Forum brings together the world's leading dyslexia advocates, policymakers, artists, neuroscientists, and educators
While recent epidemiological data indicates that dyslexia affects 20% of students, educators diagnose less than 4% as being affected, leaving most without the help they need. A staggering 70 percent of juvenile delinquents are diagnosed as dyslexic, and 80% of incarcerated Americans are functionally illiterate. After diagnosis, many therapies are antiquated, slow and unaffordable for most, deepening the socio-economic literacy divide. Speakers will discuss the challenges and review new research and solutions.
“My own learning disability was discovered late in life, and as Mayor, I'm fighting to ensure that our schools are able to not only recognize dyslexia, but lift up those students so they have a fair shot at success," Mayor Adams says. “We must break the cycle of incarceration with education, support and opportunity. We must go upstream and keep our young people from falling into the river of violence.”
Sen. Cassidy, M.D. will discuss the next steps for neurodiversity education, after having sponsored new legislation in the 117th Congress, the 21st Century Dyslexia Act (# S.3202), and the 2018 First Step Act.
Dr. Laura Layden Cassidy, founder of the Dyslexia Resource Center, will discuss her work at the school she co-founded, Louisiana Key Academy, a Baton Rouge public charter school.
Yoel Greenfeld, founder of CanAdvance, one of New York's premiere community education organizations, will share his 20 years’ expertise as a teacher and principal, helping hundreds of children with difficulties in academics or behavior achieve lasting success.
Ingrid Poupart, CEO of Neuralign Nonprofit, a mother-daughter neurodiverse Canadian team helping dyslexic and learning-disabled students achieve success in reading, will share a new report by Carleton University that shows students using Neuralign read an average of 50 percent more words in 10 weeks.
Through decades of evidence-based research and fieldwork, Neuralign has acquired an intimate understanding of how to design and deliver revolutionary brain training techniques, and its technology has won multiple awards.
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams who struggled with Tourette Syndrome and ADHD, has urged City Council to pass legislation instituting screenings in New York City jails, to provide better support for incarcerated New Yorkers and prevent them from re-entering the legal system in the future. "Dyslexia is under-discussed and likely under-diagnosed, in our city," Williams says. The rapper Brooklyn Batman, who served time at Riker's Island and is neurodiverse, will be joining him to call for more neurodiversity initiatives inside the nation's prisons.
Chris Etienne, the STEM Program Coordinator at Princeton University, will speak about the challenges of getting access to provide his work of educating the incarcerated community. Barbara Bullard, President of the Shirley Chisholm Institute, will speak about the importance of programs for reading acquisition for incarcerated Americans.
Other pre-eminent speakers include Oxford University professor Newton Howard, founder of the Howard Brain Center at Georgetown University; Dean Bragonier, TedX speaker and founder of NoticeAbility nonprofit; Kate Griggs, Founder of the British nonprofit Made By Dyslexia; Eli Weisman, Emmy-winning creative technologist at Contextual; and Nancy Conrad, educator and founder of the Conrad Foundation, will speak about her perspective and that of her late husband, third man on the moon Pete Conrad, who was dyslexic.
The conversation will be moderated by Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri, Princeton University Visiting Lecturer, Tribeca Film Festival and Cannes Lions award-winning artist, regeneration and neurodiversity advocate at Neuralign non-profit.
For more information, to RSVP or view the live-screening visit: www.dyslexia-symposium.com.
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New Approaches to Neurodiversity and Dyslexia Education Symposium
WHERE: Columbia University, Alfred J. Lerner Hall, 2920 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
WHEN: Tuesday, December 20, 10:30 am
John Howard Arundel
Perdicus Communications LLC
+1 703-963-4191
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