Dyslexia screening is a tool for identifying children who are at risk for this learning disability, particularly in preschool, kindergarten, or first grade. This means that the screening does not “diagnose” dyslexia. Rather, it identifies “predictor variables” that raise red flags, so parents and teachers can intervene early and effectively.

Districts and charter schools must implement a screening program that includes each of the following: 

• Screening of each student in kindergarten at the end of the school year 

• Screening of each student in the first grade no later than January 31

To meet federal and state requirements, HISD 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.

"Dyslexia is neither diagnosed nor accurately represented by a single score on a test; it is identified best by consideration of a broader clinical picture conforming to the known characteristics of the disorder" -S. Shaywitz

In other words = Formal evaluation includes both formal and informal data.

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.

See Overview of Special Education for Parents.

If, through the evaluation process, it is established that the student meets the criteria for dyslexia, then the student meets the first prong of eligibility under the IDEA (identification of condition). In other words, the identification of dyslexia, using the process outlined in this chapter, meets the criterion for the condition of a specific learning disability. Dyslexia is a SLD (specific learning disability) and should be noted as the SLD. However, the presence of a disability condition alone, is not sufficient to determine if the student is a student with a disability under the IDEA. Eligibility under the IDEA consists of both identification of the condition and a corresponding need for specially designed instruction as a result of the disability. Once dyslexia has been identified as the IDEA-eligible disability, a determination must be made by the ARD committee regarding the most appropriate way to serve the student. If a student with dyslexia is found eligible for special education (i.e., student has both the disability and requires dyslexia instruction, which is specially designed instruction), the student’s IEP must include appropriate reading instruction.

If—based on the data—the student is identified with dyslexia, but is determined by the ARD committee as not eligible for special education and related services because the student is determined to not need dyslexia instruction, (i.e., specially designed instruction) the student may be eligible to receive accommodations under Section 504.