Honored at National Center for Learning Disabilities' Annual Benefit, "Bully" Director Urges Americans to Use Anti-Bullying Toolkit

Dan and Sheryl Tishman among co-honorees

News provided by

National Center for Learning Disabilities

Apr 19, 2012, 09:40 ET

NEW YORK, April 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Lee Hirsch, director of the groundbreaking documentary "Bully," was honored last night at The National Center for Learning Disabilities' (NCLD) 35th annual benefit dinner, held at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. During remarks, Hirsch urged Americans to move from awareness to action, citing an anti-bullying toolkit just introduced by NCLD that gives children, parents and educators immediate means to open dialogues and help save lives. Among the evening's special guests were David and Tina Long, whose anti-bullying advocacy to honor their son's memory is chronicled in Hirsch's film. Paula Zahn served as the evening's Master of Ceremonies. Mayor Bloomberg, Anne Ford and Paul LeClerc were also in attendance. The event was chaired by philanthropist Nancy Poses.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120419/NE90766 )

Also honored last night for their extraordinary work in child advocacy were Dan Tishman, Chairman and CEO of Tishman Construction Corporation, and his wife Sheryl, and Dr. Stevan J. Kukic, who was given the Distinguished Education Achievement Award.

A lead supporter of "Bully," NCLD has a long-term commitment to helping families understand and deal with bullying. Twenty-five percent of school-age children report having been seriously bullied, a proportion that swells to 60 percent for children with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and other special needs, according to findings by Ability Path. The Longs' late son, Tyler, was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction.

"Bully the film is one part of a growing, national effort to inspire positive change toward eradicating an epidemic in this country," said Hirsch. "Committed partners like NCLD and resources like its anti-bullying toolkit are vital to this effort."

"The sad fact remains that millions of kids are bullied every day, and children with special needs like our son Tyler are all the more vulnerable," said Tina Long. "We want to thank NCLD for sharing our understanding and determination to end bullying, and are urging parents, educators, and anyone who cares about kids' well-being, to access this toolkit."

The anti-bullying toolkit is available at http://specialneeds.thebullyproject.com/toolkit.

For more information about the National Center for Learning Disabilities, visit LD.org and Facebook.com/LD.org, or follow @LDorg on Twitter.

About National Center for Learning Disabilities
NCLD is the largest organization in the US fighting for parents and children with learning disabilities. For over three decades NCLD has worked from Capitol Hill to the classroom to support the 15 million Americans with LD. The National Center for Learning Disabilities' (NCLD) mission is to ensure success for all individuals with learning disabilities in school, at work and in life. At NCLD, we connect parents and others with resources, guidance and support so they can advocate effectively for their children; we deliver evidence-based tools, resources and professional development to educators to improve student outcomes; and we develop policies and engage advocates to strengthen educational rights and opportunities.

SOURCE National Center for Learning Disabilities