Standing Up for Dyslexia
When Avery Boechler thought about the other kids who struggle to read, he got out of his comfort zone and testified in support of a legislative bill intended to change educational standards. βI did it to help everyone else out,β he says.
It made no sense. Avery Boechler was involved in student ambassadors, music, and his church. He ran track, played football, basketball, baseball, and soccer; he enjoyed rock climbing and slacklining. He succeeded at everything he didβwith straight Aβs to prove itβexcept when it came to reading and writing.
His mom, Tara, had definitely noticed βsomethingβ early on. Avery didnβt talk until he was four years old; by age five, he was advanced in some aspects of school, but certain things were hard for him to remember. Right and left were confusing; he couldnβt say certain common words, or tie his shoes. βIt killed me as a mother, and especially as a reading teacher, as to why I couldnβt figure it out,β Tara says.
In first grade, Childrenβs Care Hospital referred Avery to Black Hills Learning Solutions, where Dr. Robert Arnio diagnosed their son with moderate to severe dyslexia. Finally, things began to fall into placeβbut not everything.
The Boechlers learned that dyslexia is a common learning disability, and according to the Dyslexia Center of Utah, one in every five students has a language-based disability. Dyslexia is a lifelong condition where people have difficulty identifying speech sounds and learning how to relate letters and wordsβbut the rest of their brains work fine. Yale University research shows that in typical readers, βreading and IQ development are linked over time,β but in dyslexic readers, βreading and cognition develop more independently.β
So a high-functioning kid like Avery really could get straight Aβs; he just couldnβt read or write like the other kids in his class. Most students who have been diagnosed can succeed and even excel with tutoring and alternative learning methods such as observing and listening.
In South Dakota public schools at the time, however, dyslexia accommodations werenβt so easy to come by. While the condition was βknown,β the available help wasnβt quite making the grade for Avery.
Therefore, South Dakota State Representative Lynne DiSanto, along with other legislators, authored House Bill 1198, intended to expand dyslexiaβs definition, as well as related provisions in the school system. Averyβalong with several students, parents, educators, and professionalsβtestified in front of the Department of Education in Pierre last year in support of the bill. βIt was kind of nerve wracking,β Avery recalls.
Kids can feel a lot of different emotions when their abilities donβt match with everyone elseβs in their classrooms. But success comes in many forms. Avery learned that he is equal to the task of standing up for what he believes. βIn life, if you have a challenge, you just need to go out and do something,β he says.
Two years ago, Avery landed a para-professionalβan in-school tutor who helps with reading, writing, and mathβalong with other accommodations. Now, nothing can stop him.
Straight to the Top
Dyslexia has been included in the stateβs Department of Education list of Specific Learning Disabilities for years, and general testing has been available. However, the accommodations for students with dyslexiaβbefore House Bill 1198βallowed some kids to fall through the cracks, especially otherwise high-functioning students.
Two bills, the original dyslexia bill, HB1198, and a new one introduced in the 2017 session, HB1133, have stimulated the Department of Education to initiate a five-year plan to bring awareness of the learning disability to the forefront of education. βNone of us wants to see students struggle,β says Secretary of Education Dr. Melody Schopp. βThatβs one of the reasons whyβ¦a work group consisting of educators, higher education, parents, and school board members was created.β
South Dakotaβs plan will increase knowledge about dyslexia in schools, and add screening strategies and updated tools. The plan also will include guidelines for university programs to include structured literacy and dyslexia training in elementary education and reading endorsement programs.
By Kristin Donnan
Reporting by Jenna Carda