MEDIA CONTACT:
Beth McGaw, President, Learning Disabilities Association of America, 404.401.9400, bmcgaw@ldaamerica.org

Pittsburgh, PA (October 30, 2019) – 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.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors we are thrilled to have Cindy lead us in this exciting state of growth. There is much to be done to advocate for individuals with learning disabilities as well as to strengthen the work of our state affiliates and grass roots initiatives,” according to Beth McGaw, LDA President. “Cindy will be a great addition to our team and we are excited for the next step of the organization as we look forward to the future under her leadership.”

Cipoletti’s hiring comes as the organization implements a new strategic plan supporting advocacy programs and services, increasing development and outreach, creating new partnerships, and building on the success of the annual conference.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the Learning Disabilities Association of America. LDA has a long history of education, support, and advocacy and is poised to become the leading national resource for individuals with learning disabilities,” says Cipoletti. “I look forward to working with the outstanding Board of Directors and staff to take LDA to the next level, and I’m really excited to see what we can accomplish to further improve the lives of children and adults with learning disabilities.”

Cipoletti holds a Juris Doctor degree and Bachelor of Arts degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. She will assume her responsibilities as Executive Director on October 28 and can be reached at ccipoletti@ldaamerica.org.

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The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is a non-profit organization of parents, educators, adults with LD, and professionals. LDA’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education, and advocacy. For more information go to www.ldaamerica.org

MEDIA CONTACT:
Beth McGaw, President, Learning Disabilities Association of America, 404.401.9400, bmcgaw@ldaamerica.org

Pittsburgh, PA (October 15, 2019) – 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.

Important facts about LD:

• Specific learning disability (SLD) is the largest category of school-age children receiving special education services.
• 2.3 million students are diagnosed with SLD and receive services under IDEA. This represents 35% of all students receiving special education services, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
• 60% of adults with severe literacy problems have undetected or untreated learning disabilities, according to National Assessment of Adult Literacy.
• Because learning disabilities (LD) cannot be seen, they often go undetected. Recognizing LD is even more difficult because the severity and characteristics vary.
• A learning disability is a neurological condition that affects the “wiring” in the brain. This interferes with an individual’s ability to store, process, or produce information.
• An individual with LD may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling, and/or organizing information.
• LD often runs in families.
• LD should not be confused with other disabilities such as intellectual disabilities, autism, deafness, blindness, and behavioral disorders. None of these conditions are learning disabilities.

During the five weeks of October, LDA is providing calendars with activities and information to increase awareness and share knowledge around Learning Disabilities. The calendars are available at https://ldaamerica.org/category/2019-october-is-ld-month/

LDA visualizes a world in which learning disabilities are universally understood, so all individuals are accepted, supported, and empowered to live a self-determined life.

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About the Learning Disabilities Association of America:

The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is a non-profit organization of parents, educators, adults with LD, and professionals. LDA’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education, and advocacy. For more information go to www.ldaamerica.org

MEDIA CONTACT:
Tracy Gregoire, Healthy Children Project Coordinator, Learning Disabilities Association of America, 207.504.2556, tracy@ldaamerica.org

Groups sue EPA for refusing to ban brain-damaging pesticide
Chlorpyrifos is linked to learning and intellectual disabilities in children

Washington, DC (August 7, 2019) –

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.”

“A chlorpyrifos ban is long overdue given the overwhelming evidence that says this pesticide harms brain development in children,” said Tracy Gregoire with the Learning Disabilities Association of America. “Chlorpyrifos is acutely toxic and associated with neuro-developmental harm in children. Prenatal exposures to chlorpyrifos are associated with lower birth weight, reduced IQ, loss of working memory, attention disorders, and delayed motor development. Chlorpyrifos can cause learning disabilities, attention disorders, and even autism,” Gregoire continued. “Every day we go without a ban, children are eating, drinking, and breathing a pesticide linked to intellectual and learning disabilities, attention issues, and autism.  Children are especially susceptible to the toxic effects of chlorpyrifos. They have greater exposure because they put often put their hands in their mouths, and relative to adults, they eat more fruits and vegetables, and drink more water and juice for their weight.”

A growing body of evidence shows that prenatal exposure to very low levels of chlorpyrifos harms babies permanently, meaning the effects are not reversible.

Advocates and seven states have been battling the current administration in court to get a chlorpyrifos ban. Moreover, some states are not waiting for the EPA and have filed bills of their own to ban this harmful pesticide. Legislators in New York just recently passed a ban bill that awaits Governor Andrew Cuomo’s signature, spurring the support of over 80 New York State coalition members that banded together to urge Gov. Cuomo to sign ban into law. Hawaii passed a bill to ban chlorpyrifos in 2018 and California, the largest agricultural state in the nation, started a process to ban the pesticide. The European Union is also considering a banfor 2020.

In response to a court deadline, last month EPA said chlorpyrifos can still be used on fruits and vegetables, even though studies show that  exposures to chlorpyrifos in infants and children  are associated with reduced IQ, attention disorders, and  autism. In its decision, EPA claims it can avoid taking action on chlorpyrifos until 2022, when it is supposed to finish a massive pesticide review. In the meantime, countless numbers of children are being exposed to a nerve agent pesticide EPA scientists deemed unsafe in 2014 and 2016.

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate (OP), a class of chemicals that includes sarin nerve gas. First developed by the Nazis for chemical warfare, OPs were later repurposed for agricultural uses. Chlorpyrifos and other OP pesticides are used on strawberries, apples, citrus, broccoli, corn, and more. In fact, chlorpyrifos is one of the most common insecticides in the United States. Residues can be found not just in food, but also in drinking water. Farmworkers and rural families are most exposed, but consumers across the country are at risk, too, given chlorpyrifos widespread use.

Chlorpyrifos and the other OP pesticides were banned from almost all home use nearly two decades ago. EPA proposed banning chlorpyrifos from food crops in 2015. But shortly after the new administration took office, the EPA in 2017 refused to finalize the proposed ban, falsely claiming the science is “unresolved” despite decades of research and suggesting the agency would study the issue until 2022. That decision came after Dow Chemical donated $1 million to the President’s inaugural committee. The company, now known as Corteva Agriscience, sells chlorpyrifos under the trade name Lorsban.

“We have waited long enough”, said Gregoire.  “Exposure to chlorpyrifos and it’s resulting harm to children’s brains is preventable. It is time to ban this highly neurotoxic pesticide.”

Quotes from our partners:

“The scientific evidence has been clear for years. Chlorpyrifos is toxic to farmworkers and linked to irreversible neurodevelopmental harms in children,” said Dr. Elena Rios, president of the National Hispanic Medical Association. “EPA might want to dismiss the science and the law to protect corporate profit, but we are confident the courts won’t stand for this.”

“Having chlorpyrifos in our fields means that women and men who harvest our food are in harm’s way every day,” said Erik Nicholson, United Farm Workers of America national vice-president. “We will fight to right this wrong in the court of law and the court of public opinion until a ban is in place.”

“Studies show chlorpyrifos is an awful threat to the health of children, particularly farmworker children and those who live in rural areas,“ said Jeannie Economos from the Farmworker Association of Florida. “If the current administration refuses to stand up for children’s health, then the only recourse is to force them through the courts.”

“A nerve agent pesticide that poisons workers and damages children’s developing brain has no place near our fruits and vegetables,” said Ramon Ramirez, president of PCUN. “We look forward to seeing the courts do what EPA refuses to do, protect workers and children with a chlorpyrifos ban.”

“It’s absurd that we have to ask the court to force EPA to do its job,” said Kristin Schafer, Pesticide Action Network executive director, one of the plaintiffs in the original 2007 case. “Scientists have known for years that chlorpyrifos puts the health of farmworkers and children in danger. Instead of acting on this evidence, EPA has chosen to ignore it — putting Dow Chemical’s profits before public health.”

“EPA’s backtracking has put the health of children and farmworkers at risk by purposely overlooking the harms of a terrible pesticide,” said Anne Katten, Pesticide and Work Safety Project director at the CRLA Foundation. “We are hopeful the courts will soon intervene and make a chlorpyrifos ban a reality. Our fields must be made safe for farmworkers, and our fruits and vegetables must be safe for our children.”

“We will not stand by while the current administration fights to keep this poison on the food we feed our kids,” said Miriam Rotkin-Ellman, senior scientist at NRDC. “EPA knows this stuff is toxic—its own scientists have been sounding the alarm for years now—but this administration is shameless in its push to keep it on the market. We are urging the court to side with children over a powerful chemical industry with friends in high places. Chlorpyrifos does not belong on our food or in our fields.”

To speak with community leaders and advocates involved in the case, please contact:

Tracy Gregoire, Learning Disabilities Association of America, 207-504-2556
Erin Fitzgerald, Earthjustice, 415-283-2323
Ahna Kruzic, Pesticide Action Network, 510-927-5379

Anne Katten, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, 916-446-7904 x110

Kate Kiely, Natural Resources Defense Council, 212-727-4592

Ben Melano, National Hispanic Medical Association, 202-628-5895

Erik Nicholson, United Farm Workers, 206-255-5774

Jeannie Economos, Farmworker Association of Florida, 407-694-8641

Andrea Arenas, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, 202-508-6989

Ramon Ramirez, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, 503-989-0073

Jessica Loya, GreenLatinos, 323-947-1802

Earthjustice filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Pesticide Action Network North America, Natural Resources Defense Council, United Farm Workers, Farmworker Association of Florida, Farmworker Justice, GreenLatinos, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, National Hispanic Medical Association, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos, Learning Disabilities Association of America, and California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.

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About the Learning Disabilities Association of America:

The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is a national non-profit organization working to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities, and to reduce the incidence of learning disabilities in future generations. LDA and its state and local affiliates provide service, information and advocacy for individuals with learning disabilities, parents, educators, and health professionals. ldaamerica.org @LDAAmerica @HealthyChildrenProject

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 children purport to have learning disabilities in order to obtain the required medical documentation.” (emphasis added)

These actions hurt all individuals with disabilities, including those with learning disabilities, by perpetuating the misperceptions that many students who obtain accommodations on college admissions do not have disabilities and that this abuse is widespread.

Every year thousands of individuals with learning disabilities apply for and are appropriately granted accommodations, including extended time, for the college admissions exams such as the SAT and ACT. The testing entities’ well-established and rigorous process to apply for and obtain accommodations for individuals with disabilities protects the rights of those with disabilities. The small number of students implicated in the FBI investigation demonstrates that it is very rare for a student without a disability to obtain testing accommodations.

Individuals with learning disabilities have average to above-average intelligence and have a neurobiological disorder that impairs their ability to learn yet are capable of average or above-average achievement. The courts have succinctly stated the reason that individuals with disabilities obtain accommodations is so the “exam results accurately reflect the test takers aptitude rather than the disabilities.” Enyart v. National Conference of Bar Examiners, 630 F. 3rd 1153 (9th Circ. 2011) Accommodations are about leveling the playing field and not about bestowing an unfair advantage.

Beth McGaw, President of LDA, is clear where LDA stands on fraud: “When individuals commit fraud and claim they have a learning disability in order to obtain testing accommodations this hurts every individual with a learning disability. LDA will continue to follow this story and work to assure that all individuals with a learning disability who are eligible are granted appropriate accommodations for college admissions tests.”

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/arrests-made-nationwide-college-admissions-scam-alleged-exam-cheating-athletic

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 has negative economic and society implications.

According to Jennifer Topple, Board Chair of IDA, “Pervasive myths and misconceptions interfere with efforts to support and meet the needs of all students and prepare them to become productive members of our workforce.”

Learning disabilities (LDs) result from neurologically based processing disorders unrelated to IQ that have an impact on an individual’s ability to process, store, or produce information. LDs can affect one’s ability to read, write speak, spell, compute math, and reason.

LDs often go undetected because they cannot be seen. They should not be confused with other disabilities such as intellectual disabilities, autism, deafness, blindness, and behavioral disorders.

The white paper points out that with appropriate intervention and support, all children, including those with learning disabilities, can have the tools and resources they need to live their best possible lives. This will result in many more individuals with learning disabilities acquiring the adaptive skills needed to seamlessly integrate their use of assistive technology and other supports into the performance of their jobs.

Beth McGaw, President of LDA explains, “As family, friends, neighbors, employers and fellow citizens we can help all students, including those with learning disabilities, achieve their potential and lead fulfilling, productive lives.” This can be accomplished by understanding the nature of learning disabilities and insisting upon access for all to the early identification, appropriate remediation, and life-long support needed to become productive and valuable members of our community.

IDA and LDA are two organizations with the longest histories of serving individuals with LD. They have resolved to work together to combat the misperceptions that lead to stigmatization and unfulfilled potential in individuals with learning disabilities.

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The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) provides the opportunity for all people who struggle with dyslexia and other related reading differences to have richer, more robust lives by providing access to the tools and resources they need. IDA has 42 branches in the United States and Canada and 31 Global Partners. dyslexiaida.org

The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is a grassroots organization with 47 state and local affiliates and thousands of members across the United States and abroad. LDA is comprised of parents, educators, adults with learning disabilities, and professionals who provide support, education, and advocacy on behalf of individuals with learning disabilities. LDAAmerica.org