Many more enrolled in spe­cial edu­ca­tion

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The report showed that spe­cial edu­ca­tion enroll­ment has climbed in recent years, with more than 857,000 stu­dents statewide in spe­cial edu­ca­tion in the 2024-25 school year. That num­ber was 498,320 seven years ago, mark­ing a 72% increase.

The num­ber of Texas stu­dents with dys­lexia con­tin­ues to increase, from 149,943 stu­dents in 2023 to 212,167 in 2024. Over the past six years, the num­ber of stu­dents enrolled in spe­cial edu­ca­tion for dys­lexia has risen by more than 636%.

Those increases coin­cide with a rise in the num­ber of spe­cial edu­ca­tion eval­u­ations con­duc­ted statewide. Last school year, more than 178,000 ini­tial eval­u­ations took place in Texas, accord­ing to the TEA’s report. Recent state fund­ing included money for those eval­u­ations, giv­ing schools an extra $1,000 for each eval­u­ation to determ­ine if a stu­dent had a dis­ab­il­ity.

Con­trib­ut­ing to the jump, a 2023 state law defined dys­lexia as a learn­ing dis­ab­il­ity, mean­ing stu­dents with dys­lexia were required to get indi­vidu­al­ized edu­ca­tion pro­grams and have access to spe­cial edu­ca­tion ser­vices.

Read it all HERE

Changing Typefaces Doesn’t Help People With Dyslexia. Here’s What Actually Does

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The State Department’s recent reversal of a 2023 decision to switch from Times New Roman to Calibri revived a decades-old debate over whether certain typefaces improve accessibility, particularly for people with dyslexia. The idea is simple and appealing: Choose the right font, and reading becomes easier.

That idea is comforting. It is also wrong.

Dyslexia is not a visual disorder. It is a language‑based learning disability rooted in how the brain processes speech sounds and connects them to print. People with dyslexia struggle with foundational skills such as phonics and with reading fluency not because letters look confusing, but because written language does not come automatically.

Read more about it HERE

UH Study Unveils New Targets for Dyslexia Solutions

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A University of Houston psychology professor is challenging the notion that dyslexia, or specific reading disorder, stems from a single faulty gene in the brain, suggesting instead that it is caused by an overall brain network vulnerability. The insight reshapes understanding of one of the world’s most common learning disorders, which affects up to 20% of the world’s population—nearly 780 million people who face lifelong challenges with reading.

Read all about it HERE

Hold your tongue: study shows numbing the mouth may speed up silent reading

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Parents often tell their children to sound out the words as they are learning to read. It makes sense: Since they already know how to speak, the sound of a word might serve as a clue to its meaning.

It turns out there’s a surprising and deep connection between what’s going on in your mouth and how your brain handles reading, and a University of Alberta research team hopes to use it to help people with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. 

In a new study with the alliterative title Perturbing the pathway: The impact of lollipops and lidocaine on supramarginal gyrus activity during silent reading tasks, the team found that numbing the mouth can help people read faster. 

Read all about it HERE

Why Sound, Laughter, and Play Are Essential for Learning

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Creative Sound Play recognizes what science and caregivers have long observed: humans communicate, bond, and learn through sound before words, symbols, or formal music. From giggles and coos to call-and-response vocal play, sound is a child’s first language—and one of the most accessible, inclusive educational tools available to educators today.

Dr. Mireault’s research highlights laughter as a mechanism for social bonding and emotional regulation, particularly in moments of surprise, play, and shared attention. Creative Sound Play extends this understanding into classrooms by intentionally using vocal sounds, clapping, stomping, silence, rhythm, and playful listening to strengthen relationships, support self-regulation, and transform everyday moments—especially transition times—into meaningful learning experiences.

Read the article HERE