U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, hosted a roundtable on Apr. 15 focused on supporting students with dyslexia and improving child literacy rates.
The event brought together parents to discuss challenges in diagnosing dyslexia and ensuring students receive the necessary support. The discussion is part of broader efforts to address literacy among children in the United States.
“Children with dyslexia are fully capable,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Getting a dyslexia diagnosis, and getting it early, is critical. Without that, students don’t get the specialized instruction or accommodations they need to succeed.” Parents at the roundtable shared personal stories about their children's experiences with dyslexia diagnoses in public schools. Hope McDonald said she was frustrated by what she described as an overly broad definition of Specific Learning Disability that prevented her daughter’s school from recognizing her dyslexia as a real disability.
Cassidy introduced the 21st Century Dyslexia Act to include dyslexia specifically under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), aiming to help families obtain timely diagnoses and resources for children affected by this learning difference.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee works to legislate on public health, education, workforce issues and retirement programs with the goal of protecting health and supporting worker rights according to its official website. In the 119th Congress, Cassidy served as chair of this committee according to its official website. The committee influences federal regulations affecting health and education across the country according to its official website.
Additionally, it provides oversight of federal laws and agencies related to health and labor policy decisions according to its official website, including oversight over agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) according to its official website.
