Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

Contact your child’s school and request a TST meeting. The TST is a problem-solving team that consists of parent, teacher, administrator, and others, who look at the available data and discuss the child’s academic performance. This team will decide what appropriate interventions should be put in place to address the student’s deficits.

No, however each local school district shall adopt a policy to ensure that students will be screened by a screener approved by the State Board of Education in the spring of Kindergarten and the fall of Grade 1. The screener must consist of phonological and phonemic awareness, sound/symbol recognition, alphabet knowledge, decoding skills, encoding skills and rapid naming. If a student fails the screener, the parent or legal guardian will be notified. The school district, in its discretion, may perform a comprehensive dyslexia evaluation, however, this is not required and is a decision to be made by the district.

Dyslexia evaluations may be administered by licensed professionals including, psychologists, psychometrists, or speech language pathologists.

Each local school district shall develop interventions and strategies to address the needs of a student diagnosed with dyslexia and provide the necessary accommodations to enable the student to achieve appropriate educational progress allowing the student to become college and/or career ready upon graduation.

No, each local school district shall make an initial determination whether a student with dyslexia qualifies under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to receive services and funding under the provisions of the IDEA. If the student is ineligible for special education services, then the local district may decide if a 504 Plan is warranted.

Students with a dyslexia diagnosis are provided services in the general education setting through the three-tier model and the intervention process. Schools may utilize the information that is provided in the diagnosis documentation to help target interventions.

It is possible for a dyslexic student to struggle in his/her math class. A dyslexic student may have difficulty with math facts, multi-step problems, and directionality, just to name a few areas that may be of concern. Math teachers may provide accommodations in the general education classroom. Continued communication with your child’s math teacher is recommended.

An individual can have more than one learning or behavioral disorder. Although disabilities may co-occur, one is not the cause of the other. In various studies 50% of those diagnosed with a learning or reading disability have also been diagnosed with ADHD.

Yes. Click here for full legislation details.