The Arkansas Dyslexia Support Group (ADSG) was established as a 501(c)3 organization in 2022 by Audie Alumbaugh, a longtime teacher and advocate for education in Arkansas.  

Since 2009, Audie has worked to change the face of literacy in Arkansas by participating in thousands of IEP and 504 meetings, advocating for children’s right to learn to read all at no cost to parents.

While Arkansas leads the nation in literacy laws and teacher training in the science of reading (R.I.S.E), the implementation of prescribed interventions with fidelity has not dramatically improved and student outcomes are not where they need to be. 

In fact, in Arkansas 61.1 % of children are NOT reading ready. 

Today, across the nation, 39 % of children covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A.) are in the category of Specific Learning Disability (S.L.D.).  Of that 39% it is estimated that 80% of those children have dyslexia. Dyslexia impacts 1 in 5 people worldwide. 

According to the 2022 Arkansas Special Education Adequacy Report, in 2021, 19,538 students in Arkansas had Specific Learning Disabilities.  

This means an estimated 15,630 children on IEPs across our state are faced with the challenge of dyslexia. 

It is important to note, with over 500,000 kids enrolled in public education in Arkansas, approximately 100,000 of those children have dyslexia. This leaves 85,000 children who are unidentified under I.D.E.A.

In addition to providing direct advocacy to parents and families, the Arkansas Dyslexia Support Group pairs with experts to offer assistance to families of children with dyslexia. ADSG has been doing this for 15 years all at no cost to parents. 

The ADSG aims to give families hope by providing them the support and advocacy they need to optimize their child’s education and educational experience.