The State of Texas defines dyslexia as "a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity" (TEC §38.003). The International Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia as "a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge."  (Adopted by the IDA Board, November 2002 and the National Institutes of Health, 2002).

A few quick facts about dyslexia:

• The word dyslexia comes from the Greek language and means poor language.
• Dyslexia is a complex problem that has its roots in the very basic brain systems that allow us to understand and express language.
• Dyslexia is a life-long condition; however, its impact can change at different stages in a person's life.
• Dyslexia knows no boundaries, neither geographic, ethnic, or intellectual.
  

The CHISD dyslexia program provides reading intervention for students meeting criteria outlined in the CHISD Dyslexia Plan.  The program includes instructional components of phonemic awareness, graphophonemic knowledge, language structure, linguistics, and process-oriented instruction.  The goal of these services is for the student to gain mastery of the skills taught and to be able to apply these concepts toward becoming more successful readers, spellers and writers.

Dyslexia Resources

State of Texas Dyslexia Handbook

CHISD Dyslexia Plan