On October 23, 2015, the Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague Letter providing guidance on the unique educational needs of students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. Despite generalized hesitancy to use these specific conditions in the evaluation and individualized education program (IEP) process, the U.S. Department of Education stated that there is nothing in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or the regulations of the department that would prohibit using these conditions in IDEA evaluations, eligibility determinations or IEP documents.
When determining eligibility, the comprehensive evaluation must include a variety of assessment tools and strategies to ascertain all relevant material regarding the functional, development, and academic information of the student. In conducting this assessment it is therefore very important to understand the nature and extent of the specific disability and the subsequent needs of the student.
Students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia have unique educational needs. Inclusion of these conditions on an IEP is of great benefit to educators as it affords them an opportunity to understand the condition underlying the disability determination. This allows for appropriate accommodations, modifications, and support systems to be implemented in accordance with the IEP in order to best serve these unique needs and reach the goals listed on the IEP.
While there have been requests to create a comprehensive guide for common accommodations for specific learning disabilities such as these, the IDEA does not provide this guidance. Instead the Department of Education suggests seeking assistance from other venues such as the National Center on Intensive Intervention, Center for Parent Information and Resources, and National Center on Accessible Educational Materials.
In recent years the Connecticut General Assembly has passed laws specifically pertaining to dyslexia as a learning disability. In Connecticut, dyslexia is now considered a “primary disability” on the standardized IEP form utilized by planning and placement teams throughout the state. Also, the Connecticut Department of Education is now responsible for providing teachers, boards of education, and parents or guardians information regarding dyslexia and how to detect and recognize the disability. While dyscalculia and dysgraphia are not yet recognized as primary disabilities in Connecticut, the guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education suggests that they are conditions that should be disclosed in both eligibility determinations and IEP documents to assist educators in better serving the distinctive educational needs of students with these particular conditions.