The Dyslexia Foundation
For more than 30 years, TDF has been bringing together leading scientists from important fields in dyslexia research, while working to create a bridge between research and practice.
OUR MISSION: To facilitate and disseminate scientific breakthroughs and advances in dyslexia through collaboration among neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, geneticists, and practitioners.
Dr. Sharon Vaughn
A Successful Run!
Dr. Sharon Vaughn celebrated another victory in her continued work to raise awareness and support for children with dyslexia when she crossed the finish line of the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday. She exceeded expectations once again, helping The Dyslexia Foundation surpass its $25,000 fundraising goal in honor of her run as an invited Abbott World Marathon runner. Congratulations and THANK YOU to Dr. Sharon Vaughn – and to all of the donors and supporters who made each step in Dr. Vaughn’s run count!
Dr. Sharon Vaughn is the Manuel J. Justiz Endowed Chair in Education and executive director of The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at The University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of more than 35 books, 250 peer-reviewed research articles, and 65 chapters that address issues related to research and practice with learning problems. Dr. Vaughn has been a long-time supporter of The Dyslexia Foundation because of its impact in the field, and she is a board member of TDF. To learn more about the Foundation, please visit yesread.org.
2021 MGH Institute of Health Conference Sessions
Joanna A. Christodoulou, EdD
Associate Professor, Director of the BEAM Lab
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Poverty, the Brain, and Early Literacy Development
Paul Morgan, Ph.D.
Professor
Penn State University
Re-thinking Over and Underrepresentation of Black, Latinx and American Indian Students in Special Education
Gwendolyn Cartledge, Ph.D.
Professor of Physical Activities and Educational Services
The Ohio State University
Who Are Vulnerable Students?
Julie Washington, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Professor of Education
University of California, Irvine
Assessing Children who are Historically Underserved: Understanding and Adjusting for Inherent Complexities
Rachel R. Romeo, PhD, CCC-SLP
Assistant Professor, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscientist, and Clinical Speech-Language Pathologist
University of Maryland
The Relationships between Language Development, Early Literacy, and Socioeconomic Status (SES)
Carla Stanford, M.Ed.
Ed.D. Candiate
University of California, Irvine
Culturally Responsive Reading in the Classroom: Teaching Beyond the Instruction
What is Dyslexia?
“Dyslexia is a brain-based type of learning disability that specifically impairs a person’s ability to read. These individuals typically read at levels significantly lower than expected despite having normal intelligence. Although the disorder varies from person to person, common characteristics among people with dyslexia are difficulty with phonological processing (the manipulation of sounds), spelling, and/or rapid visual-verbal responding. In individuals with adult onset of dyslexia, it usually occurs as a result of brain injury or in the context of dementia; this contrasts with individuals with dyslexia who simply were never identified as children or adolescents. Dyslexia can be inherited in some families, and recent studies have identified a number of genes that may predispose an individual to developing dyslexia” NIH.gov.
What is the prognosis?
“For those with dyslexia, the prognosis is mixed. The disability affects such a wide range of people and produces such different symptoms and varying degrees of severity that predictions are hard to make. The prognosis is generally good, however, for individuals whose dyslexia is identified early, who have supportive family and friends and a strong self-image, and who are involved in a proper remediation program” NIH.gov.
More Dyslexia Resources and Research
Become a TDF member
Your online membership directly supports The Foundation’s efforts to provide information, resources, and events to educators across the country.
Latest Research
Read about the latest research from our affiliated Researchers, partners, Scientific Advisory Board members.
View our Conference Videos
Browse our archive of past conferences to learn about current research and classroom education practices related to Dyslexia.
What research is being done?
Two institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) support major research on dyslexia (and other institutes may on occasion also support studies on learning disabilities or neurological conditions including dyslexia). The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) support ongoing dyslexia research through grants to major research institutions across the country.
Current research avenues focus on developing techniques to diagnose and treat dyslexia and other learning disabilities, increasing the understanding of the biological and possible genetic bases of learning disabilities, and exploring the relationship between neurophysiological processes and cognitive functions with regard to reading ability and learning. This information is provided by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Institute of Health.
More news and infromation from the Dyslexia Foundation
The Journey of an IDEA – Dr. Maryanne Wolf – Einstein Award Recipient
“The Journey of an IDEA"Presented at Dyslexia and Literacy: Understanding Executive functions, language, and reading, on Friday, October 18th, 2019. The UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference CenterMaryanne Wolf, Ph.D. Maryanne Wolf is a scholar, a teacher, and an...
TDF – Extraordinary Brain Symposium XVI
EXTRAORDINARY BRAIN SYMPOSIUM XVI All about Language: Science, Theory, and Practice Неделя языка: эксперименты, теория, практика St. Petersburg, Russia May 28—June 1, 2018. The meeting will include various language-related topics with targeted speakers in...
Secretary DeVos Convenes Parent Roundtable
Secretary DeVos Convenes Parent Roundtable to Mark National Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia Awareness Month OCTOBER 25, 2017 Contact: Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov WASHINGTON – As part of the Department's recognition of National Learning...
MIT Study finds brain connections key to reading
By: Anne Trafton | MIT News Office | Original Post | August 8, 2016 Pathways that exist before kids learn to read may determine development of brain’s word recognition area. A new study from MIT reveals that a brain region dedicated to reading has connections for that...
Fixing the Failure Model
RESEARCH INDICATES THAT CHILDREN AT RISK FOR DYSLEXIA CAN BE IDENTIFIED BEFORE THEY BEGIN SCHOOL BY LEAH SHAFER, IMAN RASTEGARI, ON JUNE 14, 2016 9:25 AM (Boston Children's Hospital) Are we looking for dyslexia too late? Ongoing research at Boston Children’s Hospital...
A UConn study of how the human brain reads has implications for teaching and improving reading skills.
SHARELINES .@UConn research reveals what happens inside the #brain when a person is reading: A UConn study of how the human brain reads has implications for teaching and improving reading skills. Researchers at the University of Connecticut and their colleagues have...
Investigating the Influences of Language Delay and/or Familial Risk for Dyslexia on Brain Structure in 5-Year-Olds
Early language delay has often been associated with atypical language/literacy development. Neuroimaging studies further indicate functional disruptions during language and print processing in school-age children with a retrospective report of early language delay. Behavioral data of 114 5-year-olds with a retrospective report of early language delay in infancy (N = 34) and those without (N = 80) and with a familial risk for dyslexia and those without are presented
Never Quit Trying Bracelet
Bracelet purchases will allow The Dyslexia Foundation sponsor teachers to attend our fall conference and other events held by the Foundation.