When we treat the inability to read as a behavioral or intellectual failure, we trigger a preventable crisis. In Utah, thousands of bright, capable children with dyslexia internalize the belief that something is wrong with them. They take ownership of a “failure” that actually belongs to an inflexible system — one that mistakes a processing difference for a deficit.
The clock is ticking for countless students. As our Legislature considers policies like SB241, which would hold back third graders who are not reading at grade level, we must address the fundamental question: Why aren’t they reading? For approximately one in five students, the answer is dyslexia.
Dyslexia is neurobiological in origin; it is not a vision problem or a lack of intelligence. It is a mechanical difficulty in connecting spoken language sounds to written symbols. These children aren’t “not trying” — they simply cannot make words “stick” using the generalized teaching methods currently in place. Often mistaken for simple letter rearranging, dyslexia involves the entire scope of language processing. It affects speed, working memory, and the ability to read and write fluently.
Yet, in many Utah schools, dyslexia is not screened for early. Instead, schools often wait until a child is significantly behind — sometimes not until third grade — before intervening. By then, the academic gap is wide, and emotional damage has begun. When adults miss the cause of a child’s reading struggle, it creates a “roadblock” that feels like a dead end. For a child, this feels like a personal failure when, in reality, it is a neurobiological difference that requires specific, addressable intervention.
Rep. Ariel Defay has rightly identified this lack of understanding and specific instruction as “a hole in Utah’s education system.” Representative Defay and Sen. Jen Plumb have been listening to and learning from dyslexia advocates since Utah’s last legislative session, and they are now proposing solutions to start filling this gaping hole in Utah’s K-12 schools.
SB81 Dyslexia Testing Amendments and HB393 Early Intervention for Dyslexia Amendments would:
- Require earlier and more specific screening for characteristics of dyslexia by creating a screening tool that Utah owns outright (parents currently bear the $2,000+ costs for testing)
- Improve dyslexia identification processes so these students are not overlooked
- Strengthen teacher preparation and training in evidence-based “Structured Literacy,” which explicitly teaches phonemic awareness and decoding in a systematic way that actually works for and benefits all students
As Sen. Jen Plumb noted in a recent legislative committee hearing, there is a vast community of advocates, parents and educators for whom this is a priority. She is right. The urgency of dyslexia intervention and testing is deeply personal for many families. We are among those families. As mothers of children who have struggled, we are united by a common mission: to improve academic outcomes for all students and to address this common condition as early as possible.
For Nancy Sylvester, the fight for change is personal: Her daughter’s dyslexia went unaddressed for years, leaving her unable to read until sixth grade. This systemic failure required significant personal financial investment to remediate and has caused her daughter years of trauma, bullying, and lasting mental and physical health challenges. Despite this, her daughter, who is now in her junior year of high school, has graduated from Davis Tech’s Certified Nursing Assistant Program and is working toward a career in nursing — a testament to her resilience and intelligence.
For Alyssa DeHart, her son’s educational journey was a test of endurance. His efforts were often frustrated by mismatched accommodations that failed to align with his actual needs. He poured himself into sports as a lifeline to reclaim his sense of self, but as peers selected colleges, he concluded, “I’m not made for school.” This is the logical result of a system that magnifies deficits rather than fosters strengths. By sharing his story on BYUtv’s When Your Family is Different, he hopes to ensure other Utah students don’t face the same invisible barriers.
For Sherry Evans, this issue began 25 years ago. When her son struggled to read, she was told to wait — that he would “catch up.” He didn’t. She made the painful decision to retain him in first grade, but what stayed with him wasn’t the extra year; it was the belief that he was “dumb.” Today, he is a thriving full-stack web developer, proving his intelligence was never the issue. Rather, the issue was dyslexia, and an education system not designed to address it.
In her intervention work now, Sherry sees the same pattern: students with dyslexia arriving not just behind in reading but also carrying years of self-doubt. By the time they receive help, educators are rebuilding confidence and identity alongside literacy.
The impact of dyslexia extends far beyond the classroom; it is a public health and welfare issue. National data show that an estimated 60-80% of incarcerated individuals struggle with significant literacy challenges. Suicide and mental health risks are tragically higher in this population. The economic burden of inaction — years of remediation, intensified special education and lost workforce participation — accumulates over time. The cost of prevention is modest; the cost of delay is generational.
Passing SB81 and HB393 is not merely about education reform; it is a moral imperative. It is about 1) closing a loophole that has failed countless students, 2) supporting mental health, and 3) reducing the pipeline to incarceration and poverty.
We urge all legislators and Utahns to support these bills. Let us empower our students to read, learn and thrive, creating permanent, positive change for all Utahns.