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Dyslexic Students Need Dedicated Teachers

Peggy Lowe/Harvest Public Media

This program originally aired on 10-18-17. 

Dyslexia is a condition in the brain that makes it hard to read, write, and spell. It's the most common learning disability in children, but it can be difficult to diagnose and manage. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, dyslexia affects anywhere from 5-20 percent of the population depending on the severity of definitions. 

Katie Grieving is president of the Iowa chapter of Decoding Dyslexia, and she says that her experience trying to get her son the tutoring he needed was not easy. She says once a child is diagnosed with a learning disability, that's just the beginning. 

"As a parent you think, 'I just need to take this to the school, and all the blocks will fall into place," Grieving says. 

For Grieving, that was not the case. During this hour of Talk of Iowa, she talks with host Charity Nebbe. Lisa Henry Vasquez, an education consultant at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics; Kim Swartz, a regional administrator with the Central Rivers Area Education Agency; and Amy Dahlke, a teacher and parent of a son with dyslexia, also join the conversation. 

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Education
Lindsey Moon is IPR's Senior Digital Producer
Charity Nebbe is the host of IPR's Talk of Iowa