Dyslexia
Last updated
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that mainly affects accurate, fluent word reading and spelling, often rooted in processing speech sounds.
Topic: Disability categories and conditions
In plain terms
Students with dyslexia often have strong reasoning and vocabulary, but decoding new words, reading quickly and spelling are hard. It is not a vision problem and is not caused by a lack of intelligence or effort. Under IDEA, dyslexia is named in the specific learning disability definition. Many states have their own dyslexia laws about screening and instruction.
How it shows up in an IEP
Goals target phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency and spelling, measured with probes such as word lists and WCPM, and taught with structured literacy. Accommodations such as audiobooks keep grade-level content accessible meanwhile.
Example
A third grader with dyslexia reads 32 WCPM with 85% accuracy. The IEP adds daily structured literacy instruction and a goal of 70 WCPM with 95% accuracy.
The rule
Federal reference: 34 CFR §300.8(c)(10).
Rules vary by state. Check your state's regulations and your district's procedures.
Related terms
- Specific learning disabilityA specific learning disability is a disorder in a basic learning process that affects listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling or math.
- Structured literacyStructured literacy is an approach to reading instruction that teaches language systems explicitly and systematically, from sounds to meaning.
- Phonemic awarenessPhonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify and change the individual sounds, called phonemes, in spoken words.
- DecodingDecoding is using knowledge of letter-sound patterns to read a printed word by turning letters into sounds and blending them.
- Text-to-speechText-to-speech is technology that reads digital text aloud, often highlighting words as they are spoken.
On IEP Atlas
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