Senate Resolution No. 332

BY: Senator RIVERA

MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
October 2019, as Dyslexia Awareness Month in the
State of New York

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that the State of
New York is committed to equal educational opportunities by identifying
obstacles to educational advancement and helping to remove those
obstacles; and

WHEREAS, Dyslexia, often inherited, is a language-based learning
disability that is neurological in origin which interferes with language
processing, accurate and/or fluent word recognition, spelling and
decoding abilities and reading comprehension despite average or above
average intelligence; and

WHEREAS, Dyslexia varies in severity ranging from mild to profound
and is characterized by a combination of difficulties in reading,
writing, spelling, handwriting and/or math which can create a wide gap
between an individual's intellectual ability and their academic and/or
personal achievement; and

WHEREAS, Dyslexia is identifiable as early as 4-6 years of age and
early intervention is beneficial as the negative consequences are highly
preventable through effective, direct instruction in phonemic awareness,
phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension; and

WHEREAS, Dyslexia can affect anyone, regardless of race, gender,
culture or socioeconomic status and impacts up to 20% of the population;
and

WHEREAS, Literacy skills for everyone is an important goal for the
State of New York and dyslexia affects a high percentage of our
struggling readers, and it is important that we learn to recognize and
to address this learning difference so that each person in New York has
the opportunity to be able to learn, read and spell proficiently and
reach their full potential; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim October 2019, as
Dyslexia Awareness Month in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of
New York; and the "Decoding Dyslexia -- NY" Board of Directors.