Mississippi State University will host its first dyslexia seminar Saturday geared toward children.
The hour-long seminar, organized by the T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability, will teach young people with dyslexia how to advocate for themselves and explain to others the complexities of their disorder, said clinic coordinator Kathy Prater.
“Dyslexia is often misunderstood,” Prater said. “It involves written language, spoken language, the ability to think quickly, memory. And it affects, among other things, how (children) come to terms with who (they are) and what (their) skills are.”
Saturday’s clinic is the fourth in a seminar series the T.K. Martin Center began in August 2017. The other sessions, Prater said, were geared toward parents and educators, so this week’s seminar offers something new.
Cepia Buchanan, a special education teacher from Tupelo who is trained in dyslexia intervention, will speak Saturday from 9-10 a.m., allowing time after for one-on-one conversations with children and parents.
“She is able to connect with the parents and students because she understands them,” Prater said. “This is something she deals with on a daily basis through her job and in her personal life, so she’s very engaging.”
The seminar is free and open to the public but seats are limited and must be reserved in advance.
Prater said parents are welcome to accompany their children — elementary aged children to teenagers are welcome — but tickets must be reserved for all individuals planning to attend.
Visit the T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability’s Facebook page to secure tickets. As of Thursday, 18 of 48 seats were still available.
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