Evaluation and Identification

Evaluation and Identification of Dyslexia and Related Disorders

The evaluation and identification process for dyslexia can be multifaceted. The process involves both state and federal requirements that must be followed. The evaluation and identification process for students suspected of having dyslexia is guided by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The process of identifying dyslexia and/or related disorders such as dysgraphia will follow Child Find procedures for conducting a full individual and initial evaluation (FIIE) under the IDEA. These procedural processes require coordination among the teacher, campus administrators, diagnosticians, and other professionals as appropriate when factors such as a student’s English language acquisition, previously identified disability, or other special needs are present. 

Parents/guardians always have the right to request a referral for a dyslexia and/or related disorder evaluation at any time. 

-TEA Dyslexia Handbook, 2024

If you'd wish to seek an evaluation for your child, please contact the Campus Administrator or Diagnostician in writing to discuss the specific nature of your evaluation request.

• 1. • Parent’s Guide to the ARD Process 

     • Parent's Rights: an Overview of Special Education

FAQs

Excerpted from The Dyslexia Handbook FAQs, 2024: 

14. How would a student be referred for Section 504 if an ARD committee determines the student has dyslexia but does not qualify for special education and related services? 

When determining whether a student identified with dyslexia requires special education and related services, the ARD committee must carefully analyze the student’s evaluation report and compare the student’s data with the expectations of the student’s same aged peers and enrolled grade level curriculum. If the student needs SDI because of his or her disability in order to meet those expectations – including through the provision of dyslexia instruction – then the ARD committee would determine the student eligible for special education and related services. If a student identified with dyslexia is not eligible for special education and related services because the ARD committee has determined that the student does not need dyslexia instruction (i.e., SDI), the student may be eligible to receive accommodations under Section 504. A student who is found not eligible under the IDEA but who is identified with dyslexia through the FIIE process should not be referred for a second evaluation under Section 504. Instead, the Section 504 committee will use the FIIE and determine eligibility for Section 504, as necessary. 

For students eligible for Section 504, a Section 504 committee will develop the student’s Section 504 accommodation plan, which must include appropriate instructional accommodations to meet the individual needs of the student. A student identified with dyslexia and who needs dyslexia instruction would not be served under Section 504, as this is SDI.