Traverse Dyslexia

07/29/2026

07/15/2026

07/11/2026

The largest genetic study of dyslexia ever conducted just published its findings…and they're significant.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics analyzed genetic data from over 1.2 million people and identified 80 DNA regions associated with dyslexia. Thirteen of those regions had never been linked to dyslexia before.

What does this mean for families? A few things:

Dyslexia is not caused by poor teaching, lack of effort, or "not trying hard enough." It has deep genetic roots.

If dyslexia runs in your family, there's a biological reason and early screening for younger siblings makes a lot of sense.

The more we understand the genetics of dyslexia, the better targeted and effective interventions can become.

The science keeps confirming what structured literacy programs like the Barton Reading & Spelling System have been built on all along: dyslexic learners need a different approach not a harder one.

Source: Mountford et al., Translational Psychiatry, 2025 - nature.com/articles/s41398-025-03514-0

Does dyslexia run in your family? You're not alone — share below.

06/29/2026

Dyslexia runs in families — and science is beginning to understand why.

Research shows that dyslexia has a significant heritable component. If a parent or sibling has dyslexia, a child's risk increases substantially. Scientists have identified several genes that appear to influence how the brain processes language and develops the neural pathways needed for reading.

This isn't fatalism — it's opportunity. A family history of reading difficulties is one of the most important early risk factors we have. Knowing it allows parents, pediatricians, and educators to watch for signs and act early.

TDF's Scientific Advisory Board has been at the forefront of the genetics of dyslexia research for decades.

🧬 dyslexiafoundation.org

06/19/2026

New research from the University at Buffalo found that AI-powered handwriting analysis can detect early signs of dyslexia and dysgraphia in young children.

The researcher's goal is to make screening faster, more affordable, and more accessible - especially in underserved communities where specialists are in short supply.

The sooner a child gets the right support, the more of their school journey they experience with confidence rather than frustration.

Read the full story: buffalo.edu/news/releases/2025/05/detect-dyslexia-with-AI-powered-handwriting-analysis.html

What do you think about using technology to identify learning differences earlier?

05/23/2026

Big news from TDF's Scientific Advisory Board!

We're proud to share that Dr. Laurie Cutting, chair of TDF's Scientific Advisory Board, is a co-author on a landmark paper just published in Nature.

The team analyzed 35,120 brain scans from people ages 0 to 100 to build the first-ever "growth charts" for the brain's white matter — the wiring that connects different brain regions and powers everything from reading to memory. Just as pediatricians track height and weight, researchers and clinicians can now compare an individual's brain wiring to typical patterns across 72 distinct pathways, including the arcuate fasciculus, a key reading and language tract that has long been studied in dyslexia research.

These open-access reference charts are a major step toward identifying atypical brain development earlier and supporting people whose brains process information differently.

Read the full Nature paper: https://rdcu.be/fiytu

05/23/2026

With Dr. Shaywitz, a legend in her field 😍

https://www.coursera.org/learn/dyslexia

The course is free.

A small fee occurs of $49 if you want a Certificate to show you completed the course for work credits.

Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your Linkedin profile.

You can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can't afford the enrollment fee.

http://dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/signs-of-dyslexia/

04/15/2026

Under the plan all districts will need to track and report student outcomes in the same seven key areas. But it will be up to the districts to set their own performance targets.

03/29/2026

A statement from OGA: