Page 63 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2023

GIVING BACK
Lighthouse Academy for Dyslexia was started in 2019
to meet the educational needs of students with dyslexia. Approximately 80 percent of people with learning disabilities have dyslexia, which makes it the most common learning disability, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Academy is one of only three schools in the state designated as special purpose schools and is accredited through the Mississippi Department of Education.
“A group of educators came together and began the arduous task of starting from scratch to get a school off the ground,” said school spokeswoman Stephanie Hill. “We started with four classrooms, 33 students, and 11 employees. In our first year of operation, we offered free screenings
to the community where we screened over 50 students for dyslexia.”
By the beginning of the school’s second year, it received state accreditation status and hosted a major Southeastern Dyslexia Summit for 170 teachers on the Gulf Coast. Lighthouse Academy serves students in grades two through six and has a goal of returning students to regular classrooms.
“The evaluation process for dyslexia enables identification in specific learning disorders, including reading and writing, language-speech disorders, and related academic challenges. Students must have a primary disability in dyslexia to apply for the school,” Hill explains. “Dyslexia affects one in five
of our population, yet it is still largely unknown to regular classroom teachers.”
She points out the many signs of dyslexia, some as early as preschool age. Students who struggle with reading, writing, and spelling, but who are otherwise of average or above- average intelligence are dyslexic learners. “Many of these
A BEACON TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE
story by Lynn Lofton photos by Arielle Victoria
students go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and the ones
who are labeled as dyslexic are often put into the Special Education classes, which is not where they should be. Dyslexic students are often smarter than their peers, just struggling with processing letters,” Hill added.
Lighthouse Academy for Dyslexia
610 Ward Ave., Ocean Springs 228.447.4941 • www.lighthousedyslexia.org
Bacot Foundation of South Mississippi
Together We Are Making a Difference
www.bacotfoundation.org
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