Are you a parent of a child with dyslexia and looking for more help to guide you in his or her growth? Mark your calendars to attend the West Tennessee Dyslexia Awareness Month event. It takes place on Saturday, October 15, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Catholic Church of the Incarnation in Collierville, TN.
The Tennessee Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (TN-IDA) hosts this free community event. It is the state branch of a worldwide organization that researches and offers free resources to help increase awareness about dyslexia among families, teachers, and professionals.
“We are an outreach service that people of West Tennessee can go to for finding accurate information,” notes Pam DeMato, an executive board member of TN-IDA Service Area 5 Delta.
The event kicks off with “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” simulation activity where all families and educators get a hands-on experience coming to understand how it feels for children to live with dyslexia.
DeMato points out that in this session, SMILA (Simultaneous Multisensory Institute of Language Arts) executive director Rosemary Williams tries to erase some common misconceptions associated with dyslexia and provides an eye-opening experience about how it feels to get through each day when literacy is a struggle.
Molly Cameron, vice president of TN-IDA Service Area 5 Delta will lead the discussion on “Understanding Dyslexia.” She will take us through the new TN State Dyslexia Laws and what the legislation means to parents and educators.
Finally, Collierville Literacy Center director Kelly Thieme will talk about how challenging it is to live with dyslexia as an adult and how to figure out what the journey is going to be.
DeMato also mentions that the Learning Disabilities Simulation Lab will be open at lunch and after the speakers. Teens affected by dyslexia are helping run the lab and can answer questions about how you can overcome the challenges and be successful in college with the right tools.
“Overall, we are trying to make this a positive experience for the community,” concludes DeMato.
Admission is free. Lunch provided. Reservations required. For registration, go to http://www.tnida.org