The following announcement is posted on behalf of Rochelle Kenyon,
Moderator, NIFL/LINCS Learning Disabilities Discussion List 



Hi all, 

 

I am very pleased to announce the Learning Disabilities Discussion
List's next guest discussion scheduled for September 22 and 23, 2008.
The title of the discussion will be The Dyslexia Research Registry:
Making the Difference in Reading Research!  Dr. Megan (Dixon) Bakan,
Research Associate, Florida State University, will be our guest speaker.
Please read the discussion information below. 

 

Guest's Bio: 

 

Megan (Dixon) Bakan holds a Ph.D. from Florida State University in
Cognitive Psychology. Her research areas included reading, spelling,
phonological and orthographic processing and learning disabilities in
adults and children. Megan obtained her Master's degree from Wright
State University (Dayton, Ohio) in Applied Behavioral Science. Her
studies focused on teenage pregnancy and gerontology. Her Bachelor's
degree is from Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio) in Psychology with a
Business minor. 

 

Megan became interested in literacy and reading disabilities when
working as the Volunteer Coordinator at the Miami Valley Literacy
Council in Dayton, OH. Through one-on-one tutoring and assisting
tutor-student pairs she became aware that many adult learners appeared
to have learning disabilities that impaired their ability to learn to
read and spell. During this time, she conducted research with Dr. Laura
Weisel using PowerPath and EMDR. Volunteering as a tutor and tutor
trainer in adult literacy has continued to 
be a passion of Megan's throughout her career. She has also created and
conducted family literacy workshops for Literacy Volunteers of Leon
County (Tallahassee, FL).

 

Currently, Megan is a Research Associate for the Dyslexia Research
Registry and Learning Disability Center at Florida State University,
funded by The National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development.
The Dyslexia Research Registry operates in conjunction with the Florida
Center for Reading Research. The primary purpose of the Dyslexia
Research Registry is to facilitate research in the understanding of
dyslexia by recruiting families who are interested in volunteering for
projects studying reading disabilities. Families are then invited to
participate in research studies. Current studies include Molecular
Genetic and Behavioral Studies of Profoundly-Impaired Readers. 

 

Outline for the Discussion 

I. What are the 4 regional Learning Disability Centers (see below) 
funded by the National Institutes of Health and what are they funded to
do? 

Florida Learning Disabilities Research Center 
Richard Wagner, PhD, Florida State University 



Northeast Learning Disabilities Research Center 

Laurie Cutting, PhD, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 



Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center 

Richard Olson, PhD, University of Colorado 



Texas Learning Disabilities Research Center 

Jack Fletcher, PhD, University of Houston

 

Questions for Consideration Leading Up to the Discussion 

    A. What is the purpose of the regional Learning Disabilities
Centers? 
    B. How do they function? 
    C. What specific services are offered to adults and children with
undiagnosed or diagnosed dyslexia through the Learning Disabilities
Centers?


II. What is the Dyslexia Research Registry (DRR)? 

Questions for Consideration Leading Up to the Discussion 

    A. What is the DRR's relationship to the LD Center at Florida State 
University? 
    B. How does the DRR facilitate research in the understanding of
dyslexia? 
    C. How does the DRR recruit families who have a child with severe 
reading disabilities and who would like to participate in studies of
dyslexia? 
    D. What opportunities do families receive to learn about each
research 
project and then to participate? 
    E. What opportunities are there for educators and other
professionals to be 
involved in reading research and assessing individual's reading related
skills? 
    F. What assessments are used by the DRR? 

 

III. What past research has come out of the Dr. Richard Wagner's Lab?

Questions Leading Up to the Discussion 

    A. Who is Dr. Richard K. Wagner and what is his role with the DRR? 
    B. Why is more research needed to understand dyslexia? 
    C. What aspects of reading development have been the focus for
research? 
    D. What aspects of reading have been researched by Dr. Wagner's lab?

    E. What tests have been developed to assess dyslexia? 
    F. What intensive remedial instruction for children with severe
reading 
disabilities is being provided? 
    G. In the past decade, why has there been a greater understanding of
how 
    children and adults learn to read and why some individuals have the 
    difficulty learning to read? 

 

IV. What are the current research projects underway on genetics &
dyslexia? 

Questions Leading Up to the Discussion 

    A. What genetics research is now being done? 
    B. How do the family environment and heredity each play roles in
genetics? 
    C. Is research looking for a 'dyslexia gene?" 

 

V. What resources are available for your information? 

 

VI. Conclusion 

 

Please share this announcement with your colleagues and those interested
in 
this important topic. In order to benefit and participate in the
discussion, 
subscription to our free Learning Disabilities Discussion List is
required. 
Subscription can be completed at
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Learningdisabilities

 

Thank you, 

Rochelle Kenyon, Ed.D. 
Moderator, NIFL/LINCS Learning Disabilities Discussion List 
Center for Literacy Studies at the University of Tennessee 
RKenyon721 at aol.com <mailto:RKenyon721 at aol.com>  
321.637.1319 

 

 

 

Gail J. Price

Multimedia Specialist

National Center for Family Literacy

325 W. Main Street, Suite 300

Louisville, KY 40202

gprice at famlit.org

502 584-1133, ext. 112

 

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