The student who struggles with reading, writing, and/or spelling often puzzles teachers and parents.  The student displays adequate intelligence and receives the same classroom instruction that benefits most children.  Still the student struggles with some or all of the many facets of reading, writing, and/or spelling.  This student may be identified as a student with dyslexia. 

1. Dyslexia means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity. 

2. Related disorders includes disorders similar to or related to dyslexia such as developmental auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability. 

As defined in TEC §38.002 of the Texas Education Code

“Dyslexia is one of several distinct learning disabilities.  It is a specific language-based disorder of constitutional origin characterized by difficulty in single-word decoding, usually reflecting insufficient phonological processing.  These difficulties in single-word decoding are often unexpected in relation to age and other cognitive and academic abilities; they are not the result of generalized developmental disability or sensory impairment.  Dyslexia is manifested by variable difficulty with different forms of language, often including, in addition to,  problems with reading, a conspicuous problem with acquiring proficiency in writing and spelling.”

Working definition of dyslexia approved by the International Dyslexia Association Research committee, April 1994, in collaboration with individuals from the National Center for Learning Disabilities and the

National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development.

The difficulties of a student identified as having dyslexia occur in phonemic awareness and manipulation, single-word decoding, reading fluency, reading comprehension, spelling, and/or written composition. These difficulties are unexpected for the student’s age, educational level, or cognitive abilities. Additionally, there is often a family history of similar difficulties.

The following are the reading/writing/spelling characteristics of dyslexia:

• Difficulty reading single words in isolation;

• Difficulty accurately decoding nonsense or unfamiliar words;

• Slow, inaccurate, or labored oral reading (lack of reading fluency); and /or

• Difficulty with learning to spell.

The reading/writing/spelling characteristics are the result of:

• Difficulty with the development of phonological awareness, including segmenting, blending, and manipulating sounds in words;

• Difficulty learning the names of letters and their associated sounds;

• Difficulty with phonological memory (holding information about sounds and words in memory); and/or

• Difficulty with rapid naming of familiar objects, colors, or letters of the alphabet.

The reading/writing/spelling characteristics of dyslexia lead to:

• Variable degrees of difficulty with word recognition in isolation or in context;

• Variable difficulty with aspects of reading comprehension;

• Variable difficulty with aspects of written composition; and/or

• A limited amount of time spent in reading activities.

Source:  The Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders, Texas Education Agency, February 2001.

The procedures involved in the referral process for the Dyslexia Program are as follows:

Screening begins during the spring of the second grade year.  The classroom teacher and the counselor

analyze the student’s scores on the Otis Lennon, Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Texas Primary

Reading Inventory to determine those students that might be considered “at-risk” and to check for the

discrepancies between academic skills area (i.e. high math or listening scores compared to low reading or spelling scores).

Data are gathered on all students considered “at-risk.”  Information to be considered includes the results

from some or all of the following: 

• Teacher Checklist

• Parent Interview Checklist

• Vision Screening (school may conduct screening)

• Hearing Screening (school may conduct screening)

• Teacher reports of classroom concerns

• Basal reading series assessment

• Accommodations and modifications provided by classroom teachers

• Academic progress report (report cards)

• Samples of school work

• Notes from parent conferences

• Speech and language screening through a referral process

• Texas Primary Reading Inventory

• Texas Assessment of Academic Skills

At-risk students are presented to the Student Intervention Team who identifies students requiring formal

assessment for the Dyslexia Program.  These students are identified as possibly qualifying under Section

504 of the Civil Rights Law.

Consent for Assessment Forms are sent to parents, signed, and returned to the school.

The formal assessment is conducted by the counselor on campus.  Tests may include the Wechsler

Individual Achievement Test (Wiat), Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT), the Slosson Oral Reading

Test (Sort R), the Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI), or the Test of Phonological Awareness

(TOPA).

Results of the formal assessment are presented to the Student Intervention Team, including the District

Dyslexia Specialist, to determine if the District’s Dyslexia Program is appropriate for the student. 

Parent conferences are held to explain the test results and to provide information about the District

Dyslexia Program.  A Notice of Parent and Student Rights under Section 504 is provided to the parent.

Parents sign permission to place their child in the Dyslexia Program or sign a rejection of placement.

NOTE:  The Student Intervention Team also may recommend students beyond the second grade to be screened for the Dyslexia program if the student’s history and previous assessment indicates a possible need for the program.  The screening process is an ongoing procedure, as requested.

Entrance Criteria

• Student is in grades 2-12

• Exhibits characteristics of dyslexia in daily work samples

• Referred by teacher , parent, counselor, or diagnostician

• Adequate I.Q.

• Normal hearing and vision

• Deficient achievement test results in reading

• Summary of dyslexia screening indicating characteristics of dyslexia

• Parental permission

Exit Criteria

• Completion of dyslexia program

• Student reached maximum benefit from the program

• Out-of-district transfer

• Parent request

Continued Monitoring

Even though students may successfully exit from the dyslexia program, they may continue to be monitored under Section 504 to determine if additional support is needed.  The Section 504 committee will make recommendations regarding any necessary accommodations after a student is exited from the dyslexia instructional program.  Progress will continue to be monitored until the Section 504 committee determines there is no longer an educational need for intervention.  If support is needed at a later time, the Section 504 committee may reconvene to make recommendations.