Common, but ignored
In fact, dyslexia is the most common learning disability, and yet many states do not even test for it. It is estimated that 80% of children with learning disabilities actually have dyslexia.
New York, like many states, is one of the states that does not test for dyslexia, As of November 2014, there was an attempt to pass new legislation requiring teachers train to recognize signs of dyslexia in their classrooms. In 2016 the passed a law recognizing dyslexia awareness day and in 2017 issued a memorandum to the commissioner of education to notify schools of dyslexic students unique needs.
This is typical of most states. Providing services for or even recognizing dyslexia is just not done.
This recent NPR story details how bad it is.
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If you want to know how significant appropriate diagnosing is, ask parent Deb Rafferty. When they discovered her son’s diagnosis, they were able to find the correct intervention for him. She says, “It worked like that. It was like giving medicine to someone and he was able to read… It’s difficult still for him, but he can read anything.”