Advocates for struggling schoolchildren are coming together for Dyslexia Awareness Month, now unfolding across Santa Barbara Unified School District, with a highlight on October 13 as Kinko’s founder Paul Orfalea speaks at Dos Pueblos High School. Orfalea has credited his entrepreneurial success with setting his mind to overcome the challenges associated with dyslexia, which is estimated to affect 20 percent of the general population to some degree. At the public school level, studies have shown that poor readers are much more likely to drop out of school, end up in jail, and struggle to find and keep meaningful jobs.
“It’s helpful for parents who want information about what to do, and it’s inspiring for kids to see [dyslexic] people who have done very well,” said Margie Yahyavi, executive director of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation, which hosts the annual event. Past speakers include authors Victor Villaseñor and John Rodrigues and Emmy-winning filmmaker Harvey Hubbell V, who directed 2009’s Dislecksia: The Movie, a documentary about his own difficulties with dyslexia.
In related news, state law AB 1369 has categorized difficulty with phonological processing as a learning disability. Dyslexia is in that category. Starting next year, the legislation requires the state to create dyslexia-focused teaching guidelines for school districts.