Honoring Dyslexia Awareness Month

By Julie Washington, Professor and Interim Dean

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month—an opportunity to deepen understanding, challenge misconceptions, and stand in support of the millions of children and adults who experience the world through the lens of dyslexia. Dyslexia is a language-based learning  difference that impacts reading, writing and spelling, and though widely studied, continues to be misunderstood. Dyslexia is often called a “hidden disability” and children with dyslexia are referred to as neurodiverse, as we have learned that their brains respond differently to text than children who struggle with reading for other reasons. Dyslexia reportedly impacts 1 in 10 individuals, although many may be undiagnosed and experience significant difficulty in school and underemployment in adulthood because of low literacy skills. Among children who use languages and dialects that diverge from General American English dyslexia is particularly difficult to diagnose; this is an area of focus in my research. Individuals with dyslexia have normal intelligence and often display significant strengths in many areas that are not directly influenced by reading skills. With appropriate identification, support, and advocacy, individuals with dyslexia can thrive.

California is at the forefront of attempts to identify and address dyslexia in school-aged children. On July 10, 2023, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 114 into law. Entitled “Screening for Risk of Reading Difficulties,” this law outlines new requirements for screening students in kindergarten through 2nd grade for reading delays, including dyslexia. More recently, during this Dyslexia Awareness Month, on October 9th, 2025, AB 1454 was passed changing the way that reading is taught in California, to more closely align with the Science of Reading, a body of work designed to improve understanding and intervention for dyslexia. These efforts resulted from the hard work of advocates, parents, teachers, scientists, and our governor who has thrived as an adult with dyslexia!

Among our School of Education faculty, Dr. Young-Suk Kim, Dr. Brandy Gatlin-Nash and I have been at the forefront of these conversations, serving on boards, disseminating research findings and influencing policy decisions through our respective publications and presentations both nationally and internationally.

I encourage you to take a moment this month to learn more about dyslexia and the many ways we can better support students with diverse learning needs – many of whom are in our classrooms at UC Irvine, both diagnosed and undiagnosed. A good place to start is the International Dyslexia Association’s (IDA) resource page, which offers research-based tools, insights, and stories from educators and families, and The Reading League – CA (TRL-CA), https://ca.thereadingleague.org/, which worked alongside parents, teachers, researchers, lawmakers and others to rally Californians to support children who struggle with reading acquisition, including those with dyslexia. Our own Dr. Brandy Gatlin-Nash and I proudly serve as founding members of the board of directors for TRL-CA.