2017 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 49
BY SENATOR APPEL
A RESOLUTION
To recognize October 2017 as Dyslexia Awareness Month and to urge and request schools
and state and local educational agencies to address the significant educational
implications of dyslexia.
WHEREAS, dyslexia is defined as an unexpected difficulty in reading for an
individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader; and
WHEREAS, dyslexia is most commonly due to a difficulty in phonological
processing, which is the appreciation of the individual sounds of spoken language;
phonological processing affects the ability of an individual to speak, read, spell, and often,
learn a second language; and
WHEREAS, dyslexia is the most common learning disability and affects between
eighty to ninety percent of all individuals who have a learning disability; and
WHEREAS, dyslexia is highly prevalent and persistent; it affects one out of every
five persons; and
WHEREAS, the paradox of dyslexia is that individuals who have the disability may
have weaknesses in decoding that result in difficulties in accurate or fluent word recognition,
yet these individuals may exhibit strengths in the higher-level cognitive functions of
reasoning, critical thinking, concept formation, or problem solving; and
WHEREAS, great progress has been made in understanding dyslexia on a scientific
level, including the epidemiology, cognitive, and neurobiological bases of dyslexia; and
WHEREAS, early screening and diagnosis of dyslexia are critical in ensuring that
individuals with dyslexia receive focused, evidence-based intervention that leads to fluent
reading, promotion of self-awareness and self-empowerment, and the provision of necessary
accommodations to ensure school and life success.
Page 1 of 2 SR NO. 49 ENROLLED
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby recognize October 2017 as Dyslexia Awareness Month in the state of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that schools and state and local educational agencies
are hereby urged and requested to recognize that dyslexia has significant educational
implications that must be addressed.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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