[MaineLiteracy] Dyslexia Updates & Opportunity

[Saucier, Danielle M]

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” — Arthur C. Clarke

Halloween is here and the season always makes me think of the tricks and treats and magical Hocus Pocus (great movie 😊). If we think about it the technology of print has its own characteristics of magic. In Mark Seidenberg’s Language at the Speed of Sight, he makes many references to the uniqueness and advancements the written code offers to humans as a what to expand linguistic capacities. October 8th is a world wide day of Dyslexia awareness and the entire month of October is meant to bring awareness and shed light on the impacts of Dyslexia.

The National Center on Improving Literacy<https://improvingliteracy.org/topic/dyslexia> has a wide range of resources related to Dyslexia that can be filtered for Parents & Families, Schools & Districts, and State Agencies. The International Dyslexia Association<https://dyslexiaida.org/> has a wide range of information and resources to increase Dyslexia awareness and advocacy. Here in Maine we are served by the International Dyslexia Association of Northern New England<https://dyslexiaida-nnea.org/> (IDA-NNEA) with an expansive selection of resources, webinars, and supports designed for Maine, New Hampshire, & Vermont.

As October 2023 draws to a close we would like to follow up with two announcements that we made to Special Education directors at the fall MADSEC conference in Portland. First, to support the work of early screening and early intervention the Maine Department of Education Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education is pleased to announce a second year of the Maine Dyslexia Screening Project. This project is designed to support schools in a one-time reimbursement opportunity of up to $4,500 towards a high-quality screener for the 2023-2024 school year. For more information about the evidence needed for reimbursement and the video overview please visit the 2023-2024 screening page here. If you have additional questions please contact Dee Saucier at danielle.m.saucier at maine.gov<mailto:danielle.m.saucier at maine.gov> or Anne-Marie Adamson at anne-marie.adamson at maine.gov<mailto:anne-marie.adamson at maine.gov>.

Also, as part of our expanded efforts to improve communication and deepen understanding about dyslexia screening and supporting struggling readers we are offering one free dyslexia awareness kit to each school in Maine. The kit includes a copy of Conquering Dyslexia: A Guide to Early Detection and Intervention for Teachers and Families by Dr. Jan Hasbrouck, IDA information sheets and informational articles and links. To request a kit for your school please complete this request form<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=q6g_QX0gYkubzeoajy-GTjlKDHqhWNpBnteGmMUw7Q9UN0Y0MU1ES1hTRFRIOThXMjJMMzNYUFVCTi4u>. If you have additional questions about the dyslexia awareness kit, please contact Dee Saucier at danielle.m.saucier at maine.gov<mailto:danielle.m.saucier at maine.gov>.

Thank you and be well,

Dee

________________________________________

Danielle M. Saucier, M.Ed. Literacy Specialist
Inclusive Education Literacy Specialist & Dyslexia Coordinator
Office of Special Services & Inclusive Education
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0023
Email: danielle.m.saucier at maine.gov<mailto:danielle.m.saucier at maine.gov>
Phone: 207-441-1383
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