Programs and Services

Programs & Services

The Tennessee Branch provides a network for individuals with dyslexia, their families and professionals. All services provided by the IDA Tennessee are performed by volunteers with specific training and/or interest in dyslexia. Our primary effort for providing information to the highest number of people associated with reading is our state conference held in the spring each year.

IDA Tennessee is structured as one branch subdivided into six Service Areas across the state. The association is organized with our President and six Service Area Vice Presidents to better serve our members.

In addition to our conference, IDA Tennessee holds an annual membership meeting each year, various training opportunities for parents, teachers, tutors, and other professionals, along with fundraising events throughout the state. We have set up a parenting network and a liaison system of representatives of the various groups (i.e. pediatricians, speech-language therapists, school psychologists, higher ed. professors, State Dept. of Ed. and Board of Ed. directors, Adult Ed. Teachers, etc.) intertwined with reading interests. The annual membership meetings for the IDA Tennessee are held following the Annual Conference.

Our newsletter, “The Volunteer Voice,” is published semiannually. IDA Tennessee members automatically receive a copy with individual copies distributed, upon request, to other individuals. The Conference Program is distributed within our Spring newsletter to all members and potential conference attendees.

A toll-free message line to request information or assistance with problems associated with dyslexia is readily available to all individuals. Calls are returned twice weekly by volunteers. The toll-free telephone number is 1-901-468-3611. Central e-mail is also available: emilydempster@comcast.net.

Community outreach services including workshops, presentations, and forums for parents of dyslexics, administrators, and teachers may be scheduled upon request. These services include the dissemination of fact sheets, books, and additional resources. Any school, parent group or other organization interested in having a speaker may call us toll-free at 1-901-468-3611.

Training programs for professionals through co-sponsorship with organizations such as Language, the Slingerland Approach, and the Wilson Reading System are offered on a periodic basis. Schools, such as Currey Ingram Academy, include our membership through invitation to their speaker series and some of their teacher trainings. Connect with our website for future training programs, or to set up such programs.