The program, a pilot that will be brought to PS 65, Tompkinsville, and the Michael J. Petrides School, Sunnyside -- as well as an elementary school in Brooklyn -- will be the first of its type, and city officials said they hope to expand it to public schools systemwide.
The inspiration came after years of advocacy from parents, backed by principals who noticed that certain children in their schools were falling behind, officials said.
Few details are known about the curriculum, but officials said it will use Orton Gillingam methodologies, encouraging students to learn through visual, auditory and hands-on approaches.
Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects reading and writing skills. People diagnosed with it typically do not demonstrate other weaknesses, but the effects, when unnoticed, can be detrimental to a person's academic success.
That was the case for Laura Cavalleri, who has been among the most prominent parent advocates for dyslexia on Staten Island. An expert of sorts, she has researched dyslexia, raised awareness about it and spoken at countless education meetings about the need for a solution, having suffered through the public school system with the disability.
So she dropped out of school. Though the Grymes Hill resident has since earned her GED, it remains her dream to one day go to a college that will recognize her disability and help her through it.
By the time her son, Lars -- also diagnosed with dyslexia -- was entering kindergarten in 2004, she figured public schools would offer the supports he needed. Instead, she found herself in a fervent pursuit for the recognition and help she never received.
Among the obstacles she encountered is that of the 13 handicap designations that get placed on an Individualized Education Plan -- which determines which services will be given to children with special needs -- dyslexia is not one of them, officials said. Instead, those students are labeled as "learning disabled," making it difficult to track the number of students with dyslexia in the public school system.
By some estimates, including one followed by the International Dyslexia Association-New York, roughly 15 percent of the population has dyslexia, which means it could affect about 165,000 New York City public school children.
"It really is that high," said Jo Haines, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group. "It's a real human rights issue because it's an incredible drain on resources to have people who would otherwise be doing quite well not being given the right attention."
Ms. Haines cited a "very, very serious need" on Staten Island, indicating that the percentages may be even higher here.
On March 14 and 15, she said the organization will host a conference at New York University, where teachers and administrators from Petrides, PS 65 and PS 154 in Brooklyn will talk about the new dyslexia program.
Officials from the city Department of Education said training will begin next month, and will concentrate on second and seventh graders.
"The city DOE admits a lot of times these ideas get started and wind up fizzling out because there's not the wherewithal to follow through," Ms. Haines said. "I'm hopeful as we get involved, we're going to see this as a long-term commitment."
For Ms. Cavalleri, the new program is a hopeful sign that students with dyslexia can finally feel equal to their peers.
"As long as you've got the name on it, and people are paying attention to what we can do -- it's beautiful," she said. "It's just the acknowledgment of saying, 'hey, you're sitting here.'"