x
Breaking News
More () »

New Georgia law aims to help students with dyslexia

'My son got physically ill at the thought of going to school.'

Last year, Georgia passed Senate Bill 48, which aims to help identify and provide services to students with dyslexia. 

"I have child, his name is Isaac," Diane Weinberg testified in front of lawmakers last February. "He’s in fourth grade. He is severely dyslexic."

Diane's powerful testimony about her son's dyslexia and dysgraphia urged lawmakers to pass the bill.  

"He gets physically ill at the thought of going to school every day. It’s heartbreaking," she said.

It was the demand from parents like Diane that brought Senators with similar backgrounds together to pass the bill. 

"We actually had several senators who had dyslexia who came together to work on this bill," said Senator Zahra Karinshak. 

She said the bill is near to her heart, saying she was dyslexic as a child.

"I’m a walking testimony to what somebody with dyslexia can do."

Often times, dyslexia affects a person's ability to read, spell and write. There can be a number of other learning disabilities as well. Every case is different. 

RELATED: Kemp calls for new teacher raises in State of State

Parents like Diane are forced to become experts.

"On this table is a very small section of what it is to be a parent with dyslexia", she said standing over a table full of book, workbooks, and binders filled with information about her son's progress. "You just try everything you can to make it easier for your child."

Isaac, who’s now 11, was diagnosed with dyslexia in Kindergarten. 

"It’s a really challenging thing for me, "he said. "I would love to be able to see what other non-dyslexics see."

Isaac has been in both public and private schools where sometimes, he faced scrutiny from teachers and classmates. 

"He was miserable," said Diane. "He would come home. He would put his head under his bed and just sit there with the covers over his head for hours." 

READ: North Carolina students will be required to pass personal finance class for graduation

Although Isaac goes to private school now, Diane felt his public school did everything it could to meet his educational needs. Ultimately, it didn't have all the services he needed. 

Diane said her family has paid and continues to pay thousands for Isaac's education needs. She knows she is fortunate to be able to have the time and money to do it. 

"What do you do if you don’t have those kinds of resources?" she asked. "What do you do if you don’t have a flexible schedule?" 

The hope is eventually this legislation will close the gap by getting those needs met for all dyslexic students. A pilot program will roll out this fall in six districts across the state.

OTHER HEADLINES:

A teacher is out of a job over what she wrote on the board

Former Georgia student returns home as doctor to serve her community

 Child brought to tears over missed cancer treatment back on track, after public outrage

Before You Leave, Check This Out