Texas Workshop Explores the Dyslexia-Dysgraphia Connection for Educators
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If you’ve watched your child struggle to get words on paper—frantically erasing, switching hands, or simply shutting down—you’ve seen the frustration that comes with writing challenges. You’re not imagining things, and you’re not alone. A new professional development opportunity in Texas is bringing together educators to explore exactly how reading and writing differences are connected, and more importantly, what works to help children build these skills.
TL;DR
Education Service Center Region 15 is hosting a workshop on April 21, 2026 exploring the connection between dyslexia and dysgraphia.
The session, led by Dr. Cheryl Chase, provides educators with practical strategies for supporting students with either or both conditions.
Understanding the distinction between reading and writing differences allows for targeted intervention rather than symptom management.
Texas schools are increasingly trained to identify and address these learning differences early, aligned with state dyslexia legislation.
Research shows the brain can develop new pathways for writing skills when given appropriate, targeted instruction.
Texas Educators Get Practical Training on Writing Differences
On April 21, 2026, Education Service Center Region 15 will host “Dyslexia and Dysgraphia – What’s the Link?” a 90-minute workshop led by Dr. Cheryl Chase. This session will address the overlap and distinctions between dyslexia and dysgraphia—two learning differences that often travel together but require different support approaches.
The workshop runs from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM and serves as a companion session to Texas Dyslexia Academy 6: Dysgraphia, held earlier on March 24, 2026. Together, these trainings provide educators with foundational knowledge about how students acquire writing skills, what dysgraphia looks like, and how it relates to reading development.
Why the Connection Between Reading and Writing Matters
Research consistently shows that reading and writing skills are deeply interconnected. When children experience difficulty with reading, it often affects their writing development—and vice versa. However, dyslexia and dysgraphia are distinct challenges requiring specific interventions.
Dyslexia primarily affects how the brain processes language sounds and decodes words, while dysgraphia impacts the physical act of writing, including letter formation, spelling, and organizing thoughts on paper. Understanding this difference is crucial because targeting the wrong skill means wasted instructional time and continued frustration for the student.
As neuroscience research demonstrates, the brain is remarkably adaptable. When given targeted, appropriate instruction, children can develop new neural pathways for both reading and writing. This is the principle of neuroplasticity—and it’s why proper identification and intervention matter so much.
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Quote: This talk addresses the overlap and differences between dyslexia and dysgraphia, explaining why they are distinct disorders despite their similarities. Practical strategies for supporting students with either or both conditions will also be discussed. Attribution: Dr. Cheryl Chase, Workshop Presenter
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What Educators Will Learn
Participants in the April workshop will explore practical strategies for supporting students who experience either or both conditions. The session will cover evidence-based instructional approaches, appropriate accommodations, and technology tools that can help bridge the gap while skills develop.
The training aligns with guidance from the Texas Dyslexia Handbook, ensuring educators understand state requirements for identification and service provision. This is particularly important as schools work to implement Senate Bill 2075 and House Bill 1886, which strengthened dyslexia screening and intervention requirements in Texas schools.
For parents, this means schools are increasingly equipped to recognize and address these learning differences early—before years of struggle damage confidence and create negative associations with school.
Key Takeaways:
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Texas Workshop Date: "Dyslexia and Dysgraphia – What's the Link?" takes place April 21, 2026, from 4:00-5:30 PM through ESC Region 15.
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Distinction Matters: Dyslexia affects reading/decoding while dysgraphia impacts the physical and cognitive tasks of writing—different root causes require different interventions.
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Skill Development Focus: Evidence-based training helps educators provide targeted instruction that builds actual writing capabilities through neuroplasticity-based approaches.
Building Skills, Not Limitations
The most powerful message from this training? These aren’t permanent limitations—they’re skill development opportunities. When educators understand the root cause of writing struggles, they can provide targeted support that actually builds capability rather than simply managing symptoms.
The brain changes rapidly and dramatically when given the right input. What looks like a permanent “disability” is often just a brain that needs specific training to develop particular pathways. With appropriate intervention, many children who experience writing challenges go on to become confident, capable writers.
Parents can advocate for their children by understanding these distinctions and ensuring schools provide instruction targeting actual skill development, not just accommodations that compensate without building new capabilities.
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Here’s what every parent needs to know: when we understand that these are skill differences—not permanent limitations—we can demand better. We can push for instruction that builds capability rather than accommodations that simply work around challenges. Your child’s brain is capable of remarkable growth, and you have every right to expect the school system to help unlock that potential.
The system that labels children and then manages their limitations rather than developing their capabilities has failed for too long. But trainings like this one represent a shift toward understanding and action. If you’re ready to stop waiting for a system that wasn’t designed for your child, the Learning Success All Access Program offers a free trial that includes a personalized Action Plan—and you keep that plan even if you decide it’s not the right fit.
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