Special Education Services for Students with Dyslexia
Procedures for Identification of Students with Specific Learning Disability for Special Education Services
The referral process for consideration of special education eligibility can be initiated by an educator, a parent, or guardian. Often this referral is based on concerns regarding:
- Weak performance in areas of reading, spelling, or writing that is unexpected for the student’s age/grade
- Characteristics or markers of dyslexia indicated by assessments, family history, or observations
Data is collected and brought to the Student Success Team. After reviewing all the available data from multiple sources, the Student Success Team may propose interventions, further assessment, and/or refer for special education eligibility determination.
If a referral for a special education assessment is made, an evaluation planning meeting will be scheduled. Parents and/or guardians are a vital member of the special education team and will be invited to attend. See “IDEA Procedural Flow Chart” The assessment battery that is considered by the team may include a psychological evaluation, an educational evaluation, and a social-emotional evaluation. No evaluations are conducted unless there is written consent from a parent or guardian. At or after the meeting, and at each subsequent meeting, parents/guardians will be provided with copies of all special education documentation.
Upon completion of evaluations, the IEP team, including the parent(s)/guardian(s), will reconvene within 60 school days to review all results and complete the process for determining whether the student qualifies as a student with a disability. The team will discuss and review the criteria, based on Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR), for any areas of suspected eligibility in which the student may qualify. Students with dyslexia are often considered for the area of specific learning disability (LD). The LD criteria is based on a strengths and weaknesses model of eligibility. When comparing the cognitive and academic performance areas the assessment components must indicate at least one area of strength and one area of weakness. The team will discuss if the student has patterns of underachievement, demonstrates a processing disorder and requires specially designed instruction prior to eligibility determination.
A pattern of underachievement can be established by consulting multiple data sources. Students with dyslexia may have developed compensatory strategies, leveraging comprehension skills to mask decoding and fluency difficulties; it is recommended that direct assessments of these skills be examined. Spelling difficulties are related to dyslexia as well, and spelling inventories and writing samples may be important data sources. Finally, students with dyslexia may exhibit difficulties at home that are less evident at school, so data should be collected about student difficulties with homework, test preparation, and other assignments.
The comprehensive evaluation results will be reviewed for the next eligibility criterion, a processing disorder. Students with dyslexia most frequently exhibit decoding, spelling or fluency difficulties that stem from a phonological processing disorder. In fact, phonological difficulty is a defining characteristic of dyslexia (see the section entitled, “Definition and Continuum of Dyslexia.”) Other processing disorders can also contribute to reading difficulties (e.g., rapid automatized naming, processing speed, working memory).
Another eligibility criterion states that the student must require specially designed instruction as a result of the specific learning disability that cannot reasonably be provided solely through general education. Specially designed instruction is more than short term participation in a specialized reading program. The federal law, IDEA, defines specially designed instruction as adapting, as appropriate, the content, methodology or delivery of instruction to address the unique needs of the student that result from the disability, and to ensure student access to the general curriculum. A student may have dyslexia and may require accommodations and interventions, but not necessarily require specially designed instruction.
Parents/guardians who disagree with an eligibility determination have the right to appeal a decision made by the eligibility team. Refer to the Oregon Department of Education’s Procedural Safeguards Manual.
Individualized Education Program
For students found eligible for special education services, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be developed within 30 school days of the eligibility meeting. The IEP will address the special education services, related services (if required), and accommodations the student will receive during the year. Services are individualized to the student’s needs and will differ from student to student depending on the identified areas of weakness and severity of the dyslexia. The distinguishing characteristic of dyslexia as one of the types of specific learning disabilities, is a specific weakness at the phonological level, resulting in difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and poor spelling. If this is a specific area of need, the IEP team will propose targeted goals and specially designed instruction to address weaknesses in decoding, spelling, fluency, and/or writing. An IEP may indicate the need for Assistive Technology. The IEP will address goals in areas beyond literacy, if deemed appropriate for that student.
Once the initial IEP has been developed, the parents/guardians have the right to accept or decline the proposed Individualized Education Program by signing the Initial Consent for Special Education Services form to indicate their choice.
The IEP team, which includes the parents or guardians, reconvenes at least annually to report on progress, set new goals, determine hours of service and delivery options, and discuss accommodations. Any IEP team member can request an IEP meeting at any time if there are concerns about whether the IEP meets the student’s needs. As appropriate, the student can be included as a member of his or her own IEP team.