Additional Resources

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Wrightslaw (one word) is a leading national resource for parents, advocates, and attorneys seeking information on special education law. The name comes from its founders, attorney Pete Wright and psychotherapist Pam Wright.

What Wrightslaw provides 

• Website and newsletters: The main resource is its website, Wrightslaw.com, which offers thousands of articles, cases, and guidance on federal special education laws. The free online newsletter, The Special Ed Advocate, keeps subscribers updated on legal issues.
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• Books: Wrightslaw publishes a series of best-selling books designed to educate families and professionals on special education topics. Notable titles include:
  • Wrightslaw: Special Education Law
  • Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy
  • Wrightslaw: All About IEPs
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• Training programs: The founders, Pete and Pam Wright, conduct training sessions across the country to teach parents and advocates how to secure effective educational services for children with disabilities.
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• Key legal focus: The resources focus on federal laws, including:
  • The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
  • The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Paul's Mountain Advocacy for Literacy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, that advocates for literacy and provides support for individuals, including children with dyslexia. It was founded by Chandel Pine in 2023 in memory of her son, Paul Kenneth Pine, who took his own life after years of struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia. The organization's mission is to "save lives through literacy" by preventing suicide and improving mental health through early, evidence-based literacy intervention. 

Key activities and services

• Test of Dyslexia is a standardized normed assessment that includes all measurements of phonological awareness, vocabulary, reasoning skills, word recognition, phonics knowledge, reading fluency and comprehension efficiency. 

• Structured Literacy is a highly explicit, systematic, and diagnostic approach to teaching reading and writing, grounded in the body of research known as the Science of Reading. In a tutoring context, Structured Literacy is effectively implemented using evidence-based programs such as the Barton Reading & Spelling System and the Wilson Reading System. Both programs are multisensory, structured, and cumulative, making them especially beneficial for students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. They provide clear, step-by-step instruction that is carefully scaffolded to ensure mastery at each level, while ongoing assessment guides instruction to meet the unique needs of each learner.

• Suicide prevention: Paul's Mountain raises awareness of the link between literacy struggles, low self-esteem, and suicide risk, and encourages seeking both educational and mental health support.

• Dyslexia awareness: The group educates the public, parents, and educators about dyslexia and the effectiveness of structured literacy instruction.

• Training for educators: Paul's Mountain offers structured literacy training for teachers and administrators to help students with reading challenges.

• Advocacy: The organization advocates for improvements in literacy and special education services by informing policymakers about the struggles many students face.

The International Dyslexia Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals living with dyslexia, language, and literacy challenges, their families and the communities that support them. The Rocky Mountain Branch provides local conferences, workshops and resources to educate and increase public awareness of dyslexia, a learning difference that affects around 15-20% of the U.S. population. Through two annual educational conferences, numerous trainings and simulations, a yearly Assistive Technology Grant for schools, teacher scholarships, a library program, an online vetted Service Provider Referral list, and more, we hope to make a difference in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming!