TEMPLE, Texas — October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, and the Temple Independent School District is shining a spotlight on the success of the district’s dyslexia programming during the month.
Temple ISD currently serves 129 students in its dyslexia education program with those students working with therapists or specialists. TISD also monitors another 415 students who have completed two years in the dyslexia education program or transferred into the district and have been identified as dyslexic. Temple ISD features two programs, Take Flight serves elementary students in grades K-5, and Reading by Design primarily serves middle school and high school students. One thing that sets TISD’s program apart is Temple employs Certified Academic Language Therapists to work one-on-one with students. Having licensed or certified therapists teaching the program allows those instructors to adjust based on their students and their needs. The presence of Certified Academic Language Therapists is crucial for dyslexia students, as their specialized expertise ensures tailored support and effective strategies for overcoming reading and writing challenges.
Temple ISD is also investing in training Dyslexia Coordinator Julie Montgomery as a Qualified Instructor (QI) in Take Flight. Once Montgomery earns QI certification, she will be able to train instructors in-house to help develop additional certified therapists for the district. The intensive certification process involves seven hundred classroom hours and graduate-level coursework, over a two-year program.
“Temple ISD’s dedication to excellence is exemplified in its unwavering commitment to equipping dyslexia therapists and specialists with the latest tools and knowledge to ensure they remain at the forefront of educational innovation,” Montgomery, M.Ed, LDT, CALT, said.
Earlier this month, Temple ISD also held its first Dyslexia Graduation ceremony to recognize forty-three students who completed or will complete the Take Flight program between last May and this December. Once those students complete that process, they transition into a monitored status within the district and continue to receive assistance as needed. In addition to Montgomery, Temple ISD also currently employs four licensed dyslexia therapists and five dyslexia specialists.
“Parents have expressed that Take Flight is nothing short of life-changing for their children, illuminating a brighter path towards academic success and a brighter future,” TISD Dyslexia Specialist Lindy Thompson, M.Ed, LDT, CALT, added.
Dyslexia is the most common learning disability and causes persistent difficulty in reading, writing, and spelling. It can be identified through testing. The Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) estimates that 1-in-10 Americans is dyslexic. The ALTA’s numbers also estimate that up to 20 percent of the world’s billionaires and 35 percent of entrepreneurs are dyslexic. Some notable people who have been identified as dyslexic include Albert Einstein, Richard Branson, Steven Spielberg, Henry Winkler, Goldie Hawn, and Channing Tatum.