Report in Support of Amendment to NYS Education Law to Distinguish Dyslexia and Related Disorders

SUMMARY

The Education and the Law Committee issued a report in support of amendments to the New York State Education Law in relation to the certification and training of teachers, administrators and instructors in the area of dyslexia and related disorders.  The bill would also provide for each student suspected of having dyslexia or a related disorder to be evaluated, and for a finding of dyslexia or a related disorder to be incorporated into the student’s individualized education plan (“IEP”). The IEP would recommend targeted resources and individualized services suited to the specific condition.  The current New York State law with respect to testing and services for students with learning disabilities is inadequate, in that it fails to distinguish among different types of learning disabilities and the types of support services appropriate for each disorder.  As a result, students with one of these disorders are labeled as having a generic “learning disability” on their IEPs and receive services that are not necessarily tailored to address the specific disorder. Developmentally appropriate services that are targeted to specific disorders have been shown to result in marked improvements in the abilities of students when provided promptly and correctly. The proposed amendments would make much-needed corrections to the existing law and improve outcomes for these students.

Originally Issued October 2016; Reissued May 2017

BILL INFORMATION

A.1480 (AM Simon) / S.2534 (Sen. Golden) – requires the certification or training of teachers, administrators and instructors in the area of dyslexia and related disorders (NYS 2017); A.4330-A / S.5439 (NYS 2016)