PRINTER'S NO. 2179
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
467
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY WILEY, COSTA, FONTANA, BOSCOLA, FARNESE, BAKER,
BROWNE, EICHELBERGER, FOLMER, GREENLEAF, KILLION, McGARRIGLE,
RAFFERTY, RESCHENTHALER, VULAKOVICH, BREWSTER, KITCHEN,
SABATINA, SCHWANK AND TEPLITZ, OCTOBER 19, 2016
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, OCTOBER 19, 2016
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of October 2016 as "Dyslexia Awareness
Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Developmental reading disorder, or dyslexia, is a
language-based learning disability that occurs when there is a
problem in areas of the brain that help interpret language; and
WHEREAS, Dyslexia's symptoms include slow or inaccurate
reading, poor spelling, poor writing or mixing up similar words;
and
WHEREAS, Problems experienced by people with dyslexia may
include:
(1) confusing letters or having difficulty learning the
sounds that go with letters;
(2) having trouble learning how to speak, recognizing
words or determining the meaning of a simple sentence; and
(3) having trouble processing the sounds of language,
such as rhyming;
and
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WHEREAS, Dyslexia can include disorganization of written and
spoken language or struggles in comprehending and concentrating
on longer reading assignments; and
WHEREAS, Dyslexia may also include difficulty in correctly
performing math operations, memorizing number facts or learning
a foreign language; and
WHEREAS, Dyslexia is a specific information processing
problem that does not interfere with one's ability to think or
understand complex ideas; and
WHEREAS, Contrary to some beliefs, dyslexia is not caused by
either a lack of desire to learn or substandard intelligence, as
individuals of all backgrounds and intellectual levels have
dyslexia, with the majority of individuals being of normal
intelligence and many being above average in intelligence; and
WHEREAS, Students with dyslexia are likely to struggle with
many aspects of academic learning, are at a higher risk of
dropping out of school entirely and often go for years without
being properly diagnosed; and
WHEREAS, Aside from problems in school, an individual with
dyslexia can experience a loss of self-esteem and general
reading problems that may persist into adulthood, which can
affect the individual's job performance; and
WHEREAS, According to the International Dyslexia Association,
approximately 85% of students classified as having a primary
learning disability have difficulty in reading and language
processing; and
WHEREAS, The number of people having some symptoms of
dyslexia is much higher, perhaps as much as 15% to 20% of the
entire United States population; and
WHEREAS, There is much hope for students who are correctly
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diagnosed with this disorder, as they can successfully learn
with appropriate teaching methods; and
WHEREAS, The earlier the diagnosis of dyslexia, the better it
is for the student; and
WHEREAS, Dyslexia is a disorder that often manifests among
members of the same family; and
WHEREAS, Dyslexia affects individuals throughout their lives,
but its impact can change at each stage of life; and
WHEREAS, As a language-based disability, dyslexia is often
misunderstood; and
WHEREAS, A large percentage of the residents of this
Commonwealth experience one or more symptoms of dyslexia;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of October 2016
as "Dyslexia Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
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