Dyslexia and Related Disorders
Dyslexia and Related Disorders
What's Required
"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 opportunity TEC 38.003(d)(1). Because early intervention is critical, a program for early identification, intervention, and support for students with dyslexia and related disorders must be available in each district as outlined in the Dyslexia Handbook Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders, 19 TAC 74.28(g),TEC 38.003(b) and TEC 38.003(c).
The Board of the school district must ensure that procedures for identifying a student with dyslexia or a related disorder are implemented in the district 19 TAC 74.28(a) and TEC 38.003(c). A school district's strategies for screening dyslexia and related disorders must be implemented in accordance with the Dyslexia Handbook Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders. A school district's techniques for treating dyslexia and related disorders must be implemented in accordance with the Dyslexia Handbook Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders. Screening should only be done by individuals/professionals who are trained to assess students for dyslexia and related disorders 19 TAC 74.28(b).
What We Do
Dyslexia's primary reading/spelling characteristics are:
- Difficulty reading words in isolation,
- Difficulty accurately decoding unfamiliar words,
- Difficulty with oral reading difficulties (slow, inaccurate, or labored without prosody) and/or
- Difficulty spelling.
It is important to note that students with hearing loss may struggle with the acquisition of the English Language and/or Basic Reading Skills due to the lack of phonemic awareness. While there are some students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing AND have dyslexia or a related disorder, poor performance in the skills listed above may NOT be an indicator of dyslexia.
If these deficits have been identified, there are further eligibility questions the Section 504 or ARD committee must still consider.
- Has the student had access to quality instruction that meets the student’s unique language needs?
- Has the student moved around a lot or changed programs (oral, SEE, ASL)?
- Does the student have an additional disability that would cause the deficit in reading/writing that could explain what the team/parents are seeing?
At times, Deaf/HH students may display additional, potential learning challenges, such as written expression difficulties (dysgraphia), or math difficulties (dyscalculia), which may further impact student learning. These challenges may also warrant an evaluation under IDEA. It is important to have an evaluator trained in these differences and aware of how deafness/hearing loss impacts language acquisition involved.
If a parent/legal guardian brings an outside diagnosis of Dyslexia or the department MTSS team/parent/legal guardian with knowledge of the student, instructional practices, progress data, and evaluation information suspect a student may also have dyslexia, the team will meet to discuss possible evaluation/interventions.
When formal evaluation is recommended, the School must convene an ARD, seek consent, and complete an evaluation within a reasonable timeline once consent is received. These results will then be shared in another ARD meeting.
If a student is found eligible for special education services for dyslexia, appropriate reading instruction will be included in the plan to meet the individual needs of the student.
At times, Deaf/HH students may display additional, potential learning challenges, such as written expression difficulties (dysgraphia), or math difficulties (dyscalculia), which may further impact student learning. These challenges may also warrant an evaluation under IDEA. It is important to have an evaluator trained in these differences and aware of how deafness/hearing loss impacts language acquisition involved.
If a parent/legal guardian brings an outside diagnosis of Dyslexia or the department MTSS team/parent/legal guardian with knowledge of the student, instructional practices, progress data, and evaluation information suspect a student may also have dyslexia, the team will meet to discuss possible evaluation/interventions.
When formal evaluation is recommended, the School must convene an ARD, seek consent, and complete an evaluation within a reasonable timeline once consent is received. These results will then be shared in another ARD meeting.
If a student is found eligible for special education services for dyslexia, appropriate reading instruction will be included in the plan to meet the individual needs of the student.
There is no identified evidence-based instructional intervention for providing reading instruction for deaf students with dyslexia outlined in the Chapter IV: Critical, Evidence-Based Components of Dyslexia Instruction. However. TSD uses a bilingual approach to teaching reading. We monitor progress by using the NWEA MAP test 3 times a year to monitor Reading, Math, and language use and use the Developing Reader’s Assessment to monitor Reading skills/acquisition.
Research shows that language precedes literacy. It is not rational to expect a person to READ or WRITE words or about concepts that they do not have knowledge of or cannot comprehend or express orally or through sign language. By providing a language rich environment, our students can become English and ASL proficient.
(Texas Education Agency. The Dyslexia Handbook Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders 2018 Update, pp. 1, 22, 25, 27, 28, 32-34.)
Our ELA/BLA program in the younger grades consists of:
Bilingual Language Arts – https://www.csdeagles.com/apps/pages/bilingualarts
Bilingual Grammar Curriculum - https://www.bgcasl.org/
Bedrock Learnig/Literacy Curriculum- https://bedrocklearning.org/