Learning disabilities and ADHD
Students with a specific learning disability or ADHD often look capable in conversation and then fall apart on a page of text, a writing task or a set of math facts. The IEP has to name the specific gap and teach to it, not lower the bar for everything.
These guides cover eligibility under specific learning disability and other health impairment, goals and accommodations for dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and ADHD, and planning for twice exceptional students who need both challenge and support. They also cover when a 504 plan is the better fit.
Start here
- IEPs for specific learning disabilities and ADHD: goals, supports, eligibility
How an IEP works for a specific learning disability or ADHD: the eight SLD areas with a goal for each, state eligibility rules and a profile table.
Examples
- Accommodations for processing speed and auditory processing
20 classroom accommodations for auditory processing and slow processing speed, written for the IEP or 504 plan, with an accommodation or modification check.
- ADHD accommodations in the classroom
Twenty-four ADHD accommodations for the classroom, written the way they should read in an IEP or 504 plan, with a grading and testing check on every item.
- Dyslexia accommodations in the classroom and on tests
Sixteen dyslexia accommodations for class and tests, written the way they should read in an IEP or 504 plan, with a grading and state testing check on each one.
- IEP examples for learning disabilities
20 IEP examples for learning disabilities across all eight SLD areas: present level, goal and support lined up, each annotated, with weak and strong versions.
- IEP goals for ADHD: examples beyond "stay on task"
Twenty IEP goals for ADHD in task initiation, attention, organization, self-monitoring and impulse control, each with a baseline, criterion and measure.
- IEP goals for dysgraphia
12 IEP goals for dysgraphia with baselines: legibility, handwriting speed, keyboarding and speech-to-text, and written composition, plus how to measure each.
- IEP goals for dyslexia: 20 examples by reading skill
Twenty IEP goals for dyslexia in phonemic awareness, decoding, word reading, fluency, spelling and access, each with a baseline, criterion and measure.
- IEP goals for gifted and twice-exceptional students
24 IEP goals for gifted and twice-exceptional students, from planning and writing output to self-advocacy, with baselines and notes on gifted plans by state.
- IEP goals for high school students with dyslexia
Twelve IEP goals for high school students with dyslexia: long-word decoding, content fluency, morphology, assistive technology and self-advocacy, with measures.
- The eight SLD areas and goals for each
16 IEP goals mapped to the eight SLD eligibility areas, two per area, each with a baseline, criterion and measure, plus a profile-to-goal decision table.
Comparisons
- 504 vs IEP for ADHD
504 plan or IEP for a student with ADHD: the deciding question, a side-by-side table, three student scenarios, and what each plan looks like on paper.
- Dysgraphia vs dyslexia: how they differ in the IEP
Dysgraphia vs dyslexia: the deciding question, a side-by-side table of signs, testing and IEP supports, three scenarios, and what to do when both appear.
For parents
- ADHD and IEPs: qualifying under Other Health Impairment
How a child with ADHD qualifies for an IEP under Other Health Impairment: the two-part test, an annotated eligibility summary, questions to ask and next steps.
- Does dyslexia qualify for an IEP?
Dyslexia can qualify for an IEP under specific learning disability. How schools decide, an annotated evaluation summary, questions to ask and where to get help.
- IEP for ADHD: what it covers, with an example
What an IEP for ADHD includes, shown with a plain-language example to hold next to your child's plan, questions to ask the team, and where to get free help.
- IEP for dyslexia: an example and what to ask for
A plain-language IEP example for a child with dyslexia, with notes on each part, the questions to ask the team, and where parents can get free help.
- Twice-exceptional students in the IEP process
How a twice-exceptional (gifted plus disability) child gets an IEP: why high scores do not rule it out, an annotated example, questions to ask and next steps.
Explainers
- Dyscalculia and dyslexia together: goals and supports
When a student has dyscalculia and dyslexia: how the two interact in math, one student's IEP with dates and data, goals for both, and where state rules differ.
IEP Atlas Pro
Turn your goals into progress reports
Pro tracks every goal on your caseload and drafts the report for you. Free for 14 days.
Count trials, prompts, and minutes live in the session; the graph and trend line draw themselves; progress reports are drafted from your data.