DYSLEXIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC
5746 CENTERVILLE ROAD, TALLAHASSEE, FL 32309 www.dyslexia-add.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL FACILITY FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE DYSLEXIC AND/OR HAVE ATTENTION DEFICIT.

DYSLEXIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE ("DRI") IS A NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1975. SINCE THAT TIME, DRI HAS BEEN BLAZING T.R.A.I.L.S. FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH DYSLEXIA, ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDERS, AND RELATED LEARNING DISABILITIES. T.R.A.I.L.S. STANDS FOR TRAINING, RESEARCH,ADVOCACY, INFORMATION, LAB SCHOOL, SERVICES. THESE ENCOMPASS THE SERVICES THAT DRI PROVIDES NOT JUST ON A LOCAL LEVEL, BUT ON A STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL. TRAINING: DRI LED TWO WEEK LONG WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHER TRAINING FOR THE TEACHERS AT WOODLAND HALL ACADEMY IN AUGUST OF 2017 AND JANUARY OF 2018. TOPICS COVERED NEW RESEARCH ON DYSLEXIA/ADHD AND MULTISENSORIAL TEACHING TECHNIQUES. RESEARCH: 1. DRI HAS COLLABORATED WITH PHYSICIANS, OPTOMETRISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS IN CONDUCTING RESEARCH RELATED TO DYSLEXIA. IN 2011, ROBYN RENNICK (PROGRAM DIRECTOR) WAS CO-AUTHOR OF AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE "JOURNAL OF LEARNING DISABILITIES" CONCERNING RESEARCH WITH ADULTS WITH DYSLEXIA. DURING 2013, DRI CONTINUED TO WORK WITH SOCIAL WORK PROFESSORS FROM EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY ON THEIR RESEARCH CONCERNING INTERGENERALTIONAL DYSLEXIA. TWO FOCUS GROUPS WERE HELD BY DRI IN TALLAHASSEE WITH CHILDREN OF DYSLEXIC PARENTS AND WITH THEIR DYSLEXIC PARENTS. IN 2014, DRI CONTINUED TO COLLABORATE WITH THE PROFESSORS FROM EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY ON THE RESEARCH PROJECTS CONCERNING ADULTS WITH DYSLEXIA. 2. IN A MORE INFORMAL SETTING, DRI HAS CONTINUED WORKING WITH FLORIDA ALLIANCE FOR ASSISTIVE SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY IN USING DIFFERENT FORMS OF TECHNOLOGY WITH STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA AT WOODLAND HALL ACADEMY, AND REPORTING ON THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. ADVOCACY: DRI HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING MAKE CHANGES IN FLORIDA LAWS AS THEY RELATE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES. 1. DRI STAFF CONTINUALLY WORKS WITH STAFF AT THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND WITH STATE LEGISLATORS TO ENSURE THAT THE MCKAY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM RETAINS ITS AUTONOMY AND VIABILITY. THE MCKAY SCHOLARSHIP IS THE LARGEST PROGRAM IN THE NATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITES WHICH ALLOWS THE PARENT TO TAKE THE STATE MONEY ALLOCATED FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL AND USE IT AT ANOTHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SCHOOL. 2. DRI MET WITH LEGISLATORS TO CRAFT LEGISLATION DEVELOPING A TRANSITION TO WORK PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS ON THE MCKAY SCHOLARSHIP. THIS WAS PASSED IN THE 2016 SESSION. DRI MET WITH LEGISLATORS IN 2018 TO CRAFT ACCOUNTABILITY LEGISLATION. 3. DRI HAS ALSO ATTENDED WORKSHOPS WITH FLORIDA ASSOCIATION FOR CHOICE IN EDUCATION (FACE). THESE MEETING FOCUS ON THE DIFFERENT CHOICES IN EDUCATION THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO CHILDREN IN FLORIDA. 4. STAFF MEMBERS OF DRI ATTENDED THE MCKAY CONFERENCE IN ORLANDO. THIS IS A CONFERENCE CONCERNING THE MCKAY SCHOLARSHIP. A STAFF MEMBER PRESENTED INFORMATION CONCERNING THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND HOW IT ASSISTS PARENTS AND STUDENTS THROUGHOUT FLORIDA. INFORMATION: 1. DRI IS OFTEN CONTACTED BY INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY INQUIRING ABOUT SERVICES AND PROGRAMS IN THEIR AREA. STAFF DIRECT THESE INQUIRIES TO APPROPRIATE RESOURCES. 2. DRI HAS DEVELOPED A PACKET OF INFORMATION EXPLAINING HOW PARENTS MAY HAVE THEIR CHILDREN EVALUATED FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES THROUGH THE PUBLIC SCHOOL AND SHARES IT WITH THE PARENTS TO ASSIST THEM IN UNDERSTANDING THE PUBLIC SCHOOL PROCESS. DRI SENDS THIS INFORMATION TO PARENTS WHO INQUIRE ON A WEEKLY BASIS. 3. IN 2016, DRI LED TWO SEMINARS FOR PARENTS IN LEON COUNTY: 1)WHAT IS DYSLEXIA/ADHD AND HOW THEY CAN AFFECT YOUR CHILDREN, AND 2)NUTRITION AND HOW IT AFFECTS LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR. 4. DRI SENT OUT SIX ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS CONCERNING DIFFERENT TOPICS OF DYSLEXIA/ADD AND LEARNING. THESE NEWSLETTERS GO TO OVER 2,000 INDIVIDUALS, NOT JUST IN THE AREA, BUT THROUGHOUT FLORIDA AND OTHER STATES. 5. DRI SPOKE AT CIVIC GROUPS SUCH AS THE KIWANIS ON THE ASPECTS OF DYSLEXIA. 6. DRI WROTE 6 ARTICLES CONCERNNG DYSLEXIA AND ADHD WHICH WERE SENT IN A ENEWSLETTER FORMAT TO OVER 1,000 READERS. LAB SCHOOL-WOODLAND HALL ACADEMY: WOODLAND HALL ACADEMY ("WHA") IS THE LARGEST, DIRECT SERVICE PROGRAM OF DRI. THE SCHOOL WAS OPENED IN 1975 WITH THE MOTTO "IF A CHILD CAN'T LEARN THE WAY WE TEACH THEM, THEN WE TEACH THE WAY THEY LEARN". WHA SERVES STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA/ADHD AND RELATED LEARNING DISABILITIES FROM 1ST THROUGH 12TH GRADE. CLASS SIZES AVERAGE FIVE CHILDREN SO THAT INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION MAY BE GIVEN. THE ENTIRE SCHOOL PROGRAM IS DESIGNED AROUND THE WAY STUDENTS WITH THIS UNIQUE WAY OF LOOKING AT THE WORLD MUST TAUGHT. WHA USES A MULTISENSORIAL, STRUCTURED LANGUAGE EDUCATION APPROACH AND STAFF ARE CONSTANTLY LEARNING NEW TECHNIQUES OR "TWEAKING" OLD TECHNIQUES TO MEET THE STUDENTS' NEEDS. AS NEW TECHNIQUES ARE DEVELOED, DRI SHARES WITH OTHER TEACHERS OR PARENTS THROUGH THEIR TRAINING WORKSHOPS. WOODLAND HALL ACADEMY SERVED 17 FULLTIME STUDENTS FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 2017 -2018. STUDENTS COME FROM AS FAR AS BRISTOL (50 MILES) AND ST. MARKS (35 MILES) TO ATTEND THE SCHOOL. ONE STUDENT'S FAMILY MOVED FROM PORT ST. JOE (100 MILES) TO ENROLL HIM IN THE SCHOOL. SERVICES: 1. CAREER METORING PROGRAM - DRI WAS AWARDED A GRANT BY THE ABLE TRUST TO ESTABLISH A FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL/HIGH TECH PROGRAM IN GULF COUNTY. FLORIDA HS/HT IS CAREER MENTORING PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN HIGH SCHOOL. 2017 MARKED THE 10TH YEAR OF THIS PROGRAM. HS/HT OF GULF COUNTY SERVES 15-20 STUDENTS EACH YEAR. IT PROVIDES MENTORING SERVICES, CAREER INFORMATION, AND CAREER SHADOWING OPPORTUNITIES. IN THIS VERY IMPOVERISHED AREA, WHERE THE MAJORITY OF JOBS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE AT BURGER KING, MCDONALDS OR THE GROCERY STORE, DRI PROVIDED PAID SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS FOR 4 STUDENTS IN THE SUMMER OF 2018. STUDENTS WERE PLACED IN JOB SITES SUCH AS FAIRPOINT COMMUNICATIONS, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, HEALTHCARE, CHILDCARE AND PHYSICAL FITNESS PROGRAMS, TO NAME A FEW. 2. ADULT PROGRAM - DRI PROVIDES CAREER AND ACADEMIC CONSULTATIONS TO ADULTS WITH DYSLEXIA/ADHD AND RELATED LEARNING DISABILITIES. CONSULTATION MAY TAKE THE FORM OF SESSIONS WITH THE ADULT TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND HOW DYSLEXIA/ADHD AFFECTS THEIR LIFE, SOCIALLY, ACADEMICALLY, HEALTH-WISE AND CAREER-WISE. THIS YEAR DRI WORKED WITH OVER 5 ADULTS IN CONSULTATIONS IN EITHER ACADEMICS OR CAREERS. DRI ALSO PROVIDES INTENSIVE ONE-TO-ONE ACADEMIC THERAPY TO REMEDIATE AND HELP REMOVE THE BARRIERS THAT ADULTS OFTEN FACE BECAUSE THEIR LEARNING ISSUES WEREN'T RECOGNIZED OR ADDRESSED EARLIER IN THEIR LIVES.

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