Learning Disabilities Association of West Virginia

07/26/2026

It's interesting to me how kids are often far better at grasping this concept than adults.

Why do some people have such a hard time with it?

Em

07/02/2026

06/30/2026

📣 New Program Announcement! 📣

Navigating special education is easier when you have a community behind you.

IEP Circles is a new space where parents, caregivers, and self advocates can connect, learn, and gain practical tools to advocate for special education services. Our goal is to meet quarterly in each location. Through our partnership with education attorneys from Mountain State Justice and education advocates from Legal Aid of West Virginia Inc. families will have access to trusted information and guidance alongside peer support.

💪 This is more than a support group. This is a parent-led movement to ensure every child receives the education they are entitled to, and that special education is FULLY FUNDED!

Whether you’re preparing for your first IEP meeting or have years of experience advocating, there’s a seat for you at the table. Together, we’re building stronger advocates and stronger schools, one family at a time.

Upcoming IEP Circles:
(Event Registrations Open!)

⭕️ August 5 – Logan County | Southern Community College | 11:30 AM–1:00 PM

⭕️ August 15 – Marion County | Agape Life Ministries | 12:00–1:30 PM

⭕️ September 5 – Putnam County | Main Library | 11:30 AM–1:00 PM

⭕️ September 19 – Kanawha County Library |
11:00 AM–12:30 PM

⭕️ October 1 – Virtual IEP Circle | 11:30 AM–1:00 PM

05/29/2026

Schools have an affirmative legal obligation under the IDEA to identify, evaluate, and investigate suspected disabilities.

Parents should not be told to go buy private diagnoses before a school will act. That is not how Child Find works.

When schools see warning signs of disability, the obligation to evaluate belongs to the school district — not the parent’s wallet.

05/18/2026

05/18/2026

05/05/2026

i-Ready is back in the headlines, and this time it’s out of Michigan and California.

Both states reviewed it and said the same thing:
It does not meet the bar for a universal screener.

Worth noting: Georgia found the same thing. The difference? It was added back by our superintendent because it’s widely used.

Here are the problems:

1. Borderline blind spot
Misses the 30th–40th percentile; the kids were supposed to catch early.

2. Phonemic awareness problem
Clicking ≠ actually hearing and manipulating sounds.
👉 That’s how risk gets missed.

3. Adaptive = risky
It can skip key skills entirely.
👉 If it’s not measured, it’s not identified.

This behaves like a diagnostic, not a screener. I’m grateful to see states like Michigan and California hold the line unlike Georgia!

When it comes to screening, popular shouldn’t be the bar, effectiveness should be!

Read more: https://open.substack.com/pub/decodingmom/p/michigan-rejected-i-ready-as-a-k?r=46qttl&utm_medium=ios

04/24/2026

BREAKING: 6TH Circuit Court of Appeals rules IN FAVOR of ; agrees they "have been denied a basic minimum education, and thus have been deprived of access to literacy.​" The Court supports that a basic education must be recognized as a fundamental right! for our brave clients and families across Michigan! Read the opinion here: https://bit.ly/2VycrHy

A huge thank you to our co-counsel Sidley Austin, LLP!

04/23/2026

Please read…👇💫

As we’re heading into exam season we need to normalise these things during exams for our dyslexic children. These things should be available to every single child taking an exam and we shouldn’t have to fight for these things as parents.

During exams let’s normalise:

✏️ Having a scribe.
📖 Having a reader.
☘️ Giving them a choice of when & where they happen.
📱 Dictating their answers.
🎧 Using alternative reading & writing methods.
⏰ Giving them extra time.
📝 No marks taken away for spelling.
🌿 Rest breaks.
📑 Modified & adapted exam papers.

What do you think? Would you add anything else to the list? Let me know in the comments.👇

Please ♥️ and share.