Parents and educators may have different opinions about specific terms like dyslexia or more general terms like learning disabilities. Understanding these terms and agreeing on which to use can help prevent confusion and conflict.
Educators, parents, and community members are invited to review draft updates to The Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders (Dyslexia Handbook) and to provide specific feedback or recommendations to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The draft updated handbook is available on the Dyslexia page of the TEA website, https://tea.texas.gov/academics/dyslexia/. Earlier this year, the State Board of Education (SBOE) tasked a committee with making recommendations for updates to The Dyslexia Handbook – Revised 2014: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders (Dyslexia Handbook) to address recent legislative changes and to clarify processes regarding identification and services for students. The SBOE is scheduled [...]
Watch our special Facebook Live as Steven Aleman of Disability Rights Texas discusses TEA’s recently released Letter to the Administrator on the Provision of Services for Students with Dyslexia and Related Disorders. https://www.facebook.com/PRNTexas/videos/10155847493804163/ [rescue_spacing size="20px"] Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PRNTexas
Chuck Noe, PRN Education Specialist, shares excerpts of interest from the Texas Dyslexia Handbook (available online at https://www.region10.org/r10website/assets/File/DHBwithtabs10214.pdf) “Texas has a long history of supporting the fundamental skill of reading. This history includes a focus on early identification and intervention for children who experience reading difficulties, including dyslexia.” and determining a student's reading and spelling abilities and difficulties “In Texas, assessment for dyslexia is conducted from kindergarten through grade 12.”(page 6) New legislation includes the following: TEC §21.044(c)(2) outlines the curriculum requirement for institutions of higher education for teacher preparation to include the characteristics of dyslexia, identification of dyslexia, and multisensory strategies [...]
Fact: Intelligence has no bearing on disability or need. Even individuals with genius level IQs can have a disability that affects their ability to access the curriculum. A student with a disability and "high cognition" can have needs (organizational skills, homework completion, social skills, counseling, and classroom behavior, etc.) that need to be addressed through special education and related services. IDEA does not require schools to help a child reach their potential. However, OSEP does say that the school should "consider information about outside or extra learning support provided to the child". This would include support the family is providing directly [...]
Many schools do not understand dyslexia or have staff trained to evaluate for dyslexia. While schools may have dyslexia programs, they are often weak or not available especially at the middle and high school levels, although they are required. Many students with dyslexia are served in special education programs which may or may not be appropriate. In Texas and a few other states, schools are required to have specific programs for students with dyslexia that are not part of the special education program. The Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders is at http://tea.texas.gov/academics/dyslexia/ […]
