The Dallas Branch of The International Dyslexia Association is committed to leadership and advocacy for people with dyslexia by providing:

• support for individuals and group interactions
• programs to inform and educate
• information for professionals and the general public.

Hotline 972-233-9107 x222
or email:
Questions, our volunteers are available to help. Calls to the 24-hour hotline are returned weekly by our volunteers.

2012 DBIDA Annual Conference
Friday, February 10, 2012

Online Registration

Conference Brochure

Dallas Branch of the International Dyslexia Association 2012 Annual Spring Conference with Keynote Speaker Marilyn Jager Adams, Ph.D.

You may either register online and pay by Visa or Mastercard, or you can use the form in the conference brochure to mail / fax your registration with payment by P.O., check, or American Express.

Learning to Read: What's Hard Developmentally was also Hard Historically

Dr. Marilyn Jager Adams holds a Ph.D. from Brown University in cognitive and developmental psychology. She has devoted her career to research and applied work in the area of cognition and education. Recipient of the American Educational Research Association's Sylvia Scribner Award for outstanding educational research, Dr. Adams's contributions include the book, Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning About Print (MIT Press). In 2010, the International Dyslexia Association honored her work with the Samuel Torrey Orton Award.

Word and print awareness, awareness of syllables and rhymes, letter recognition and phonemic awareness, decoding and spelling, grammar and vocabulary...Over the last decade or so, we have become used to thinking about children’s literacy development in terms these milestones, ultimately culminating in the ability to read even complex texts for information, understanding, and pleasure. History shows that, over the millennia, our writing system evolved in fits and starts as it was redesigned time and again in response to a rather abruptly gained appreciation of each of these same dimensions of literacy. Interestingly, these discoveries arose in much the same order as they are conquered by children. Comparing reading history with reading development helps to clarify the nature of each of these hurdles as well as why each is hard, and why each is so critically important to literacy as we know it today.

Afternoon Sessions

Suzie Humphreys, Motivational & Inspirational Humorist
I Can Do That!

Suzie has a way with laughter, poignant stories and jump-start inspiration, of confirming that fear doesn't have to be the motivating force that stops us from living life to its fullest. We say we will "one day!" One Day comes and goes and we are left regretting that it was not life that passed us by at all, but rather our decision to LIVE IT! This is about saying "yes" instead of "no" . . . about not telling ourselves "we can't" . . . "it's too hard" . . . "I'll never be able to" . . . This presentation is perfect for corporate, education or anyone who needs a lift up –not from outside, but from within.

Timothy Odegard, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Texas at Arlington, Certified Dyslexia Practioner, Licensed Dyslexia Practioner
Reading and the Brain

Dr. Odegard will review recent findings on how various areas of the brain facilitate reading in typically developing individuals and response to intervention in children with dyslexia.

Dr. Odegard is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington. He received his doctorate in Experimental Psychology from the University of Arkansas. His later Post postdoctoral training was funded by the NICHD and sponsored by Drs. Valerie Reyna and Charles Brinerd. During his post-doctoral training he completed language therapist training at Texas Scottish Hospital for Children. He conducts both basic and applied research on reading and memory using behavioral and brain imaging techniques.

Programs & Services

INFORMATION AND REFERRAL
The Branch provides general information about dyslexia and makes referrals to tutors, diagnosticians, and private schools serving individuals with learning disabilities.

BI-ANNUAL NEWSLETTER

ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE

SPEAKERS' BUREAU
Members of the DBIDA Board of Directors are available for presentations to interested groups. We especially want to talk to parent and teacher groups and will provide information about learning disorders -- dyslexia most specifically.

SCHOLARSHIP to individuals for reading therapy

DALLAS DYSLEXIA INFORMATION GROUP
DDIG has speakers and other LD professionals who provide information and resources concerning learning differences to parents, educators, LD professionals, and to anyone who wants to be more informed about dyslexia and related topics.

When: 2nd Monday of each month (except December)

Time: 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Place: The Winston School, 5707 Royal Lane, Dallas

Call: 214-691-6950 for directions

Please see the EVENTS page for more details.