Dyslexia @ Region 15

“Science has moved forward at a rapid pace so that we now possess the data to reliably define dyslexia … For the student, the knowledge that he is dyslexic is empowering … [It provides him] with self-understanding and self-awareness of what he has and what he needs to do in order to succeed.”

— Sally Shaywitz, MD

Dyslexia support services are designed to improve the outcome for individuals with dyslexia and related disorders. The ESC 15 education specialists for dyslexia offer trainings and technical assistance to address the needs of educators and students in the areas of intervention, identification, and instructional services. The identification and instruction of students with dyslexia and related disorders is mandated by the state of Texas. ESC Region 15 provides professional development and consultative assistance to increase student success.

Dyslexia Handbook 2021

Please make sure all documents and guidance follows the Updated 2021 Dyslexia Handbook.

Appendix A: Questions and Answers

Definition of Dyslexia

Texas Education Code Definition

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

International Dyslexia Association Definition:

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological 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. Adopted by the IDA Board, November 2002. This definition is also used by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), 2002.

Characteristics of dyslexia

Characteristics of dyslexia include difficulties with:

Identifying and recalling the names of alphabet letters, numbers, and familiar objects
Mapping sounds to letters
Auditory memory for rhymes, songs, and chants
Blending, segmenting, and manipulating sounds in words
Reading words in isolation or reading unknown words
Reading fluency
Spelling
Vocabulary acquisition due to reduced independent reading
Reading comprehension
Written production

Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is best defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder manifested by illegible and/or inefficient handwriting due to difficulty with letter formation. This difficulty is the result of deficits in graphomotor function (hand movements used for writing) and/or storing and retrieving orthographic codes (letterforms) (Berninger, 2015).