Arkansas Department of Education Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Dyslexia Intervention for Students Who Are IEP Eligible

Memo Information

Memo Number
LS-23-014
Memo Date
9/16/2022
Memo Type
Informational
Unit
Learning Services
Regulatory Authority
Response Required
NO
Attention
Federal Programs; Superintendents; Assistant Superintendent; Principals; Teachers; Curriculum Coordinators; School Counselors; District Coordinators (ALE; Homeless; ESOL; SDFS & Foster)

Primary Contact Information

Secondary Contact/s Information

Memo Text

For a student with an Individualized Education Program (IEP), the IEP is written to identify and address the individual strengths and needs of the student.  According to the Arkansas Dyslexia Resource Guide, “If a student with a disability exhibits the characteristics of dyslexia, the IEP committee would determine whether the student needs special education services in this area, if the student’s needs can be met through the district’s general education dyslexia intervention program, or if a combination of the two are needed.”  For a student with an IEP who is exhibiting the characteristics of dyslexia, documenting those needs in the IEP would be appropriate.

The dyslexia intervention services may be provided as a special education service or as a general education service.  In either case, the IEP team could develop goals to address the student’s needs based on characteristics of dyslexia.  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) indicates that IEP goals should be developed to address the child’s needs “to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum.”

If a general education interventionist provides the dyslexia intervention, those services could be documented on a child’s IEP as a Related Service with IEP goals developed by the IEP committee.  This would ensure that the child’s progress would be monitored.  If the general education interventionist provides the service, the interventionist and the special educator would collaborate on monitoring the progress of the goals.  

The IRIS Center, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, provides this explanation of Related Services Personnel: “Personnel or professionals from multidisciplinary fields who provide support to students with disabilities and their teachers. These individuals include those who provide speech-language pathology services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, school health services, school psychology, school social work, assistive technology, audiology, transportation, or other services necessary for students to succeed at school.”

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