Students, teachers helped by MTSU dyslexia center

“When we began, the mission was really to change the way in which these children are served in the schools,” center director Diane J. Sawyer said. “Soon it became clear that what we needed was to teach teachers, school psychologists and others to better understand the problem.”

The center at Middle Tennessee State University has worked directly with about 1,000 children and thousands more indirectly by providing training and technical assistance to teachers throughout the state on how to help students with the learning disability.

Dyslexia is a condition in which people have difficulty decoding written words, and they struggle with reading and writing.

The dyslexia center is the only one in the nation and serves as a clearinghouse for information on the disability. It was created by the General Assembly in 1993 and besides the services provided to students and teachers, it offers a graduate program in dyslexic studies.

Carol Thigpin, who is working on a graduate certificate in dyslexic studies at the center, tutors students with dyslexia.

“This is really cutting-edge. They have people who are here who know the research,” Thigpin said. “It’s some of the been the best training I’ve ever gotten.”

Thigpin has been using her training to help veteran teacher Cindy Skuce’s son Jonathan deal with his dyslexia.

“He’s so smart, but he can’t read. That’s what’s so frustrating,” Skuce said. “It was so frustrating for me not to be able to help. I didn’t know how.”

Though he has been frustrated with his struggles, Skuce said Jonathan is pleased with the progress be has been making with Thigpin.

“When he’d leave, he would go skipping out of here. He told me, ‘I did good today,'” Skuce said.