Q: Can my school district create their own requirements for eligibility? How do I know if they are making up their own requirements?Ī: No. Q: Does my child have to be two or three grade levels below in reading to qualify?Ī: No. Nowhere in the law is this required, and insisting on this requirement could put your school district in violation of IDEA’s requirement to identify all children with disabilities. Take any testing your school did with you to the private professional. There are many options available for private testing– complete psychoeducational assessments by a psychologists, or less extensive educational testing with a special education consultant (look for a certified special educator). If you know something is wrong but are told that your child is “not far enough behind,” “is just immature,” “isn’t trying hard enough,” or that “all children learn to read in their own time,” run– do not walk– to get additional data from a professional. Parents are rarely wrong about this, and unfortunately, many parents are still given harmful messages by schools that delay identification. Is there anything else I should do?Ī: Parents who believe their child has dyslexia, but whose schools say they do not, should consider private testing. Q: My child’s school did a few tests (for example, the Woodcock Johnson), and says there is not enough data to show that my child has dyslexia (or a learning disability), but I know they are struggling. If you suspect dyslexia, you should ask how your team plans to test your child’s phonological awareness, phonics skills, and reading fluency.
Objective sources are things like standardized test scores, like a combination of cognitive (IQ) tests and academic achievement tests, or tests of phonological processing. They must consider multiple sources, and those sources should be objective. Second of all, schools can never use only ONE measure. First of all, Fountas and Pinnell “levels” are subjective (nor are they an evidence based evaluation tool), so they aren’t very reliable. Q: Can my child’s school use my child’s Fountas and Pinnell level (those A-Z reading levels) to say that my child is not below grade level and therefore does not qualify?Ī: No. Even if your child is getting a reading intervention in school, one benefit to having that intervention time documented on an IEP is that it obligates the school to provide it, and gives you recourse if they do not. A child doesn’t need an IEP just because they have a diagnosis, but if they need “specialized instruction,” they should have an IEP. However, some kids with dyslexia don’t need IEPs-an older child with dyslexia may have already learned the skills they need to achieve in school, or they may be able to compensate for their dyslexia and still be successful. If your child has a learning disability in reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), or math (dyscalculia), AND she also is not achieving “adequately” in school, then she is eligible for special education services under an IEP. A dyslexia diagnosis or “identification” of dyslexia is part of determining eligibility for special education.
Q: If my child has been diagnosed with dyslexia (or dysgraphia or dyscalculia), is he eligible for special education services under an IEP?Ī: Maybe. If you suspect your child has dyslexia, trust your gut! Have your child tested, by the school or by a private evaluator. Questions about dyslexia and special education eligibility are some of the most common questions parents ask us.