When a child is school struggling, 99.9% of the time the parents get it.  They know there’s something up.  They are looking for validation.

This is where it gets murky.

When the parents raise the question of dyslexia with the school, typically they are told that the diagnosis of dyslexia is conducted by a medical professional and that they should contact their pediatrician (or a neurologist).

The fact of the matter is that pediatricians don’t test for dyslexia, as such testing involves a number of tests that are simply not given by medical doctors.

In spite of this, the pediatrician may send a letter back to the school offering a diagnosis (largely based on the parent’s report) that the child has something like ADHD or dyslexia with the request of a 504 or an IEP.

The school then feels like their hands are tied, since the normal process of determining eligibility was not followed.

It can all be very frustrating and confusing.

If I had my way (which I don’t), simplifying would be the guiding principle.

When a child is falling below the 25^th percentile on a respectable reading measure, that child needs help whether they are eligible for service or not.

Whether you call it “dyslexia” or “eligible/ineligible for service,” struggling is struggling.

Parents need plain language and guidance.

For example:

School to the Parent:  “You’re right.  Your child is struggling.  We gave a good screening measure and his reading fluency is weak and phonics skills are poor.  We don’t diagnose dyslexia, but we see the struggling.  If you want to pursue an assessment for dyslexia, then this is usually done by a psychologist or a neuropsychologist.  In the meantime, let’s get down to business with good remediation.”

I think parents would appreciate statements like that and feel validated and supported.

If the parent does seek an outside assessment, then this assessment should be factored into the school’s understanding of the child.

It would be nice to hear, “Wow.  We see Dr. Smith agrees with us.  The decoding skills are very weak.  Glad we started targeting them.  Let’s keep close watch on the child’s progress.”

Seriously, does it need to be more complicated than this?