Dyslexia - 2021 Update

Westbrook ISD is committed to providing educational opportunities for all students that will meet individual needs and abilities.  Students are encouraged by the district staff to strive for academic excellence.

Dyslexic students are provided appropriate strategies that utilize explicit, direct, systematic, sequential, cumulative and multi-sensory methods for teaching reading, writing, and spelling to increase academic achievement.  Enhancing the ability of dyslexic students to read, write, and spell will personally and socially prepare them for their future as profitable members of our community, state, and nation.

STATE DEFINITION OF DYSLEXIA :

“Dyslexia” means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and socio-cultural opportunity.  “Related Disorders” include disorders similar to or related to dyslexia such as developmental auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability.      

Texas Education Code 38.003 defines dyslexia, related disorders, mandates testing student and providing instruction for students with dyslexia, and gives the State Board of Education authority to adopt rules and standards to administer testing and instruction.  Chapter 19 of the Texas Administrative Code 74.38 outlines the responsibilities of districts and charter schools in the delivery of services to students with dyslexia. 

            Texas Education Code,  38.003

Texas Administrative Code, 74.28

WORKING DEFINITION OF DYSLEXIA 

Dyslexic students are those who, through a screening and selection process, are identified as having a specific language-based disorder of constitutional origin associated with difficulties in single-word decoding, usually reflecting insufficient phonological processing.  These difficulties in single-word decoding are often unexpected in relation to age and other cognitive and academic abilities; they are not the result of generalized developmental disability or sensory impairment.  Dyslexia is manifested by variable difficulty with different forms of language, often including, in addition to problems with reading, a conspicuous problem with acquiring proficiency in writing and spelling.

EVALUATION PROCEDURES

WISD screens all Kindergarten students for dyslexia by the end of the academic school year and all 1st grade students no later than January 31 of the student's 1st grade academic year using the TPRI Reading Inventory reading assessment. Further dyslexia screening is provided to all 7th grade students who were unsuccessful on the previous year's state reading assessment using the RAPS 360 universal screener as provided through Mindplay. Parents will be notified should their child's screening show further evaluation measures may be needed in order to assess any reading deficiencies, including dyslexia.