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Clifton Independent School District Dyslexia and Related Disorders2016/2017 of 17

Clifton ISD Dyslexia and Related Disorders Handbook

2016/2017


Clifton ISD Dyslexia Program

THE MISSION OF THE DYSLEXIA PROGRAM

The intent of the dyslexia program is to match specialized instruction to the individual needs of students with dyslexia in order to provide opportunities for these students to develop their full potential as independent readers.

GOALS OF THE DYSLEXIA PROGRAM

1. Students with dyslexia will be identified as early as possible in order to provide timely intervention.

2. Students will gain in confidence and self-esteem as they experience success.

3. Students will be provided the reading and spelling skills to work independently in new situations.

4. The program will foster in students, staff and parents an understanding of dyslexia.


DYSLEXIA BASICS

What is dyslexia? Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. Dyslexia refers to a cluster of symptoms, which result in people having difficulties with specific language skills, particularly reading. Students with dyslexia usually experience difficulties with other language skills such as spelling, writing, and pronouncing words. Dyslexia affects individuals throughout their lives; however, its impact can change at different stages in a person’s life. It is referred to as a learning disability because dyslexia can make it very difficult for a student to succeed academically in the typical instructional environment, and in its more severe forms, will qualify a student for special education, special accommodations, or extra support services.

What causes dyslexia? The exact causes of dyslexia are still not completely clear, but anatomical and brain imagery studies show differences in the way the brain of a dyslexic person develops and functions. Moreover, most people with dyslexia have been found to have problems with identifying the separate speech sounds within a word and/or learning how letters represent those sounds, a key factor in their reading difficulties. Dyslexia is not due to either lack of intelligence or desire to learn; with appropriate teaching methods, dyslexics can learn successfully.

How widespread is dyslexia? About 13–14% of the school population nationwide has a handicapping condition that qualifies them for special education. Current studies indicate that one-half of all the students who qualify for special education are classified as having a learning disability (LD) (6–7%). About 85% of those LD students have a primary learning disability in reading and language processing. Nevertheless, many more people—perhaps as many as 15–20% of the population as a whole—have some of the symptoms of dyslexia, including slow or inaccurate reading, poor spelling, poor writing, or mixing up similar words. Not all of these will qualify for special education, but they are likely to struggle with many aspects of academic learning and are likely to benefit from systematic, explicit, instruction in reading, writing, and language. Dyslexia occurs in people of all backgrounds and intellectual levels. People who are very bright can be dyslexic. They are often capable or even gifted in areas that do not require strong language skills, such as art, computer science, design, drama, electronics, math, mechanics, music, physics, sales, and sports. In addition, dyslexia runs in families; dyslexic parents are very likely to have children who are dyslexic. Some people are identified as dyslexic early in their lives, but for others, their dyslexia goes unidentified until they get older.

What are the effects of dyslexia? The impact that dyslexia has is different for each person and depends on the severity of the condition and the effectiveness of instruction or remediation. The core difficulty is with word recognition and reading fluency, spelling, and writing. Some dyslexics manage to learn early reading and spelling tasks, especially with excellent instruction, but later experience their most debilitating problems when more complex language skills are required, such as grammar, understanding textbook material, and writing essays.

People with dyslexia can also have problems with spoken language, even after they have been exposed to good language models in their homes and good language instruction in school. They may find it difficult to express themselves clearly, or to fully comprehend what others mean when they speak. Such language problems are often difficult to recognize, but they can lead to major problems in school, in the workplace, and in relating to other people. The effects of dyslexia reach well beyond the classroom. Dyslexia can also affect a person’s self-image. Students with dyslexia often end up


feeling “dumb” and less capable than they actually are. After experiencing a great deal of stress due to academic problems, a student may become discouraged about continuing in school.

How is dyslexia diagnosed? Schools may use a new process called Response to Intervention (RTI) to identify children with learning disabilities. Under an RTI model, schools provide those children not readily progressing with the acquisition of critical early literacy skills with intensive and individualized supplemental reading instruction. If a student’s learning does not accelerate enough with supplemental instruction to reach the established grade-level benchmarks, and other kinds of developmental disorders are ruled out, he or she may be identified as learning disabled in reading. The majority of students thus identified are likely dyslexic and they will probably qualify for special education services. Schools are encouraged to begin screening children in kindergarten to identify any child who exhibits the early signs of potential reading difficulties. For children and adults who do not go through this RTI process, an evaluation to formally diagnose dyslexia is needed. Such an evaluation traditionally has included intellectual and academic achievement testing, as well as an assessment of the critical underlying language skills that are closely linked to dyslexia. These include receptive (listening) and expressive language skills, phonological skills including to phonemic awareness, and also a student’s ability rapidly name letters and names. A student’s ability to read lists of words in isolation, as well as words in context, should also be assessed. If a profile emerges that is characteristic of dyslexic readers, an individualized intervention plan should be developed, which should include appropriate accommodations, such as extended time. The testing can be conducted by trained school or outside specialists.

Definitions and Characteristics of DyslexiaThe student who struggles with reading and spelling often puzzles teachers and parents. The student displays ability to learn in the absence of print and receives the same classroom instruction that benefitsmost children; however, the student continues to struggle with some or all of the many facets of readingand spelling. This student may be a student with dyslexia.

Texas Education Code (TEC) §38.003 defines dyslexia in the following way:

(1) “Dyslexia” means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty inlearning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence,and sociocultural opportunity.(2) “Related disorders” include disorders similar to or related to dyslexia such asdevelopmental auditory imperceptions, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia,developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability.

The International Dyslexia Association defines “dyslexia” in the following way:

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

(Adopted by the International Dyslexia Association Board of Directors, November 12, 2002)

Students identified as having dyslexia typically experience primary difficulties in phonologicalawareness, including phonemic awareness and manipulation, single-word reading, reading fluency, andspelling. Consequences may include difficulties in reading comprehension and/or written expression.


These difficulties in phonological awareness are unexpected for the student’s age and educational leveland are not primarily the result of language difference factors. Additionally, there is often a familyhistory of similar difficulties.

The following are the primary reading/spelling characteristics of dyslexia: Difficulty reading words in isolation Difficulty accurately decoding unfamiliar words Difficulty with oral reading (slow, inaccurate, or labored) Difficulty spelling

It is important to note that individuals demonstrate differences in degree of impairment.

The reading/spelling characteristics are most often associated with the following:

Segmenting, blending, and manipulating sounds in words (phonemic awareness) Learning the names of letters and their associated sounds Holding information about sounds and words in memory (phonological memory) Rapidly recalling the names of familiar objects, colors, or letters of the alphabet (rapid

naming)

Consequences of dyslexia may include the following:

Variable difficulty with aspects of reading comprehension Variable difficulty with aspects of written language Limited vocabulary growth due to reduced reading experiences

Common Risk Factors Associated with Dyslexia

If the following behaviors are unexpected for an individual’s age, educational level, or cognitive abilities,they may be risk factors associated with dyslexia. A student with dyslexia usually exhibits several ofthese behaviors that persist over time and interfere with his/her learning. A family history of dyslexiamay be present; in fact, recent studies reveal that the whole spectrum of reading disabilities is stronglydetermined by genetic predispositions (inherited aptitudes) (Olson, Keenan, Byrne, & Samuelsson,2014).

Preschool Delay in learning to talk Difficulty with rhyming Difficulty pronouncing words (e.g., “pusgetti” for “spaghetti,” “mawn lower” for “lawn

mower”) Poor auditory memory for nursery rhymes and chants Difficulty in adding new vocabulary words Inability to recall the right word (word retrieval) Trouble learning and naming letters and numbers and remembering the letters in his/

her name Aversion to print (e.g., doesn’t enjoy following along if book is read aloud)

Kindergarten and First Grade Difficulty breaking words into smaller parts (syllables) (e.g., “baseball” can be pulled

apart into “base” “ ball” or “napkin” can be pulled apart into “nap” “kin”) Difficulty identifying and manipulating sounds in syllables (e.g., “man” sounded out as

/m/ /a/ /n/)


Difficulty remembering the names of letters and recalling their corresponding sounds Difficulty decoding single words (reading single words in isolation) Difficulty spelling words the way they sound (phonetically) or remembering letter

sequences in very common words seen often in print ( e.g., “sed” for “said”)

Second Grade and Third Grade Many of the previously described behaviors remain problematic along with the following: Difficulty recognizing common sight words (e.g., “to,” “said,” “been”) Difficulty decoding single words Difficulty recalling the correct sounds for letters and letter patterns in reading Difficulty connecting speech sounds with appropriate letter or letter combinations and

omitting letters in words for spelling (e.g., “after” spelled “eftr”) Difficulty reading fluently (e.g., slow, inaccurate, and/or without expression) Difficulty decoding unfamiliar words in sentences using knowledge of phonics Reliance on picture clues, story theme, or guessing at words Difficulty with written expression

Fourth Grade through Sixth GradeMany of the previously described behaviors remain problematic along with the following:

Difficulty reading aloud (e.g., fear of reading aloud in front of classmates) Avoidance of reading (e.g., particularly for pleasure) Acquisition of less vocabulary due to reduced independent reading Use of less complicated words in writing that are easier to spell than more appropriate

words (e.g., “big” instead of “enormous”) Reliance on listening rather than reading for comprehension

Middle School and High School Many of the previously described behaviors remain problematic along with the following: Difficulty with the volume of reading and written work Frustration with the amount of time required and energy expended for reading Difficulty with written assignments Tendency to avoid reading (particularly for pleasure) Difficulty learning a foreign language

Postsecondary Some students will not be identified prior to entering college as having dyslexia. The early years ofreading difficulties evolve into slow, labored reading fluency. Many students will experience extremefrustration and fatigue due to the increasing demands of reading as the result of dyslexia. In making adiagnosis for dyslexia, a student’s reading history, familial/genetic predisposition, and assessmenthistory are critical. Many of the previously described behaviors may remain problematic along with thefollowing:

Difficulty pronouncing names of people and places or parts of words Difficulty remembering names of people and places Difficulty with word retrieval Difficulty with spoken vocabulary Difficulty completing the reading demands for multiple course requirements Difficulty with note-taking Difficulty with written production Difficulty remembering sequences (e.g., mathematical and/or scientific formulas)

Typically, students with dyslexia will demonstrate academic underachievement. Informationfrom parents and other sources will indicate that the student’s lack of academic progress is not


due to chronic absenteeism, illness, physical difficulties with sight or hearing, second-languageacquisition, lack of experiential background or problems in the home. Many students withdyslexia perform significantly better in math, science and/or social studies than they do inLanguage arts (reading and written expression).

The state requires all school districts to develop procedures for identification andappropriate instructional programs for students identified with dyslexia. At any time astudent continues to struggle with reading, the district will gather data from parents,teachers and others to determine the appropriate intervention. Assessment for dyslexiamay be appropriate for a student who shows some or all of the characteristics of dyslexia,and who has unexpected poor performance in reading, writing and/or spelling in theclassroom.

Entrance to the Dyslexia Program:

The identification of dyslexia will be determined by the student’s team of knowledgeable persons such as parents, teachers, intervention teachers, dyslexia therapist, evaluator, campus administration and based on evidence of low performance for the student’s age and educational level in the following academic skills:

reading real words in isolation decoding nonsense words reading fluency (both rate and accuracy) written spelling (an isolated difficulty in spelling would not be sufficient to identify

dyslexia)

Based on the data, if the committee determines weaknesses are indicated in the listed academic skills, and then the committee will look at the underlying cognitive processes for the difficulties seen in the student’s word reading and written spelling. If the committee determines the student exhibits weaknesses in reading and written spelling that are the result of a deficit in phonological/phonemic awareness, the committee will then examine the student’s data to determine whether these difficulties are unexpected for the relation to the student’s other cognitive abilities and unexpected in relation to the provision of effective classroom instruction. Entrance to the dyslexia program will be determined based on evidence of skill deficit and skill acquisition need rather than cognitive skill performance such as IQ score.

Exit from the Dyslexia Program: The following factors may be used to determine when a child exits from dyslexia intervention

completion of curriculum student demonstrating success in grade level material passing STAAR recommendation of dyslexia teacher parent request lack of appropriate progress within the dyslexia curriculum


Procedures for Assessment of Dyslexia

Phase One: Data GatheringThe first step in the assessment process, Data Gathering, should be an integral part of the district’s or charter school’s process for any student exhibiting learning difficulties.To ensure that underachievement in a student suspected of having dyslexia (a specific learning disability) is not due to lack of appropriate instruction in reading, other information should be considered. This information should include data that demonstrates the student was provided appropriate instruction and data-based documentation of repeated assessments of achievement at reasonable intervals (progress monitoring), reflecting formal assessment of student progress during instruction. Additional information to be considered includes the results from some or all of the following:

Vision screening Hearing screening Attendance Records Discipline Records Teacher reports of classroom concerns Basal reading series assessment Accommodations provided by classroom teachers Academic progress reports (report cards) Gifted/Talented assessments Samples of school work Parent conferences Testing for limited English proficiency (all years available) Speech and language screening through a referral process (English and native language,

if possible) The K–2 reading instrument as required in TEC §28.006 (English and native language, if

possible) Universal screening for all grade levels available (English and native language, if

possible) State student assessment program as described in TEC §39.022 Any other information available if needed to make an appropriate recommendation Observations of instruction provided to the student FIE (Full Individual Evaluation) Outside Evaluations Curriculum based assessment measures Instructional strategies provided and student’s Response to Intervention (RTI)

Phase Two: Screening and EvaluationStudents enrolling in public schools in Texas shall be assessed for dyslexia and related disorders at appropriate times (TEC §38.003 (a)). The appropriate time depends upon multiple factors


including the student’s reading performance; reading difficulties; poor response to supplemental, scientifically based reading instruction; teachers’ input; and input from the parents or guardians. Additionally, the appropriate time for assessing is early in a student’s school career (19 TAC §74.28), the earlier the better. While earlier is better, students should be recommended for assessment for dyslexia even if the reading difficulties appear later in a student’s school career. When formal assessment is recommended, the district or charter school completes the evaluation process as outlined in §504 using the following procedures:

Notify parents or guardians of proposal to assess student for dyslexia (§504) Inform parents or guardians of their rights under §504 Obtain permission from the parent or guardian to assess the student for dyslexia Assess student, being sure that individuals/professionals who administer assessments

have training in the evaluation of students for dyslexia and related disorders (19 TAC §74.28)

Note: If the student is being assessed as part of a special education evaluation or is already served in special education and a dyslexia evaluation is being requested, IDEA 2004 due process procedures must be followed. The notices and consent must be provided in the native language of the parent or guardian or other mode of communication used by the parent or guardian, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so. In compliance with §504, tests, assessments, and other evaluation materials must have the following characteristics:

Be validated for the specific purpose for which the tests, assessments, and other evaluation materials are used

Include material tailored to assess specific areas of educational need and not merely materials that are designed to provide a single general intelligence quotient

Be selected and administered so as to ensure that, when a test is given to a student with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, the test results accurately reflect the student’s aptitude or achievement level, or whatever other factor the test purports to measure, rather than reflecting the student’s impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills

Be selected and administered in a manner that is not racially or culturally discriminatory Include multiple measures of a student’s reading abilities such as informal assessment

information (e.g., anecdotal records, district universal screenings, progress monitoring data, criterion referenced assessments, results of informal reading inventories, classroom observations)

Be administered by trained personnel and in conformance with the instructions provided by the producer of the evaluation materials

Areas of Assessment


The district or charter school administers measures that are related to the student’s educational needs. Depending upon the student’s age and stage of reading development, the following are the areas related to reading that should be assessed:

Academic Skills Letter knowledge (name and associated sound) Reading real and nonsense words in isolation (decoding) Decoding unfamiliar words accurately Reading fluency (both rate and accuracy should be measured) Reading comprehension Written spelling

Cognitive processes that underlie the reading difficulties Phonological/phonemic awareness (Difficulties in phonological and phonemic awareness

are typically seen in students with dyslexia and impact a student’s ability to learn letters and the sounds associated with letters and letter combinations, learn the alphabetic principle, use the sounds of the letters and letter combinations to decode words and to accurately spell.)

Rapid naming (Difficulties in rapid naming may or may not be weak, but if deficient, will impact a student’s ability to automatically name letters and read words and to read connected text at an appropriate rate.)

Possible Additional Areas: Vocabulary Listening comprehension Oral expression Written expression Handwriting Orthographic processing Mathematical reasoning Intelligence

Assessing English Language LearnersThis refers to students served in bilingual and ESL programs as well as students designated limited English proficient (LEP) whose parents have denied services.Much diversity exists among English language learners (ELLs). The identification and service delivery process for dyslexia must be in step with the student’s linguistic environment and educational background. Involvement of the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) is recommended.Additional Data Gathering includes the following:

Home Language Survey Assessment related to identification for limited English proficiency (oral language

proficiency tests and norm-referenced tests) STAAR results when available Texas English Language Proficiency System (TELPAS) information Type of language programming provided and language of instruction Linguistic environment and second-language acquisition development Previous schooling in and outside of the United States Instruction Interventions provided to address language of instruction


Phase Four: Identification of Students with Dyslexia The identification of dyslexia is made by a §504 committee. The §504 committee first determines whether the student has dyslexia. In order to make an informed determination, the committee must be knowledgeable about the following:

The student being assessed The reading process Dyslexia and related disorders Dyslexia instruction District or charter school, state, and federal guidelines for assessment The assessments used The meaning of the collected data

The §504 committee determines the identification of dyslexia after reviewing all accumulated data fromStep 1 (Data Gathering) and Step 2 (Formal Assessment) includes the following information:

The observations of the teacher, district or charter school staff, and/or parent/guardian Data gathered from the classroom (including student work and the results of classroom

measures) and information found in the student’s cumulative folder (including the developmental and academic history of the student)

Data-based documentation of student progress during instruction/intervention The results of administered assessments Language Assessment Proficiency Committee (LPAC) documentation, when applicable All other accumulated data regarding the development of the student’s learning and

his/her educational needs

In order to make an appropriate identification of dyslexia, the §504 committee will need to make decisions in the following three areas:A. The pattern of weaknesses in a student with dyslexia will reflect one or more difficulties with low performance for the student’s age and educational level in the following academic skills:

Reading real words in isolation Decoding nonsense words Reading fluency (both rate and accuracy) Written spelling (an isolated difficulty in spelling would not be sufficient to identify

dyslexia)

B. Based on the data, if the committee determines weaknesses are indicated in the listed academic skills, then the committee will look next at the underlying cognitive processes for the difficulties seen in the student’s word reading and written spelling. These academic difficulties in reading and written spelling will typically be the result of a deficit in phonological or phonemic awareness. The student may also demonstrate difficulties in other areas of cognitive processing, including one or more of the following:

Rapid naming Orthographic processing

If the student exhibits reading and written spelling difficulties and currently has appropriate phonological/phonemic processing, it is important to examine the student’s history to determine if there is evidence of previous difficulty with phonological/phonemic awareness.


NOTE: Because previous effective instruction in phonological/phonemic awareness may remediate phonological awareness skills in isolation, average phonological awareness scores alone do not rule out dyslexia. Ongoing phonological processing deficits can be exhibited in word reading and/or written spelling.

C. If the committee determines the student exhibits weaknesses in reading and written spelling that are the result of a deficit in phonological/phonemic awareness, the committee will then examine the student’s data to determine whether these difficulties are unexpected for the student in relation to the student’s other cognitive abilities (the ability to learn in the absence of print) and unexpected in relation to the provision of effective classroom instruction.Many students with dyslexia will have difficulty with the secondary characteristics of dyslexia, including reading comprehension and written composition.

Based on the above information and guidelines, the §504 committee first determines whether the student has dyslexia. If the student has dyslexia, the committee also determines whether the student has a disability under §504. Whether a student is eligible for §504 accommodations is a separate determination from the determination that the student has dyslexia. A student is considered to have a disability under §504 if the condition substantially limits the student’s learning, including the specific activity of reading. Additionally, the §504 committee, in determining whether a student has a disability that substantially limits the student in a major life activity, must not consider the ameliorating effects of any mitigating measures that student is using. If the committee does not identify dyslexia, but the student has another condition or disability that substantially limits the student’s learning, eligibility for §504 services related to the student’s other condition or disability should be considered.Students with additional factors that complicate their dyslexia may require additional support or referral to special education. If a student is already qualified as a student with a disability under special education, the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee should determine the least restrictive environment for delivering the student’s dyslexia intervention.

Frequently Asked Questions taken from the Dyslexia Handbook Revised 2014

1. Who ultimately identifies and makes placement decisions for students exhibiting characteristics of dyslexia?Members of the districts SIT (Student Intervention Team) comprised of the campus dyslexia teacher, administrator, assessment personnel, classroom teacher, and Speech Language Pathologist (as necessary).


Under federal law, the committee must be knowledgeable of the child, the meaning of the evaluation data, and the placement options. For dyslexia program eligibility decisions, the committee of knowledgeable persons should also include knowledge of the student being assessed; the reading process; dyslexia and related disorders; dyslexia instruction; district, charter school, state, and federal guidelines for assessment; the assessments that were used; and the meaning of the collected data. In addition, while not required under §504, it is suggested that the parents/guardians of the student be a part of the identification and placement process. If the student is limited English proficient (LEP), the committee should also include a member of the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) knowledgeable in second language acquisition.

2. How long will my child receive direct dyslexia instruction?They dyslexia curriculum is written for a two to three year time frame. Each student’ program is delivered through daily, small group instruction. Student’s progress is monitored by the dyslexia teacher. Possible length of time in the program may fluctuate from child to child depending on individual factors such as extended illness, excessive absences, and progress made within the curriculum.

3. How will my child be supported once they have excited from their daily dyslexia instruction?Campus dyslexia teacher track students who have excited the dyslexia program for a period of time. Tracking is a way to support teachers and students within the classroom setting. This tracking can look different for each student depending on the student’s needs. Tracking can take the form of checking student’s grades each six/nine weeks, collaborating with classroom teachers, and/or meeting with the individual student informally, etc.

4. What kind of support is available for my student at the secondary level?A dyslexia teacher is available to support students on middle school and high school campuses. Students are enrolled in a dyslexia class that is scheduled within the regular school day and is different from the regular reading/language arts curriculum. Dyslexia teacher is encouraged to use their expertise to deliver instruction designed to help students transition their learned skills into regular education classes. Therefore, dyslexia instruction may look different from that which is provided at the elementary campuses.

5. How will I be updated on my child’s progress in the dyslexia program?Your child’s dyslexia teacher will arrange parent conferences as necessary to discuss your child’s progress. Parents can request a conference as well. If your child is currently in the 504 program, progress will be discussed at the Annual 504 meeting. If our child is currently being served in the Special Education program, dyslexia progress will be discussed at their annual ARD meeting.

6. Is every student identified with dyslexia “disabled” within the meaning of §504?To be a person with a disability within the meaning of §504, the student must have a disability that issubstantially limiting, affects a major life activity (such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks,walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working (34 C.F.R. §104.3(j)), and affects thestudent’s education. Reading is now a major life activity. Congress added to the list in the Americanswith Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). The list now includes major bodily functions as well as eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, bending, reading, concentrating, thinking, and communicating (42 U.S.C. §12101(2)(A)).Therefore, a student with dyslexia may be considered to have a disability within the scope of §504 if the condition substantially limits the student’s reading.

7. Can parents/guardians refuse §504 eligibility but accept dyslexia services?For the student who has been evaluated and determined to be §504 eligible, OCR has indicated thatparents/guardians can refuse the initial provision of §504 services and revoke consent for continued§504 services. However, there is no authority in the §504 regulations or in published OCR guidance forthe proposition that a parent/guardian can unilaterally remove §504 eligibility. All the parent/guardian


can remove is the services; the nondiscrimination protections of §504 will remain.IDEA 2004 works differently because of a specific regulation. IDEA 2004 contains a clear mechanism forparents/guardians to reject eligibility (by way of refusing consent for initial special education placementor revoking consent for continued special education placement) that serves to transform the formerlyIDEA-eligible student into a non-IDEA eligible student. Section 504 has no similar regulation.Consequently, a parent/guardian could conceivably reject dyslexia services via a §504 plan and ask fordyslexia services outside that plan, but OCR would likely find that since the student remains §504eligible, the nondiscrimination provisions of the law would still apply to the dyslexia services.

8. Should all students be routinely reviewed for dyslexia?TEC §28.006 requires school districts or open-enrollment charter schools to administer a readinginstrument at the kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade levels and to notify the parent/guardianof each student in kindergarten, first grade, or second grade who is determined, on the basis of thereading instrument results, to be at risk for dyslexia or other reading difficulties. School districts andcharter schools must also administer a reading instrument to grade 7 students who did not demonstrateproficiency on the grade 6 state reading assessment. Additionally, data related to the readingachievement and progress of all students should be continuously monitored and reviewed. A studentwho demonstrates poor performance in reading and spelling that is unexpected for the student’sage/grade and exhibits the characteristics of dyslexia shall be tested for dyslexia or a related disorder asdefined in TEC §38.003.

9. Can students in kindergarten and first grade be assessed for dyslexia?Yes. The identification of dyslexia in young students in kindergarten and first grade will often occurthrough the observation of parents/guardians and educators that, despite engaged participation incomprehensive reading instruction, a child with good thinking and language ability shows limitedreading progress. Early reading instruments (TEC §28.006) in grades K–2 assess the emerging readingskills that are key components to the identification of dyslexia. These skills include phonologicalawareness, letter knowledge (graphophonemic knowledge), decoding, and word reading. Theseinstruments serve as an important early screening for many reading difficulties, including dyslexia. Whena child does not meet the basic standards of these early reading instruments, the pattern of difficultymay indicate risk factors for dyslexia. A child whose skills have not reached the normative standards ofthese instruments requires intensified reading instruction and possible consideration for assessment fordyslexia. With the decision to assess for dyslexia in a young child (K–1), it is important to note thatcurrent standardized test instruments available to school districts are not particularly sensitive to theskill variations for these students. The identification will require data gathering that is not limited tostandardized instruments and includes information from these early reading instruments and classroomperformance patterns.

10. Does the student have to be in a certain grade level before dyslexia assessment can occur?No. There is not a grade-level requirement for assessment to occur; students shall be assessed fordyslexia and related disorders at appropriate times (TEC §38.003(a)). The appropriate time dependsupon multiple factors including the student’s reading performance; reading difficulties; poor response tosupplemental, scientifically based reading instruction; teacher’s input; and input from the parents/guardians.

11. May a parent/guardian recommend that a student be assessed for dyslexia?Yes. A parent/guardian may request to have his/her child assessed for dyslexia and related disorders bystaff at the school district or open-enrollment charter school. (If the school district has data to supportrefusal of the parent/guardian request, the procedural protections of §504 must be followed. Theparents or guardians must be provided their notice of rights under §504. For a student who is special education-eligible, IDEA 2004 procedures must be followed. Best practices suggest appropriatetimelines to mirror those of special education.)


12. Can the parent/guardian bring an assessment from a private evaluator or source?Yes. A parent/guardian may choose to have his/her child assessed by a private diagnostician or othersource. To be valid, this assessment must comply with the requirements set forth in §504 and theguidelines in Chapter II: Procedures for the Assessment and Identification of Students with Dyslexia.The §504 regulations provide that the group of knowledgeable people have a duty to “document andcarefully consider” all sources of evaluation data (34 C.F.R. §104.35(c) (2)). While an outside assessmentmay be brought to the §504 committee and must be reviewed, it is part of the evaluation data but doesnot, independently, create eligibility. Instead, the §504 committee determines eligibility based on areview “of data from a variety of sources” (34 C.F.R. §104.35(c) (1).

13. Must an intelligence test be administered in the identification process for dyslexia?No. The most current definition of dyslexia from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) indicatesthat the difficulties the student exhibits in reading should be unexpected in relation to the student’sother cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Examples of other cognitive abilities that could be age-appropriate in relation to unexpected reading difficulties might include the student’s oral language skills, problem-solving and reasoning skills, ability to learn in the absence of print, or strong math skills in comparison to reading skills.

14. Should the student be retested to determine accommodations every 3 years?Unless otherwise provided by law, students accommodated because of dyslexia may not be retested fordyslexia for the purpose of reassessing the student’s need for accommodations until the school districtor open-enrollment charter school reevaluates the information obtained from previous testing of thestudent (TEC §38.003(b-1)).

Dyslexia Websites:

1. International Dyslexia Association (IDA0www.interdys.org

http://www.interdys.org/


2. LD Onlinehttp://www.ldonline.org/

3. Learning Disabilities Association (LDA)www.ldanatl.org

4. All Kinds of Minds Foundationwww.allkindsofminds.org

5. Neuhaus Education Center, Houstonwww.neuhaus.org

6. Talking Book Program, Texas State Librarywww.tsl.state.tx.us/tbp/

7. Learning Allyhttps://www.learningally.org/

8. Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children- Luke Waites Child Development Center, Dallaswww.tsrhc.org

9. Children’s Dysxlexia Centers, Inchttp://childrensdyslexiacenters.org/Resources.aspx

http://childrensdyslexiacenters.org/Resources.aspx

http://www.tsrhc.org/

https://www.learningally.org/

http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/tbp/

http://www.neuhaus.org/

http://www.allkindsofminds.org/

http://www.ldanatl.org/

http://www.ldonline.org/

Definitions of Dyslexia - 1.cdn.edl.io€¦ · Web viewDyslexia and Related Disorders Handbook....

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