37th Annual Symposium Highlights

Dec

Thank You NOBIDA Community!

IDA of Northern OH (NOBIDA) was delighted to welcome over 200 teachers, parents, advocates, sponsors, and community partners to our 37th Annual Symposium at Walsh University!

As Ohio works to implement the Dyslexia Laws, the need for structured literacy based education continually increases. We are proud to have offered these resources for many years and are encouraged by the statewide recognition of their merit.

Each year, our community unites for one special day of programming that checks every box of IDA of Northern Ohio’s mission.

Our Annual Symposium:

Educates about dyslexia and appropriate instruction
Advocates for early identification of dyslexia and educational opportunities
Supports our community with professional development and resources

37th Annual Symposium Highlights

This year, our theme was “Celebrating Differences: Literacy That Empowers Every Learner.” We welcomed three engaging, structured literacy-focused workshops, each with a unique area of expertise.

When Students Don’t Make Sufficient Progress in Reading Interventions
Dr. Carolyn Denton challenged our assumptions about the student learning process for those receiving evidence-based reading interventions. Not all students are alike, and all bring their personal learning experiences, including emotional aspects, to their instructional setting. She presented and demonstrated strategies that teachers can implement to help accelerate student progress, without compromising fidelity to an evidence-based reading intervention program.

Literacy in Math: A Focus on Vocabulary and Word Problems
Dr. Sarah Powell explained how tricky math vocabulary can be. Students with learning differences may find themselves confounded by not only reading math word problems, but also with understanding math symbols and defining the terms! She shared her research on the importance of effectively and explicitly teaching math vocabulary to diverse learners and strategies that work with all learners, including math-focused games to increase skills.

Twice Exceptional: Empowering Gifted Students with Dyslexia to Thrive
Dr. Amanda Nickerson explained the paradox of teaching gifted students with dyslexia (2e)—students who demonstrate remarkable intellectual strengths but also struggle with foundational literacy skills. With insights from the science of reading and gifted education research, she offered many avenues to support these students in their learning journey. Through case study review, participants examined common challenges faced by 2e students and explored practical, evidence-based strategies for providing structured literacy instruction while fostering creativity, critical thinking, and academic acceleration.

Community Partner and Sponsor Networking Galore

Thank you to our generous sponsors! We are grateful for your support and were happy to have so many of you and our community partners interact with our attendees. We hope everyone made many new, helpful connections!