THIBODAUX , Louisiana, USA — More than 200 people from throughout Louisiana filled the halls of Nicholls State University Saturday to improve their understanding of dyslexia and its effect on human’s intellectual development.
Called “Unmasking Their Potential,” many who attended said they welcomed the chance to learn of the learning disability without traveling far.
“It’s important that it’s close by. I’ve had to go to conferences in Baton Rouge,” said Celeste Molaison, a Thibodaux resident whose daughter has characteristics of dyslexia.
Instructional guides on reading big words, elementary sentence structure and college preparation were among the nearly two dozen courses centering on various aspects of the learning disability held throughout the day.
Most who came were teachers, tutors or parents of children with dyslexia who sought to improve the lives of youth, according to Karen Chiasson, director of the Louisiana Center for Dyslexia and Related Learning Disorders at Nicholls.
And it was so well attended, Chiasson said, that it will likely be the first of many local conferences.
“We figured it’s such a success that it’s our ‘first annual conference,’ ” she said.
Rob Langston, chairman and CEO of the For the Children Foundation and president of the Langston Company, was the keynote speaker.
Langston makes regular appearances on radio and TV, is an author and developed a five-step process aimed at helping people overcome a personal battle with dyslexia.
In two morning presentations, he spoke of his own experience with dyslexia and how he successfully overcame the disability.
Dyslexia affects 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. population, but only 5 percent of people with the reading disorder are recognized and given assistance, according to the Dyslexia Research Institute.
About 60 percent of those diagnosed with attention deficit disorder are also considered dyslexic, but often the behavioral aspects of ADD are addressed while dyslexia goes ignored, according to the agency.
Ellen Ryan, a teacher at Northlake Christian School in Covington, works with children with many learning disabilities, including dyslexia and ADD.
Ryan noted that these conferences can improve all methods of teaching because the techniques to aid all learning disabilities are a relatively similar and can be useful for children without disabilities.
“Anything that helps (learning-disabled) kids helps everybody,” she said.
Staff Writer Ben Lundin can be reached at 448-7635 or ben.lundin@dailycomet.com.
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Teachers, parents gain tools to help kids with dyslexia
