[140] Free Dyslexia Information Forum Set For Oct. 27 At Linebaugh Library

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 12, 2009
CONTACT: Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia, 615-494-8880

FREE DYSLEXIA INFORMATION FORUM SET FOR OCT. 27 AT LINEBAUGH LIBRARY
Dyslexia Affects 6,500-Plus in Local City and County School Systems, Experts Estimate

(MURFREESBORO)—Professors from MTSU and the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia will take part in an open Dyslexia Information Forum at 6:25-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St., in Murfreesboro.
Designed for parents, teachers and others interested individuals learning about dyslexia, the free event also will feature local teachers from Murfreesboro City Schools and school psychologists on the forum’s panel to help answer questions from parents, caregivers and teachers who attend.
According to information from the International Dyslexia Association, a nonprofit, scientific and educational organization, dyslexia is a reading disability that affects as many as 15 percent of the population and it causes difficulty that lies primarily with decoding the print.
Per the association, a person with dyslexia has at least average intelligence and good language comprehension skills, but needs special instruction to learn how to read and spell words and to put thoughts into writing. Dyslexia is inheritable and can range from very mild to severe. Using an incidence rate of 15 percent, about 6,600 of the 44,000 students in the Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City Schools systems have some degree of dyslexia.
Janet Camp, supervisor of dyslexia services at MTSU and vice president of the North Middle Tennessee Region’s IDA, said the forum coincides with Dyslexia Awareness Month in the state, a proclamation that Gov. Phil Bredesen signed last year.
Panels such as the upcoming Murfreesboro event are helpful, Camp noted, because many parents are simply unaware of the appropriate interventions or remediation programs for their children or are confused about the specific type of professional help to seek.
“The Tennessee IDA board members are excited to hold events during October, Dyslexia Awareness Month, to help communities, parents and teachers recognize and understand dyslexia,” Camp said. “We are anxious to let others know about the exciting developments in teaching materials and techniques to help people with dyslexia to read and spell."
Co-sponsored by Linebaugh Library, Read to Succeed, the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia at MTSU and the Tennessee-based IDA, the upcoming forum is free of charge, but organizers ask that those who wish to attend RSVP to Grace James at 615-494-8880 or e-mail dyslexia@mtsu.edu.
Free parking will be available under the library and may be accessed from Vine, Broad or Church Street entrances. Linebaugh Library staff also will provide a story hour for children ages 3 to 8 who might accompany parents to the event. Also, light refreshments and printed information will be available during the forum.
For more information about dyslexia and learning disabilities, visit the IDA Web site at www.interdys.org. Or, access the Tennessee ‘s IDA branch online at www.tn-interdys.org or the MTSU-based dyslexia center at http://dyslexia.mtsu.edu.



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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.