QUESTIONS ABOUT DYSLEXIA
How is dyslexia diagnosed?
To diagnose dyslexia it’s necessary to track a student's progress with brief screening tests to
identify whether the student is progressing at a "benchmark" level that predicts success in
reading: if a student is below the benchmark (about the 40th percentile nationally), the school
may deliver individualized supplemental instruction. If this isn’t enough the student will have a
comprehensive evaluation that may lead to a designation of special education eligibility.
What does a comprehensive evaluation consist of'?
Comprehensive evaluation consists of the evaluation of receptive (listening) and expressive
language skills, phonological skills including phonemic awareness, and also a student’s ability to
rapidly name letters and numbers, to read lists of words in isolation, as well as words in context.
Why and which category of students is more structured and systematic instruction useful to?
Structured and systematic instructions are more useful for students that are below the benchmark
level (which is equivalent to about the 40th percentile nationally).
What do federal policies encourage to do?
Federal policies encourage starting from practices of teaching before deciding who needs
diagnostic testing.
What does RTI mean?
RTI means Response to Intervention and it is a federal policy that suggests starting from good
teaching practices and then determining who needs diagnostic testing.
What does IDEA mean?
IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is a law thanks to WHICH parents have the
right to require a comprehensive evaluation.
What does a comprehensive evaluation typically include?
A comprehensive evaluation usually includes intellectual and academic achievement testing, as
well as an assessment of the critical underlying language skills that are closely linked to dyslexia.
Who conducts the testing?
The testing is conducted by trained school or outside specialists.
What happens when the profile of a student with dyslexia emerges?
When the profile of a student with dyslexia emerges, the school should organize an individualized
intervention plan, which should include appropriate accommodations, such as extended time.
What are the signs of dyslexia?
Most of the problems that a student with dyslexia have are: learning to speak, learning letters and
their sounds, organizing written and spoken language, memorizing number facts, reading quickly
