Nearly every state in the US has dyslexia laws – but our research shows limited change for struggling readers

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Nearly every state in the U.S. passed some sort of dyslexia laws over the past decade. Most of these laws encourage or require schools to screen young children for reading difficulties, train teachers in evidence-based reading instruction and provide targeted support to students who show early signs of dyslexia.

Families of children with dyslexia, educators and dyslexia advocacy groups widely praised these laws. If schools could identify dyslexia early and respond with evidence-based instruction, reading outcomes would likely improve and fewer children would fall behind.

But what actually happened after these laws passed?

My colleagues and I examined nearly two decades of national student data to answer this question. The results tell a complicated story.

Read the full article HERE

Scientists Reveal the Brain Pathways Disrupted in Dyslexia

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NEW genetic analysis suggests dyslexia reflects vulnerability across broad brain networks rather than a single faulty gene, reshaping understanding of a condition affecting up to 20% of the global population.

To investigate the genetic basis of dyslexia, researchers systematically reviewed literature published over the past four decades and identified 175 candidate genes linked to reading difficulties. Using bioinformatic tools, the team examined evolutionary conservation, developmental gene expression, and functional networks. The analysis revealed that many dyslexia associated genes are highly conserved across species, indicating deep evolutionary roots. Importantly, developmental transcriptome data identified two distinct gene clusters separated by timing. One group is active early in fetal development and contributes to brain structure and wiring. The second group becomes active around 24 postconception weeks and supports synaptic signalling between neurons. Single cell analyses further showed cell type specific expression and protein interaction networks, suggesting coordinated biological pathways rather than isolated gene effects. These findings challenge the concept of reading specific genes and instead highlight dyslexia as a systems level condition.

Read the article HERE

Genetic Research Over 40 Years Suggests Dyslexia Linked to Brain Network Vulnerabilities Affecting 20 Percent Globally

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A review of 40 years of genetic research suggests that dyslexia, a common learning disorder affecting reading ability, may not be caused by a single faulty gene but rather by vulnerabilities in broader brain networks. A psychology professor at the University of Houston presented this perspective, challenging long-held beliefs about the origins of dyslexia. The condition impacts up to 20% of the global population—approximately 780 million people—who experience persistent difficulties with reading throughout their lives.

Read it all HERE

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