Kankakee Times

Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) has introduced a bill that would make a big difference in the education of children with unique needs.

"I am extremely proud to have introduced this bill that requires early dyslexia screening,"  Haas posted on Facebook.

Haas has previously warned that dyslexia can hinder a child's education if not detected early.

"Dyslexia can have a profound impact on a student's learning, their ability to read and write, and can result in lifelong educational, social, and emotional struggles; so the sooner we identify those barriers to any type of learning, the better. And that includes dyslexia," Haas said.

Research has shown early detection is what separates success and failure for students suffering from dyslexia.

"It is our job to provide all students with a quality education," Haas said. "We can't do that if students with dyslexia are not identified."

The bill requires The Illinois State Board of Education to provide technical assistance to school districts for specific learning disabilities and that starting in 2022-2023, every school district in the state must screen K-2 students for dyslexia with a universal screener.

The Republican caucus blog acknowledges that this screening will cost school districts, but it notes that there is a benefit to the requirement.

Dyslexia is defined by the State of Illinois, ISBE, and others as a: "Specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge." This is the definition adopted by the International Dyslexia Association in 2002 and is now used by many states.