Resolution 140729

..Title Recognizing October 2014 as Dyslexia Awareness Month in Philadelphia and calling on educators and local educational agencies to provide equal educational opportunities for all students through awareness of the importance of early recognition of dyslexia and the benefits of evidence-based interventions. ..Body WHEREAS, Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that is neurological in origin and affects individuals in different areas of life and learning. Dyslexia occurs in people of all backgrounds and intellectual levels and can hinder one's ability in reading and comprehension, writing, spelling, memorizing, working with numbers and sequences, and other perceptual problems; and WHEREAS, Neurobiological brain imagery studies demonstrate differences in the way the brain of a person with dyslexia develops and functions causing individuals with dyslexia to process and interpret information differently; and WHEREAS, The number of people with symptoms of dyslexia is believed to be as high as 15% to 20% or 1 in 5 of the U.S. population. Dyslexia affects children and adults throughout their lives and its impact can change at different stages in a person's life; and WHEREAS, Unidentified and inadequately remediated dyslexia can have devastating consequences on an individual's self-image. Students with dyslexia often feel dumb or less capable than they really are; they may experience stress due to academic problems, become discouraged and drop-out of school, and without the help they need, they may fail to reach their full potential; and WHEREAS, With early identification and appropriate academic supports, students with dyslexia can learn to read and perform well in school. Dyslexia occurs at all levels of intelligence. Many creative and gifted people at the top of their fields have overcome dyslexia such as Albert Einstein, Charles Schwab, Muhammad Ali, and Pablo Picasso; and WHEREAS, Assistive technology offers a way for individuals with dyslexia to save time and overcome some of the issues they may encounter because of their dyslexia. Some supportive technologies include: audiobooks, voice dictation technology, reading pens, and livescribe smartpens that can record lectures. For many students with dyslexia, technology opens doors and allows them to demonstrate their knowledge; and WHEREAS, Philadelphia's children will benefit from an increased awareness of the challenges of dyslexia; and WHEREAS, Students in Philadelphia will benefit if educators make a commitment to early identification and evidence-based interventions to support students with dyslexia; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, In the spirit of raising awareness of the importance of early recognition of dyslexia and the benefits of evidence-based interventions, designates October 2014 as Dyslexia Awareness Month. ..End