Through the dedication and hard work of individuals like Audie Alumbaugh and organizations such as the Arkansas Dyslexia Support Group, the Arkansas State Legislature enacted Act 1294 of the 2013 regular session to ensure that children with dyslexia have their needs met by all Arkansas public school systems.  ACT 1268 of 2015 amended parts of the original legislation.  The legislation defines dyslexia, describes required screening and intervention, and lists required actions of the state, education cooperatives, and school districts.  

On May 10, 2018, the Arkansas State Board of Education gave final approval to the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing How to Meet the Needs of Children with Dyslexia.  To access these rules, which became effective June 25, 2018, visit Commissioner’s Memo COM-18-108.

While these laws are in effect, work is still needed to truly implement this support for children throughout our state.