reading. Maybe out of the 60 guys, I would say about 40 

of them, 40 of them, could not read or have problems reading. 

This is something that I tell them they shouldn’t be ashamed of 

because I was just like them, and I tell them that while serving 

their lengthy sentence, they must pursue academics. They must do 

everything that they can to learn to read. 

I want to say, Senator, he had parents who took him and he was 

trained in phonics. Every word that I know how to spell, I know 

that word from looking at it. I cannot break a word down. I don’t 

have that skill. I was not taught that ability. 

Back to the guys incarcerated, if we don’t get ahold of this problem, particularly in the African American community, what I see 

is that we are going to have prisons bigger than college campuses. 

If you want to make some money, start investing in prisons, beVerDate Nov 24 2008 14:33 Nov 13, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 S:\DOCS\97273.TXT CAROL
37 

cause guess what, Black boys are going, because many of them cannot read. They cannot read. 

The shame, the embarrassment in the community, you go into a 

shell. By God’s grace, I was able to come out. I don’t know if they’re 

able to make it. 

The CHAIRMAN. That is an incredible way to finish. 

Thank you all for being here. Thank you to the Shaywitzes. 

I am instructed to say that the hearing record will remain open 

for 10 days for me to submit additional comments and any questions for the record that I may have. 

I thank you for being here. 

The committee will now stand adjourned. Thank you all. 

[Whereupon, at 11: 34 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.] 

Æ