Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a brain-based learning disability that makes learning to read, write, and/or spell difficult despite adequate instruction and intelligence. Students with dysgraphia, a related learning disorder, demonstrate academic challenges in handwriting, spelling, and written expression. For more information review: 

• Dyslexia One-Pager English
• Dyslexia One-Pager Spanish
• What is Dyslexia? Video by Sandman Hurley

Characteristics

Risk factors and signs of dyslexia:

• Family history of dyslexia or reading difficulty
• Early language difficulties such as delayed speech or trouble pronouncing words
• Difficulty identifying and manipulating individual sounds within words
• Challenges learning letter names
• Difficulty recalling the names of letters, numbers, and familiar objects
• Avoidance of reading and writing tasks
• Inaccurate or slow reading
• Difficulty with note taking and producing written work
• Over use of pictures to guess at words

Primary characteristics include difficulties:

• Learning the sounds letters make
• Reading words in isolation or reading unknown words
• Reading smoothly with enough speed and accuracy to comprehend
• Spelling

Secondary characteristics may include difficulty:

• Expressing ideas or concepts in writing
• Understanding what is read

Screening

Per Texas Education Code (TEC), §38.003, all kindergarten and first-grade students in TISD are screened for dyslexia and related disorders. Kindergarten students are screened at the end of the school year and first-grade students are screened before January 31st. TISD uses Circle Kindergarten Progress Monitoring/TPRI/Tejas LEE to meet the requirements of (TEC), §38.003, K/1 Dyslexia Screening. Screening results are shared with families. At this time, there is not an instrument available for the purposes of screening for dysgraphia, nor is formal screening required.

 

Evaluation

To meet federal and state requirements, TISD provides timely evaluation and identification of students with dyslexia. Professionals conducting assessment (e.g school psychologists or educational diagnosticians) for the identification of dyslexia look beyond scores on standardized assessments alone and examine the student’s classroom reading performance, educational history, and early language experiences as part of a comprehensive evaluation.

Anytime your child’s school suspects a student has dyslexia or dysgraphia and needs services, the school must ask for parent consent to conduct a Full Individual Initial Evaluation (FIIE) through special education. Evaluations through the special education process makes sure that students who are eligible for special education services are identified and provided the support they need.  Students are not evaluated without parent consent.

Interventions and services

In accordance with 19 TAC §74.28(c), Texarkana ISD has purchased and implements evidence-based intervention programs for students with dyslexia and related disorders to be implemented by a trained teacher in dyslexia. Special education teachers and dyslexia specialists may provide dyslexia intervention. Students with dyslexia may benefit from accommodations, assistive and instructional technology, and services as documented through a child’s special education or 504 service plan.

Per HB 3928, evidence-based dyslexia programs are considered specially designed instruction (SDI) (i.e., a special education service). An admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee will ensure, for a student with dyslexia eligible under IDEA, that the SDI contains all elements of an evidence-based dyslexia program as outlined in the Handbook. Texarkana ISD implements four approved evidence-based dyslexia intervention programs: Build, Take Flight, JET, and Esperanza as identified on the TEA Resource List of Evidence-Based Dyslexia Programs. Accommodations (e.g., additional practice, smaller groups or individual instruction, longer time to progress) may be listed in the student’s individualized education program (IEP) and provided based on student need.

What services might look like:

All students receive an evidence-based language arts curriculum provided by their classroom teacher. Students identified with dyslexia may also receive direct services and supports including dyslexia intervention and accommodations. All programmatic decisions are made by the ARD committee. Below are examples of what services and supports may look like at both elementary and secondary campuses.

 

The Texas Dyslexia Handbook is developed and adopted into administrative rule by the Texas State Board of Education. The handbook contains guidelines for school districts to follow as they identify and provide services for students with dyslexia. In addition, information regarding the state's dyslexia statutes and their relation to various federal laws is included. The updated Texas Dyslexia Handbook, linked below, is in effect as of June 30, 2024.

• The Texas Dyslexia Handbook 2024 Update English, Spanish, and supplemental FAQ pages
• TISD Dyslexia Program Guidelines for Families_English
• TISD Dyslexia Program Guidelines for Families_Spanish
• What is Dyslexia? Understood.org
• Through Your Child's Eyes dyslexia simulation from Understood.org
• Embracing Dyslexia- documentary English 
• Embracing Dyslexia -documentary Spanish
•  Dyslexia and Related Disorders: Information for Parents (Dislexia y trastornos relacionados: información para padres)

The International Dyslexia Association is a national nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals with dyslexia, their families, and the communities that support them. Visit their site to connect with a local branch near you, find IDA-member providers in your area, and learn more about dyslexia.

Yale University’s Center for Dyslexia and Creativity seeks to illuminate the strengths of those with dyslexia, disseminate information, practical advice, and the latest innovations from scientific research, and transform the lives of children and adults with dyslexia. Visit their site to learn more about their cutting edge research and get concrete tips for parents, educators, and individuals with dyslexia.

Talking Book Program

Per TEC 29.0031 (e), Austin ISD is required to notify families of students identified with dyslexia or a related disorder of the Talking Book Program (TBP) maintained by the

Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The TBP offers audio books at no-cost.

For more information, contact the TBP at 1-800-252-9605 or 512-463-5458 or visit www.TexasTalkingBooks.org.
 

Learning Ally

Learning Ally offers more than 75,000 digitally recorded audiobooks (including both textbooks and literary titles) in English and Spanish and is available to eligible students.

Contact your child’s dyslexia therapist or tara.baker@txkisd.net to learn more

Parents can support their children's reading in many ways. Check out these resources for ideas....

Summer Reading

Fun and Free Summer Learning Resources
Resources to keep students learning through the dog days of summer, with a particular focus on math and reading.

Five Minute Film Festival: Summer Reading for Students
Summer is a great time for reading. This website offers video clips about reading, and lots of great links related to summer reading.

Start with A Book
To ward off the learning loss that many children experience over the summer, Start with a Book offers parents, caregivers, summer program staff and librarians lots of engaging ideas for getting kids hooked on reading, exploring and learning all summer long — and beyond.

General Tips

11 Ways Parents Can Help Their Children Read
Parents are important to developing reading skills. This article suggests some tips for parents of all students!

Scholastic for Parents
The #1 way parents can help their children with reading is to read to or with your child. This website provides a wealth of tips to find the right book and instill a love for reading in your child.

Finding a Great Book

Books for Reluctant Readers
No one likes to do things that are difficult for them. That means many children with dyslexia don't enjoy books. Check out this website to find books that might just make a book-lover out of your child!

Building Fluency

Reading Rockets: Fluency Resources
A wealth of information regarding the importance of fluency and how to improve it.

Got Teenagers?

All About Adolescent Literature
Got a teen in the house? This is a must visit website!

Neuhaus Academy
Neuhaus Academy is the source for web-based reading lessons for adolescent learners. Neuhaus Academy lessons provide clues for reading unfamiliar words and understanding word meanings. Each lesson provides world and cultural knowledge to enrich critical thinking and comprehension. Teachers can use Neuhaus Academy for whole group or small group instruction. Printed companion materials are available for purchase at neuhaus.org. Students can utilize this tool at home to sharpen their word identification and vocabulary skills.

Typing Club

Texas is unique in that it has a law to specifically identify and address the needs of the student with dyslexia.

Dyslexia Defined

As defined in TEC §38.003 (The Dyslexia Law):

• "Dyslexia" means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and socio-cultural opportunity.
• "Related disorders" includes disorders similar to or related to dyslexia such as developmental auditory imperceptions, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability.

Texas Administrative Code §74.28 (State Board of Education Rule)

Texas Administrative Code - Section 74.28

Students with Dyslexia and Related Disorders.

(a) In order to support and maintain full educational opportunity for students with dyslexia and related disorders and consistent with federal and state law, school districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall provide each student with dyslexia or a related disorder access to each program under which the student qualifies for services.

(b) The board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school must ensure that procedures for identifying a student with dyslexia or a related disorder and for providing appropriate, evidence-based instructional services to the student are implemented in the district.

(c) A school district's or open-enrollment charter school's procedures must be implemented according to the State Board of Education (SBOE) approved strategies for screening, individualized evaluation, and techniques for treating dyslexia and related disorders. The strategies and techniques are described in the "Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders" provided in this subsection. The handbook is a set of guidelines for school districts and open-enrollment charter schools that may be modified by the SBOE only with broad-based dialogue that includes input from educators and professionals in the field of reading and dyslexia and related disorders from across the state.

Figure: 19 TAC §74.28(c)

(d) Screening as described in the "Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders" and further evaluation should only be conducted by individuals who are trained in valid, evidence-based assessments and who are trained to appropriately evaluate students for dyslexia and related disorders.

(e) A school district or open-enrollment charter school shall purchase a reading program or develop its own evidence-based reading program for students with dyslexia and related disorders that is aligned with the descriptors found in the "Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders." Teachers who screen and treat these students must be trained in instructional strategies that use individualized, intensive, multisensory, phonetic methods and a variety of writing and spelling components described in the "Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders." The professional development activities specified by each open-enrollment charter school and district and/or campus planning and decision making committee shall include these instructional strategies.

(f) At least five school days before any evaluation or identification procedure is used selectively with an individual student, the school district or open-enrollment charter school must provide written notification to the student's parent or guardian or another person standing in parental relation to the student of the proposed identification or evaluation. The notice must be in English, or to the extent practicable, the individual's native language and must include the following:

• (1) a reasonable description of the evaluation procedure to be used with the individual student;
• (2) information related to any instructional intervention or strategy used to assist the student prior to evaluation;
• (3) an estimated time frame within which the evaluation will be completed; and
• (4) specific contact information for the campus point of contact, relevant Parent Training and Information Projects, and any other appropriate parent resources.

(g) Before a full individual and initial evaluation is conducted to determine whether a student has a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the school district or open-enrollment charter school must notify the student's parent or guardian or another person standing in parental relation to the student of its proposal to conduct an evaluation consistent with 34 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), §300.503, provide all information required under subsection (f) of this section, and provide:

• (1) a copy of the procedural safeguards notice required by 34 CFR, §300.504;
• (2) an opportunity to give written consent for the evaluation; and
• (3) a copy of information required under Texas Education Code (TEC), §26.0081.

(h) Parents/guardians of a student with dyslexia or a related disorder must be informed of all services and options available to the student, including general education interventions in response to intervention and multi-tiered systems of support models as required by TEC, §26.0081(d), and options under federal law, including IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act, §504.

(i) Each school or open-enrollment charter school must provide each identified student access at his or her campus to instructional programs required in subsection (e) of this section and to the services of a teacher trained in dyslexia and related disorders. The school district or open-enrollment charter school may, with the approval of each student's parents or guardians, offer additional services at a centralized location. Such centralized services should not preclude each student from receiving services at his or her campus.

(j) Because early intervention is critical, a process for early identification, intervention, and support for students at risk for dyslexia and related disorders must be available in each district and open-enrollment charter school as outlined in the "Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders." School districts and open-enrollment charter schools may not use early intervention strategies, including multi-tiered systems of support, to delay or deny the provision of a full and individual evaluation to a child suspected of having a specific learning disability, including dyslexia or a related disorder.

(k) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall report through the Texas Student Data System Public Education Information Management System (TSDS PEIMS) the results of the screening for dyslexia and related disorders required for each student in Kindergarten and each student in Grade 1 in accordance with TEC, §38.003(a).

(l) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall provide a parent should education program for parents/guardians of students with dyslexia and related disorders. This program must include:

• (1) awareness and characteristics of dyslexia and related disorders;
• (2) information on testing and diagnosis of dyslexia and related disorders;
• (3) information on effective strategies for teaching students with dyslexia and related disorders;
• (4) information on qualifications of those delivering services to students with dyslexia and related disorders;
• (5) awareness of information on accommodations and modifications, especially those allowed for standardized testing;
• (6) information on eligibility, evaluation requests, and services available under IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act, §504, and information on the response to the intervention process; and
• (7) contact information from the relevant regional and/or school district or open-enrollment charter school specialists.

(m) School districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall provide to parents of children suspected to have dyslexia or a related disorder a copy or a link to the electronic version of the "Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders."

(n) School districts and open-enrollment charter schools will be subject to monitoring for compliance with federal law and regulations in connection with this section. School districts and open-enrollment charter schools will be subject to auditing and monitoring for compliance with state dyslexia laws in accordance with administrative rules adopted by the commissioner of education as required by TEC, §38.003(c-1).

Source: The provisions of this §74.28 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 4311; amended to be effective September 1, 2001, 25 TexReg 7691; amended to be effective August 8, 2006, 31 TexReg 6212; amended to be effective August 24, 2010, 35 TexReg 7211; amended to be effective August 27, 2018, 43 TexReg 5519; amended to be effective March 13, 2019, 44 TexReg 1315; amended to be effective December 25, 2019, 44 TexReg 7981; amended to be effective February 10, 2022, 47 TexReg 504

Links
Dyslexia Handbook
Manual Sobre la Dislexia
Overview of Special Education For Parents
Overview of Special Education For Parents (Spanish)
Dyslexia Rule and Handbook Effective Jun 30, 2024
Dislexia y trastornos relacionados: información para padres

Life Success for Children with Learning Disabilities

Over twenty years of research has identified factors that predict successful outcomes for children with disabilities. This research identified these individual characteristics and life experiences that lead to successful life outcomes:

• goal setting
• Self-awareness
• perseverance
• emotional coping strategies
• support systems
• proactivity

Life Success for Children with Learning Disabilities: A Parent Guide highlights the findings of this research in an easy to read booklet. We strongly encourage you to read this information and share it with your child.

After High School: Different Paths to Success provides information on the many paths students may take post-secondary.

College Entrance Exams

College Board Exams include the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and AP Exams. Accommodations are available for students with disabilities that meet eligibility requirements. However, it is important to remember that receiving school accommodations does not guarantee College Board approval of a request. Detailed information can be found at the College Board SSD website.

Typical accommodation include:

• Extended time
• Computer use for essay
• Extra and extended breaks
• Reading and seeing accommodations
• Four-function calculator

Other accommodation is also available.

The accommodation request process can take up to seven weeks, so we recommend applying early in your child’s ninth grade. Accommodation approval requires extensive documentation, and unfortunately our dyslexia assessment will not likely meet guidelines. Learning disability documentation guidelines require:

• Diagnosis clearly stated;
• Current information (less than 5 years);
• History presented;
• Diagnosis supported by:
  • Summary of testing procedures,
  • narrative summary,
  • test scores,
  • comprehensive cognitive and achievement battery.

There are two processes to request accommodation, (1) School Verification and (2) Parent Paper Verification. Regardless of which process you choose, contact your high school counselor to initiate the process.

School verification process:

1. Students/ parents register for testing online with ACT or the College Board. The student/parent selects "accommodations needed" during the registration process;
2. Student/parent emails the accommodated registration to the Assistant Principal for Student Advancement, Charlotte Leon. Students and parents also need to send a copy of their signed consent to release information forms (these forms can be found online at ACT or the College Board);
3. The Assistant Principal completes an online accommodation request for form to ACT or the College Board documenting the student's eligibility for the accommodation. The accommodation has been in place for more than four months and the student currently uses the accommodation(s) at school; 4. The school will submit available documentation for review to the ACT or the College Board.
5. If approved, students will receive a TAA or SSD number to use when registering for a test.
6. Accommodations remain in effect through one year after graduation from high school.

Parent Paper Request:

This process again begins by registering for the ACT or SAT and selecting "accommodations needed", then submitting a consent form to the Assistant Principal for Student Advancement.

If your request was denied, you can find information on how to proceed here.

If you are interested in SAT preparation, Khan Academy offers free online preparation: SAT prep from Khan Academy.

ACT tests are another type of college entrance exam. Like the SATs, certain accommodations are available for students who meet eligibility criteria. Detailed information can be obtained at ACT's Services for Students with Disabilities page. Unlike the SAT process, students must register for ACT prior to requesting accommodation. The student will then be able to print an application for accommodation.

There are three types of ACT accommodation available:

1. National Standard Time with Accommodations
2. National Extended Time (50% additional time)
3. Special testing at school (more than time and a half or special test presentation such as oral administration)

College Services for Students with Dyslexia

There is no reason a student with dyslexia shouldn't pursue college if he or she chooses to do so. Before deciding which school is best for him or her, students should investigate the services that are available at perspective colleges. While all colleges must provide some level of service to students with disabilities, the level of service varies greatly. Most colleges provide one of three levels of service:

• Basic accommodations such as note-taking assistance and extra time on tests;
• Specialized services, which include staff who work with students and professors;
• Specialized colleges have comprehensive programs for students with disabilities (often for a fee).

The K&W Guide to College Programs and Services for Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD (Princeton Review) is a thorough listing of colleges and the support available to students. It is available through Amazon, or possibly your school or local library.

Information on applying for and selecting a college for your child with a disability can be found at these sites:

Selecting a College for Students with Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder
Hard Decision for the Learning Disabled

Examples of disability services at Texas universities and colleges can be found below:

Texas A&M Disability Services
University of Texas Services for Students with Disabilities
San Jacinto College
Schreiner College

Section 504 and College

In the PreK through 12 grades school setting, Subpart D of Section 504 Regulations apply. However, once a student graduates and enrolls in college, Subpart E applies. Modifications may include changes in the length of time permitted for the completion of degree requirements, substitution of specific courses required for the completion of degree requirements, and adaptation of the manner in which specific courses are conducted.

In most cases, the screening instruments often used for developing a “504” plan are insufficient as documentation for college accommodations. Additional testing is likely to be required. In addition, the student goes from an environment that is structured to “ensure student success” to one that is designed to “allow equal access.” The success of the student is up to the student in the college setting. The college must ensure access, NOT success.

Differences Between High School and College for Students with Disabilities

ADA Q&A: Section 504 and Post-Secondary Education
Student with Disabilities Preparing for Post-Secondary Education (OCR)

Dyslexia and the Military

Some students may be more interested in joining the military rather than going to college. Here is information that may be helpful.

Exploring Military Options for Students with Disabilities
Will Dyslexia Exclude Someone from Joining the Military?
ADHD and the Military

Dyslexia and the Workforce

For students who choose to go straight into the workforce from school, they may be eligible for reasonable accommodation in some situations.

Transition: School to Work
Job Accommodations for People with Learning Disabilities
15 CEOs with Learning Disabilities

Teachers, such as reading specialists, master reading teachers, general education classroom teachers, or special education teachers, who provide dyslexia intervention for students are not required to hold a specific license or certification. However, these educators must at a minimum have additional documented dyslexia training aligned to 19 TAC §74.28(d) and must deliver the instruction with fidelity. This includes training in critical, evidence-based components of dyslexia instruction such as phonological awareness, sound-symbol association, syllabication, orthography, morphology, syntax, reading comprehension, and reading fluency. In addition, they must deliver multisensory instruction that simultaneously uses all learning pathways to the brain, is systematic and cumulative, is explicitly taught, uses diagnostic teaching to automaticity, and includes both analytic and synthetic approaches.