After Diagnosis
As a parent, a dyslexia diagnosis may seem daunting, especially if your family has never dealt with it. But, it can also be a relief to figure out why your child may have been struggling.
After a dyslexia diagnosis, you must determine a plan of action for your child. Consult your child’s medical provider to discuss remediation. In some cases, your insurance agency may offer coverage for remediation.
In some instances, you may have to advocate for your child. Our objective is to provide the resources that you need as a parent and inspire you to take action on behalf of your community.
Parent Flowchart
While the process depends on your child, your school, your resources, and more, here is a general guide through the process. To learn more about IEPs, 504s, accommodations and other options to consider check out our Education Planning Resources in the top navigation.
The following resources are for parents beginning their dyslexia journey. We hope these resources will assist you in advocating for your child and inspire you to take further action on behalf of all children.
- Navigating the School System When a Student is Struggling with Reading or Dyslexia by Minnesota Department of Education.
- What to do if your child’s school isn’t teaching reading right? by Emily Hanford, APM Reports.
- Ways to communicate with your school board using a speech like the Dyslexia Training Institute’s example or a template letter.
- Send this resource to your school, Dyslexia in the Classroom – What Every Teacher Needs to Know by International Dyslexia Association.
- This letter, by Michael Yudin, clarifies that there is nothing in IDEA that proits the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia in the evaluation, eligibility determinations, and IEP documents.
- In November 2015, Michael Yudin wrote another letter stating that children with disabilities must be held to high expectations of a State’s academic content standards.
These resources are to help you get started. Your next steps should include checking out our Education Planning Resources tab in the top navigation.
My school doesn’t say dyslexia.
In 2015, the definition of dyslexia was passed into MN Statute 125A.01, Subd 2.
Our school doesn’t have any resources on dyslexia.
A comprehensive guide was developed by MDE with collaboration with Decoding Dyslexia MN called “Navigating the School System when a Child is Struggling with Reading or Dyslexia.”
In 2017, MDE hired a Dyslexia Specialist to provide technical assistance for dyslexia, serve as the primary source of information, support schools in addressing the needs of students with dyslexia, and increase professional awareness and instructional competencies to meet the needs of these students (MN Statute 120B.122).
In 2023 MDE hired a Literacy Specialist (MN Statute 120B.12, Subd. 7d) to provide support to districts implementing the Read Act and coordinate duties assigned to the department under the Read Act. They stated a district must employ, contract, or be supporting a specialist through the process to become a literacy lead by August 30, 2025 (MN Statute 120B.12, Subd. 6a).
How are schools identifying and serving students that have characteristics of dyslexia?
MN Statute 120B.12, Subd. 2, states that twice per year, each school district must screen every student enrolled in K-3, including multilingual learners and students receiving special education services, for mastery of foundational reading skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, oral language, and for characteristics of dyslexia as measured by a screening tool approved by MDE. The screening for characteristics of dyslexia may be integrated with universal screening for mastery of foundational skills and oral language. A district must submit data on student performance in K-3 in the annual local literacy plan submission due on June 15. Students identified must be provided with alternative instruction under MN Statute 125A.56 Subd. 1, that is multi-sensory, systematic, sequential, cumulative, and explicit.
MN Statute 120B.12, Subd 3b, was changed to state that a “district or charter school is strongly encouraged to provide a Personal Learning Plan for a student who is unable to demonstrate grade-level proficiency, as measured by the statewide reading assessment in grade 3 or a screener identified by the Department of Education under section 120B.123. and should be developed in consultation with the student’s parent or guardian. The personal learning plan must include targeted instruction that is evidence-based and ongoing progress monitoring, and address knowledge gaps and skill deficiencies through strategies such as specific exercises and practices during and outside of the regular school day, group interventions, periodic assessments or screeners. The district or charter school must determine the format of the personal learning plan in collaboration with the student’s educators and other appropriate professionals. The school must develop the learning plan in consultation with the student’s parent or guardian, and reasonable timelines.”
My school wants to stop reading intervention since my child is past 3rd grade.
In 2023, The READ Act replaced the “Read Well by 3rd Grade.” MN Statute 120B.12, Subd 3, now states that “if a student does not read at or above grade level by the end of the current school year, the district must continue to provide reading intervention until the student reads at grade level.” This is for each and every grade level.
How do I know what assessments our elementary school provides to track reading progress?
Each school district must have a Local Literacy Plan posted on its website, per MN Statute.
120B.12, Subd. 4a, that explains the school’s plan “to have every child reading at or above grade level every year beginning in kindergarten and to support multilingual learners and students receiving special education services in achieving their individualized reading goals.” If you can’t find the Local Literacy Plan on your district’s website, ask for it.
