National Dyslexia Awareness Month

WHEREAS, dyslexia is a specific learning disability, that is neurobiological in origin and is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities; and

WHEREAS, these difficulties are typically caused by a deficit in the phonological component of language that is unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and to the provision of effective classroom instruction; and

WHEREAS, secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge; and

WHEREAS, according to the National Institutes of Health, dyslexia occurs on a continuum of severity, affecting between 10 and 20 percent of the population; and

WHEREAS, Alabamians can benefit from increased awareness of the nature of dyslexia, the early warning signs of dyslexia and the value of multisensory structured language interventions for students with dyslexia; and

WHEREAS, greater recognition and understanding are necessary to ensure that individuals living with dyslexia in Alabama are accurately identified and provided with appropriate services so that they might lead productive lives:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim the month of October 2013 as

National Dyslexia Awareness Month

in the state of the Alabama, and encourage all Alabamians to learn more about dyslexia and to offer support to parents, educators and individuals affected by dyslexia.