WT Piehl Lecture to Explore Link Between Dyslexia, ADHD

special education expert who finds an inextricable connection between two common disorders is the guest speaker at the 10th annual Helen Piehl Distinguished Lecture for West Texas A&M University’s Center for Learning Disabilities. Dr. Rick Lavoie, an author, educator and expert in children with special needs, will present “Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorders: Exploring and Explaining the Link” from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 25 via Zoom. Register at wtamu.edu/cld; fee is $10 for parents and professionals, $25 for ALTA continuing education credits, and free for students. “This is an exciting opportunity to hear about some useful strategies to improve desirable behavior and decrease challenging behavior in students,” said Dr. Mikyung Shin, assistant professor of education. “Dr. Lavoie will discuss the most current research on the connection between these two disorders and offer motivational and academic strategies to cope with them.” Lavoie said he has long talked about the connection between the two diagnoses. “What we tend to do is treat one problem or the other when we really need to treat both of them together,” he said. “Generally, children are fighting a battle on a couple of fronts, and parents need to understand that. “The inability to read can cause emotional and behavioral problems,” Lavoie explained. “Kids go to school for a living. That’s their job and their entire identity. Success in school is based on reading, so when a child is failing at being able to read, it can have a developmental effect on kids.” The lecture will offer specific strategies for any parent to use when their child is struggling in school, not just those with attentional problems or dyslexia, he said. The Center for Learning Disabilities was established to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities and their parents, as well as assisting teachers in understanding disabilities and possible strategies to help students cope and learn in the classroom.