News Releases

The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is pleased to announce Cynthia Cipoletti, JD, has been named Executive Director of the nonprofit devoted to supporting, educating, and advocating for individuals affected by learning disabilities.

Cipoletti, an attorney, served as Executive Director of the Lighthouse Foundation, a nonprofit based in Butler, PA an outreach organization meeting the needs of impoverished individuals and families in northern Allegheny and Butler County for the past five years and Assistant Director for two years. Read More »

Poor diet, too much television, and kids “just being lazy” are not causes of learning disabilities, although one-third of the respondents in a recent study thought these were accurate.

During Learning Disabilities Awareness Month in October, the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is increasing its campaign to address some of the myths and misunderstandings about learning disabilities including dyslexia.Read More »

Today, health and labor organizations sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for refusing to ban a widely used agricultural pesticide linked to damaging children’s brains and farmworker poisonings.

“EPA has repeatedly found chlorpyrifos unsafe, especially to children, yet time and time again it refuses to protect kids,” said Patti Goldman, the Earthjustice managing attorney handling the case. “But Earthjustice and our clients won’t stand for this. The science and the law call for a chlorpyrifos ban. We are hopeful the courts will do the same for the sake of children and farmworkers.” Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Maureen Swanson, Healthy Children Project Director, Learning Disabilities Association of America, 724.813.9684 Sen. Udall, Senate Leaders Introduce Bill to Ban Chlorpyrifos Nationwide Legislation endorsed by Learning Disabilities Association of America, one of the plaintiffs fighting Chlorpyrifos in the courts Washington, DC (March 28, 2019) – A day after President Trump’s EPA once again argued for delaying its own ban of chlorpyrifos in court, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) introduced the Protect Children, Families and Farmworkers from Nerve Agent Pesticides Act, legislation that would ban the dangerous chemical. The Learning Disabilities Association of America calls on Congress to act swiftly to pass… Read More »

Pittsburgh, PA, March 12, 2019. Today the FBI announced an investigation, code-named Operation Varsity Blues, that uncovered a network of wealthy parents who paid thousands of dollars to a college-admissions private counselor to boost their children’s chances of gaining entrance into elite colleges. The U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Andrew Lelling stating, “There can be no separate college admission for wealthy, and I will add there will not be a separate criminal justice system either.” The investigation also revealed that the counselor facilitated the cheating by instructing parents “to seek extended time for their children on college entrance exams, which included having the… Read More »

Myths about learning disabilities rob many of their potential to succeed and contribute in school and in the workplace, according to a white paper released during Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia Month in October by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA). IDA and LDA recognize that in the absence of accurate and early identification and intervention, individuals with learning disabilities are at grave risk of never accessing their full academic, creative, and career potential. The untapped potential of individuals with learning disabilities is not simply a matter of personal tragedy. Under-serving this significant population… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Mary-Clare Reynolds, Executive Director Telephone: 412-341-1515, extension 206 Email: mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org Website: www.ldaamerica.org Steven Korner Named Educator of the Year by Learning Disabilities Association of America Pittsburgh, PA (March 8, 2018) – Steven Korner, PhD, was presented the Sam Kirk Educator of the Year Award during the 55th Annual Learning Disabilities of America (LDA) Conference, February 21-24, in Atlanta, Georgia. Korner, a licensed psychologist in private practice, is Coordinator of Special Education at the Harrington Park School District in Harrington Park, NJ. Korner has been working to build a Response to the Right Intervention (RTRI) program based upon neuropsychological principles… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Mary-Clare Reynolds, Executive Director Telephone: 412-341-1515, extension 206 Email: mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org Website: www.ldaamerica.org Mark Brugger Presented Harrison Sylvester Award by Learning Disabilities Association of America Pittsburgh, PA (March 8, 2018) – Mark Brugger of Princeton Junction, NJ, received the Harrison Sylvester Award during the 55th Annual International Learning Disabilities of America (LDA) Conference on Thursday, February 22nd at the Hilton Atlanta, in Atlanta, GA. Brugger developed “Spotlight on Dyslexia,” an online conference that draws a national audience to the latest information on learning disabilities presented by nationally recognized speakers. The Harrison Sylvester Award recipient is a person with learning disabilities who… Read More »

The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) has signed on as an amicus (friend-of-the-court) in a brief filed by Jo Anne Simon, PC, on November 3, 2017 with the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Read More >>

MEDIA CONTACT: Maureen Swanson, Healthy Children Project Director, Project TENDR Co-Director, Learning Disabilities Association of America Chlorpyrifos is linked to long-term damage in children’s developing brains Pittsburgh, PA (June 6, 2017) –Today, a dozen health and labor organizations represented by Earthjustice filed an administrative appeal to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, urging the federal government to ban chlorpyrifos, a widely used agricultural pesticide that has been linked to reduced IQ, loss of working memory and attention deficit disorder in children. It is up to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to decide the appeal. This direct appeal to the EPA appeal was filed… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Maureen Swanson, Director Healthy Children Project, mswanson@ldaamerica.org, 724.813.9684, Project TENDR website: http://projecttendr.com/ Learning Disabilities Association of America says EPA Decision not to Ban Dangerous Pesticide Ignores Established Science and Puts Children at Greater Risk for Learning, Attention, and Behavior Disorders Pittsburgh, PA (March 30, 2017) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to allow the dangerous pesticide chlorpyrifos to continue to be used on farm fields and crops puts children and future generations at greater risk of learning and developmental disabilities, attention and behavior disorders, according to the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA). In 2016, a group of nearly… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Mary-Clare Reynolds, LDA Executive Director mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org, 412.341.1515, ext. 206 Manju Banerjee to Serve on Professional Advisory Board of LDA Pittsburgh, PA (March 28, 2017) – Manju Banerjee, Ph.D., of Putney VT, was elected to a three-year term on the Professional Advisory Board of the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA). Dr. Banerjee is Vice President of Educational Research and Innovation at Landmark College in Putney, VT. A certified diagnostician and teacher-consultant on learning disabilities, Banerjee has over 30 years of experience in the field of learning disabilities, ADHD, and postsecondary disability services. Dr. Banerjee received her doctoral degree from the… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Mary-Clare Reynolds, LDA Executive Director mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org, 412.341.1515, ext. 206 David Allsopp, PhD, Named Learning Disabilities Association of America Educator of the Year/h3> Learning Disabilities Conference in Baltimore, Feb. 16-19 Pittsburgh, PA (February 13, 2017) – David H. Allsopp, PhD, will be presented the Sam Kirk Educator of the Year Award during the 54th Annual Learning Disabilities of America (LDA) Conference, Feb. 16-19, in Baltimore, MD. He is professor of special education at the University of South Florida, where he serves as coordinator of the doctoral program in special education at the university’s College of Education. Dr. Allsopp will be the… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Mary-Clare Reynolds, LDA Executive Director mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org, 412.341.1515, ext. 206 Learning Disabilities Association of America Honors Poet and Advocate LeDerick Horne with 2017 Sylvester Award Learning Disabilities Conference in Baltimore, Feb. 16-19 Pittsburgh, PA (February 13, 2017) – LeDerick Horne of Somerset, NJ is being honored for his strong dedication and commitment to advancing the issues of adults with learning disabilities during the 54th Annual Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) Conference in Baltimore, MD. LDA’s Harry Sylvester Award recognizes an adult with learning disabilities and will be presented on Sunday, February 19, during the award brunch at the Baltimore… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Mary-Clare Reynolds, LDA Executive Director mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org, 412.341.1515, ext. 206 Learning Disabilities Association of America Honors Houston Chronicle Reporter Brian Rosenthal with 2017 Media Award Learning Disabilities Conference in Baltimore, Feb. 16-19 Pittsburgh, PA (February 13, 2017) – Brian Rosenthal, Austin Bureau, Houston Chronicle is being honored by the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) for his investigative work on the article series, Denied: How Texas Keeps Tens of Thousands of Children out of Special Education (Houston Chronicle, Sept. 11, 2016.) The LDA Media Award recognizes Mr. Rosenthal’s “exceptional commitment to fair and accurate reporting on the issues that affect the lives… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Mary-Clare Reynolds, LDA Executive Director mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org, 412.341.1515, ext. 206 “Journey from Instinct to Intellect,” Executive Director of Disability Rights Legal Center in Los Angeles to Speak in Baltimore at Luncheon for Adults with Learning Disabilities Learning Disabilities Conference in Baltimore, Feb. 16-19 Pittsburgh, PA (February 9, 2017) – Janeen Steel, J.D., an attorney with learning disabilities, will share her personal story, “Journey from Instinct to Intellect,” at a luncheon for adults with learning disabilities on Friday, February 17, at the Learning Disabilities Association of America’s (LDA) 54th Annual International Conference at the Baltimore (MD) Marriott Waterfront. Ms. Steel is the… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACTS: Marcia Griffith- Pauyo with NCLD: (646) 616-1210, mg@ncld.org Myrna Mandlawitz with LDA: (202) 686-1637, mrmassociates@verizon.net National Center for Learning Disabilities, Learning Disabilities Association of America Call on DeVos to Divest in ADHD Company, Citing Harmful Conflict of Interest Washington, DC (January 30, 2017) – The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) and the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) are calling on U.S. Secretary of Education nominee, Betsy DeVos, to immediately withdraw her significant financial holdings in Neurocore to avoid a conflict of interest and the appearance of impropriety. Neurocore is a company that claims – without any rigorous research… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Mary-Clare Reynolds, LDA Executive Director mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org, 412.341.1515, ext. 206 Executive Function and the Reading Brain Keynote Learning Disabilities Conference in Baltimore, Feb. 16-19 Pittsburgh, PA (January 24, 2017) – Leading researchers in two primary areas of importance to educators, professionals, parents, and individuals with learning disabilities will bring their findings and knowledge to the Learning Disabilities Association of America’s (LDA) 54th Annual International Conference on February 16-19 at the Baltimore (MD) Marriott Waterfront. “Executive Function: A Foundation for Learning and Adaptation” will be addressed on Friday, Feb. 17, by Philip Zelazo, Ph.D., the Nancy M. and John E. Lindahl Professor… Read More »

One in five children struggle with learning disabilities (LD) and attention issues. The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA), founded in 1963, is uniquely qualified to assist individuals with LD and their support systems in finding solutions to maximize potential across the lifespan. LDA’s 54th Annual International Conference on February 16-19 at the Baltimore (MD) Marriott Waterfront is a comprehensive resource for parents, educators, adults with LD, and professionals. Read more…

In response to the article, Denied: How Texas Keeps Tens of Thousands of Children out of Special Education (Houston Chronicle, Sept. 11, 2016), the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is expressing concerns about the harmful implications of placing a cap of 8.5 percent on the number of students identified as needing special education in Texas… Read More »