Click here to see my services page. 
After a long, intensive and incredibly fantastic graduate class I finished last month, I am now offering dyslexia consultations for schools, homeschool groups, community organizations, families, and individuals. I am also now an official dyslexia Screener and can work with families, schools or individuals to determine if someone fits the dyslexia profile, give support and "next steps". 
If you're a homeschool parent, and worried about your child's reading, spelling or writing issues, I can support your efforts to determine if dyslexia is the issue and help you discover how YOU can intervene at home. Don't let someone tell you that it has to be a professional tutor; the Barton System is parent-friendly and I am here if you need help getting started, or as you go! 

If you read nothing else today, read this article. Don't just read it; print it out, distribute it to your school administration, to the school district you are a part of, your neighbors, your friends...
It affirms what I know and many of you with students with dyslexia know...learning to read phonetically is the BEST method for ALL students. 
I don't know about you, but I learned to read phonetically. I sound out unknown words, I spell by sounding out unknown words (usually words that are out of my realm of experience) and I am able to "read" anything. When we teach Whole Language, we are only catering to the population that just "picks it up". That's not fair. And of this population that just "picks it up" using whole language techniques, many of those people are still not great spellers. And you cannot blame them. 

Anyway, I digress. Here is the article. READ IT!  Tell your principal! Not just for the struggling readers! For all kids to be the best readers and writers they possibly can! 
Click Here to read the research.

...will be "officially" added to my list of services. 
This summer, I will be attending a six day, intensive training course on in-depth, up-to-date information on brain science, dyslexia, & ADD/ADHD. I will gain a lot of resources that will allow me to "officially" screen for dyslexia (which is accepted by some public schools to provide help and accommodations) and most private schools. 
I will also be ready to provide consultation to both public and private school educators on starting an early intervention program through screening and be able to educate staff on the signs of dyslexia. 
This is especially important as Senate Bill 612 passes at various stages; this bill, among other things, will require teachers to better understand and look for the signs and symptoms of dyslexia and refer/intervene appropriately. 
Stay tuned for services I will be offering starting in late summer. 

(posted on FB Decoding Dyslexia Oregon page)
Decoding Dyslexia Oregon
17 April at 15:19 · Edited · 
Oregon! Senate Bill 612 passed today in the Senate Education Committee by an unanimous vote -- Whoop! 

Details: the -5 amendment incorporated the following changes:

Dyslexia Specialist at State Level:
1) The Department of Education shall designate a dyslexia specialist for the department to provide school districts with support and resources that are necessary to assist students with dyslexia and their families. 

DOE to develop a screening plan:
(1) The Department of Education shall develop a plan to
(a) to ensure that every student who is first enrolled at a public
school in this state for kindergarten or first grade receives a screening for risk factors of dyslexia.
(b) Provide guidance for notifications sent by school districts to
parents of students who are identified as being at risk for dyslexia
based on a screening of risk factors.
(2) The plan must be developed collaboratively with experts on dyslexia, including representatives of nonprofit entities with expertise in issues related to dyslexia.
(3) When developing the plan, the department shall identify screening tests that are cost effective and that screen for the following factors:
(a) Phonological awareness;
(b) Rapid naming skills;
(c) The correspondence between sounds and letters; and
(d) Family history of difficulty in learning to read.

Teacher training for k-5 public schools: 
1) Each school district shall ensure that at least one
kindergarten through grade five teacher in each kindergarten through grade five school has received training related to dyslexia. 
The training required under this section must:
(a) Comply with the knowledge and practice standards of an
international organization on dyslexia
(b) Enable the teacher to understand and recognize dyslexia
(c) Enable the teacher to implement instruction that is systematic,explicit and evidence-based to meet the educational needs of students with dyslexia
2) The Department of Education shall annually develop a list of
training opportunities that satisfy the requirements described in subsection.
3) A school district that does not comply with the requirements
of this section and that does not secure a waiver from the Department of Education within the time required by the State Board of Education by rule is considered nonstandard under ORS 327.103
4) The State Board of Education shall adopt by rule the criteria
for a waiver from the requirements of this section to address instances when noncompliance is outside the control of the school district.

The Network of Quality Teaching and Learning: One of the Networks goals is to ensure that a sufficient number of kindergarten through grade 5 teachers have received training to understand and recognize dyslexia and to implement appropriate instruction. This Network is a funded program.  
http://education.oregon.gov/…/Network-for-Quality-Teaching-…

To see the final amendment go to:

https://olis.leg.state.or.us/…/Downl…/ProposedAmendment/5963

THANK YOU TO OUR LEGISLATORS AND STAKEHOLDERS for your input and work on the -5 amendment. 

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT WROTE LETTERS AND ATTENDED HEARINGS. The large community support made a huge difference. It really did.

Now on the Joint Ways and Means Committee Everyone! 

-- Decoding Dyslexia Oregon

Check out this video from C-Span where Senator Cassidy makes a very clear point about the lack of funding for Dyslexia help; for early screening, intervention and awareness!  80% of those identified with a learning disability have Dyslexia! 20% of the total population has it! Click Here to watch it. 

Mark your calendars!  On March 17th, at 1pm, the Oregon Legislature will be holding a hearing on Senate Bill 612!  Show up and show the legislature you support this bill! 
A quick summary of the bill from the Oregon Branch of The International Dyslexia Association (click for more details)
The goals of this bill are to:

• Ensure current teachers know the warning signs of dyslexia
• Ensure University teacher preparation programs offer coursework on dyslexia
• Ensure school districts screen for the risk factors of dyslexia in the earliest grades
• Ensure ODE has a dyslexia specialist on staff to help school districts address dyslexia

RSVP for this Event Here! It's free! We need your support! 

I received a happy announcement from Decoding Dyslexia Oregon, that they got enough signatures and we now have a new bill for the Legislature!  Oregon Senate Bill 612 (SB 612) in summary: 

• Requires school districts to screen students for risk factors for dyslexia and to ensure specified staff members receive training related to dyslexia. 
• Directs Department of Education to designate dyslexia specialist. 
• Requires teacher education institutions and teacher education programs to provide coursework on dyslexia.

The organization Decoding Dyslexia Oregon has placed a petition on-line (or you can get it on paper) to sign. The petition basically asks the State to make Oregon teachers (in the making) have dyslexia training as a part of their education and that colleges and universities must provide that training. 
It is very easy to sign on-line, but you must be an Oregonian. 
Click here read more about it and to sign.