MO SB984

Amends Missouri law to add three new sections defining dyslexia as a neurological learning disability characterized by difficulties with word recognition, spelling, and decoding abilities resulting from phonological language deficits

Requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to employ a dyslexia specialist by January 1, 2015, who must be a licensed psychologist, psychometrist, or speech-language pathologist with a minimum of three years of field experience in screening and treating dyslexia

Establishes the dyslexia specialist's responsibilities to provide professional development and training on dyslexia, serve as primary support for school districts, and create a dyslexia resource guide

Mandates the department develop and maintain a dyslexia resource guide by the 2015-2016 school year for use by school districts, public schools, and teachers

Defines dyslexia therapy as a systematic, multi-sensory, research-based instructional program delivered in small groups covering phonemic awareness, letter-sound relationships, English language structure, linguistic instruction, and comprehension strategies