Advice: This is known as the “wait to fail” approach. Your child does not need to fail first to get support. MTSS and PLPs provide early interventions, but you can request a special education evaluation at any time. Make the request in writing — schools cannot use early interventions to delay or deny evaluation.
Advice: Special education must be specially designed instruction based on your child’s needs. For dyslexia, that typically means structured literacy. If your child’s assigned teacher isn’t trained, the district must provide staff who are. Lack of training is not a valid reason to withhold services. Rhode Island guidance (aligned with OSEP federal guidance) makes clear that staffing issues are the school’s responsibility—not the child’s burden.
Advice: Reading specialists often provide services through the MTSS process. If the school reading specialist is the only person with this expertise, they can serve students with IEPs if that is what a child needs to guarantee a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Services cannot be denied due to staffing assignments or shortages.
If the IEP team (which includes the parents) determines that the student's reading disability would be best addressed by a general education reading specialist, then the school has an obligation to consider that as a placement option.
The school's role is to provide a "Free Appropriate Public Education" (FAPE), and this may involve providing services in a variety of settings. The law does not mandate that special education services can only be provided by a special education teacher or in a separate room. The reading specialist can be part of your child's individualized program to meet their unique needs. The law defines "specially designed instruction (SDI)" as adapting the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to address a child's unique needs. This instruction can be provided in any setting—including the general education classroom—and by any qualified professional. The law does not state that only a special education teacher can provide SDI. If they push back, ask them to provide the law that says your child cannot be served by the reading specialist as part of their IEP. This is based on an individual-by-individual basis.
Advice:
All students performing below grade-level in reading receive a PLP (Personal Literacy Plan). It is a general education tool used to support struggling readers.
An IEP (Individualized Education Program) is a legal document under IDEA that guarantees specialized instruction.
If your child qualifies for an IEP, the IEP takes priority. The IEP goals and PLP goals should align. Sometimes a child may still have a PLP for additional general education supports, but the IEP team is responsible for ensuring that all literacy needs are addressed within the IEP. Families can request that any literacy goals in the PLP be reviewed and, if appropriate, included in the IEP.
Advice: Schools are not required to provide a medical diagnosis of dyslexia. Instead, they determine if a child qualifies for an SLD (Specific Learning Disability) under IDEA. Dyslexia is one of the conditions specifically named under SLD. If your child shows the characteristics of dyslexia (such as weak phonological awareness, slow word reading, poor spelling), the school must provide appropriate instruction—whether or not you have a private diagnosis. If you do have a private evaluation, you can share it with the team to inform their decisions.
Advice: Research shows that reading programs only work when implemented with fidelity—that means following the program’s structure, sequence, and practice requirements. Rhode Island guidance stresses that schools may make adjustments based on data (e.g., smaller groups, more intensive practice), but they cannot remove or water down the core elements of the program. As a parent, you can ask:
What program is being used?
Has my child’s teacher been trained in this program?
How is fidelity monitored?
How is my child’s progress tracked and reported to me?
Can I please see the graph that has the goal line and trend /aim line?
Barrier 7: The school is only focusing on ADHD and is not open to discussing dyslexia. What can we do?
Even if your child has ADHD or other attention concerns, dyslexia can coexist. Struggling with reading is not “just” an attention problem.
Suggestions for parents:
Bring the data: Show reading scores, spelling assessments, and progress-monitoring graphs. Highlight specific areas of decoding, fluency, and word recognition.
Opening the Conversation:
"We understand that attention and focus are part of the picture, but our primary concern today is our child’s reading progress. The data shows they are reading well below grade level, and we want to make sure that structured literacy needs are addressed."
Present the Data:
"Here are the reading scores, progress-monitoring graphs, and spelling assessments. These show persistent gaps in decoding, fluency, and word recognition, despite interventions to date."
Clarify the Need for Reading-Specific Intervention:
"Dyslexia interventions are different from general academic supports or ADHD strategies. We want to make sure our child receives evidence-based, structured literacy instruction targeted to their unique reading needs. Executive functioning supports can be provided in addition to, but not in place of, these specialized reading services."
Ask Targeted Questions:
How do you know these reading difficulties are primarily caused by attention or executive functioning issues rather than dyslexia?
What evidence-based reading interventions has my child received?
Is progress being measured using standardized reading assessments (not just behavior or classroom participation)?
If adequate growth is not occurring, what adjustments will be made to reading instruction?
Can we incorporate executive functioning supports alongside structured literacy interventions to help my child apply skills effectively?
Under IDEA, a student cannot be denied specialized instruction for dyslexia simply because they also have ADHD. Each disability must be addressed individually, and the IEP must meet the student’s unique needs.