Pearsall I.S.D.

District Dysgraphia

Plan

2017-2018

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MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Pearsall Independent School District is:

“In partnership with families and community our purpose is to have a

learning environment that is safe, nurturing, and student-centered where

everyone is accountable and all students are empowered to succeed.”

The vision of Pearsall Independent School District is:

“Learning Today…Leading Tomorrow”

Sharing with the district’s mission and vision, the Dysgraphia plan’s program

is to identify and provide instructional services that meet the unique learning

needs of students in our district who have Dysgraphia characteristics so that

they may have better opportunities to be successful.

318 Berry Ranch Road * Pearsall, Texas 78061 * (830)334-8001

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

This school district and its Career and Technology Education Program does

not discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race, color, age, or national

origin in its educational programs, activities, or employment as required by

Title IX, Section 504 and title VI.FORWARD

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Dear Colleagues,

In keeping with the Mission Statement of Pearsall ISD, we are committed to providing the

necessary means for all students, including those with exceptional needs, to become successful

learners. This district handbook has been prepared to serve as a guide and policy handbook for

all those responsible for carrying out that commitment: Classroom Teachers, Dysgraphia

Teachers, Section 504 Designees, and Campus Administrators. This handbook is to be a ready

reference and a work-in-progress, subject to revisions as we discover better ways to insure

academic success of our students with Dysgraphia and Related Disorders.

This district handbook provides specific guidelines for implementing the policies outlined in The

Dyslexia Handbook Revised 2014; Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders,

issued by the Texas Education Agency, in 2014. Any conflict between this district’s handbook

and the TEA publication should be brought to the attention of the below-listed administrators of

Pearsall ISD for correction and/or reconciliation.

We hope you find this handbook useful in identifying, assessing, and treating students with

Dysgraphia. It is our goal that all users of this handbook will make suggestions for its

improvement and for the improvement of services to this group of special needs students.

Respectfully,

Brandi Feldhousen, M.Ed., CALT, LDT

Federal/Special Programs Coordinator

(830)334-8001 Ext. 1134

brandi.feldhousen@pearsallisd.org

Dr. Nobert Rodriguez…....…………………….…………………...Superintendent of Schools

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Table of Contents Definition & Characteristics of Dysgraphia 5

Referral and Assessment of Dysgraphia 7

Committee of Knowledgeable Persons 8

Interpretation of Data and Assessments 8

English Language Learners 10

Instruction for Students 10

Program Exit Criteria 12

Classroom Accommodations 12

District Contacts 13

Resources 14

State Laws Related to Dysgraphia 16

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Definition of Dysgraphia

Texas Education Code §38.003 requires school districts to consider and evaluate for dyslexia and

dysgraphia:

“Related disorders” include disorders similar to or related to dyslexia such as developmental

auditory imperceptions, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental

dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability.

http://www.statues.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/htm/ED.38.htm#38.003

Dysgraphia is a specific learning disability that affects writing abilities. It can manifest itself as

difficulties with spelling, handwriting and expressing thoughts on paper (National Center for

Learning Disabled, 2009). The International Dyslexia Association (209) defined dysgraphia as

“a specific learning disability that affects how easily children acquire written language and how

well they use written language to express their thoughts” (pg. 1).

“Dysgraphia is a Greek word. The base word graph refers both to the hand’s function in writing

and to the letters formed by the hand. The prefix dys indicates that there is impairment. Graph

refers to producing letter forms by hand. The suffix ia refers to having a condition. Thus,

dysgraphia is the condition of impaired letter writing by hand, that is, disabled handwriting and

sometimes spelling” (The International Dyslexia Association, 2008, pg. 1).

Students “handwriting may be impaired in:

Legibility – how easily others can recognize their letters out of word context,

Automaticity – how many legible letters they can write in 15 seconds, and

Speed – how much time it takes them to complete a writing task” (Berninger & Wolf,

2009, Pg. x)

Underlying Factors of Dysgraphia:

Students with dysgraphia often have problems with sequencing. Studies indicate that what

usually appears to be a perceptual problem (reversing letters and numbers, writing words

backwards, writing letters out of order and very sloppy handwriting) seems to be related to

sequential and rational information processing. These students often have difficulty writing

letters and words in sequence. The students could experience extreme difficulty with the

“mechanics” of writing (spelling, punctuation, etc.) The students will also have a tendency to

mix letters and numbers in formulas. In many cases, students have difficulty even when they do

their work slowly. They will often lose their thoughts that they are trying to write about (West

Virginia University, 2010).

Students with dysgraphia may also have ADHD – inattentive, hyperactive, or combined

inattentive and hyperactive subtypes (International Dyslexia Association, 2008). These students

will often experience difficulty with writing and handwriting. This is because the students “also

have difficulty organizing and sequencing detailed information. In addition, ADHD students

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often process information at a very rapid rate and simply do not have the fine-motor skills

needed to ‘keep up’ with their thoughts” (West Virginia University, 2010, p.1).

Students with dysgraphia may also experience writing difficulties because of auditory or

language processing (West Virginia University, 2010). “These students may be uncertain about

what they hear and thus have difficulty in learning to spell and write words” (Berninger & Wolf,

2009, p. 32)

Characteristics of Dysgraphia in Younger Students

Specific symptoms which may be noted include:

Cramped fingers on writing tool

Odd wrist, body, and paper positions

Excessive erasures

Mixture of upper and lower-case letters

Inconsistent letter formations and slant

Irregular letter sizes and shapes

Unfinished cursive letters

Misuse of line and margin

Poor organization on the page” (Richards, 1999, p.63)

Characteristics of Dysgraphia in Older Students

Specific symptoms which may be noted include:

Rate and legibility could be affected:

Inefficient speed of copying

Decreased speed of writing

Excessive speed when writing

General illegibility

Inattentiveness about details when writing

Frequent need for verbal cues and use of sub-vocalizing

Heavy reliance on vision to monitor what the hand is doing during writing

Slow implementation of verbal directions than involve sequencing and planning”

(Richards, 199, p.63)

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Referral/Assessment of Dysgraphia

Students enrolling in Pearsall ISD shall be assessed for Dyslexia and related disorders at

appropriate times (TEC §38.003(a)). Additionally, the appropriate time for assessing is early in

a student’s school career (19 TAC §74.28), the earlier the better. While earlier is better, students

will be recommended for assessment for Dysgraphia even if writing difficulties appear later in a

student’s school career.

The procedures followed for assessment include:

1. Notify parents or guardians of proposal to assess student for Dysgraphia

2. Inform parents or guardians of their rights under §504

3. Obtain parent or guardian permission to assess the student for Dysgraphia

4. Assess student, being sure that individuals/professionals who administer

assessments have training in the evaluation of students for Dysgraphia and

related disorders (19 TAC 74.28).

In compliance with §504 and IDEA 2004, test instruments and other evaluation materials must

meet the following criteria:

Be validated for the specific purpose for which they are used

Include material tailored to assess specific areas of educational need and not merely

materials that are designed to provide a single general intelligence quotient

Be selected and administered so as to ensure that, when a test is given to a student with

impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, the test results accurately reflect the

student’s aptitude or achievement level, or whatever other factor the test purports to

measure, rather than reflecting the student’s impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills

Be selected and administered in a manner that is not racially or culturally discriminatory

Include multiple measures of a student’s reading abilities such as informal assessment

information (e.g., anecdotal records, lists of books the student has read, audio recordings

of the student’s oral reading)

Be administered by trained personnel and in conformance with the instructions provided

by the producer of the evaluation materials

Be provided and administered in the student's native language or other mode of

communication and in the form most likely to yield accurate information regarding what

the child can do academically, developmentally, and functionally, unless it is clearly not

feasible to provide or administer.

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Committee of Knowledgeable Persons

The identification of Dysgraphia is made by a §504 committee or, in the case of a special

education referral, the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee. In order to make an

informed determination, either committee must include members who are knowledgeable about

the:

The student being assessed;

Assessments used; and

Meaning of the collected data.

Additionally, the committee members should have knowledge regarding:

The writing and spelling processes;

Dysgraphia and related disorders;

Dysgraphia instruction; and

District or charter school, state, and federal guidelines for assessment

Interpretation of Data and Assessments

Based on the above information and guidelines, should the committee (§504 or ARD) determine

that the student exhibits weakness in writing and spelling, the committee will then examine the

student’s data to determine whether these difficulties are unexpected in relation to the student’s

other abilities, sociocultural factors, language different, irregular attendance, or lack of

appropriate and effective instruction. For example, the student may exhibit strengths in areas

such as reading comprehension, listening comprehension, math reasoning, or verbal ability, yet,

still have difficulty with writing and spelling. Therefore, it is not one single indicator but a

preponderance of data (both informal and formal) that provide the committee with evidence for

whether these difficulties are unexpected.

If the student’s difficulties are unexpected, in relation to other abilities, the committee (§504 or

ARD) must then determine if the student has dysgraphia. If the student has dysgraphia, the

committee also determines whether the student has a disability under §504. A student is disabled

under §504 if the physical or mental impairment (dysgraphia) substantially limits one or more

major life activities, such as the specific activity or writing and/or spelling [34 C.F.R.

104.3(j)(1)]. Additionally, the §504 committee, in determining whether a student has a disability

that substantially limits the student in a major life activity (writing and/or spelling), must not

consider the ameliorating effects of any mitigating measures that student is using. If the §504

committee does not identify dysgraphia, but the student has another condition or disability that

substantially limits the student, eligibility for §504 services related to the student’s other

condition or disability should be considered. The §504 committee will also consider whether the

student is eligible for accommodations. This is a separate determination from the determination

that the student has dysgraphia.

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Figure 2.5 Questions to be Considered When Making a Determination

Do the data show a pattern of low spelling skills and handwriting difficulties that is

unexpected for the student in relation to the student’s other cognitive abilities and

provision of effective classroom instruction?

Does this pattern indicate the student has dysgraphia?

Does the student have a disability under §504?

Based on the data, if the committee (§504 or ARD) determines that weaknesses are indicated in

writing and spelling, the committee, based on the student’s pattern or performance over time, test

profile, and response to instruction, will determine the intervention plan. Refinement of that plan

will occur as the student’s response to instruction is observed.

Review of Data by the Admission Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee –

When is it Appropriate?

At any time during the assessment for dysgraphia, identification process, or instruction related to

dysgraphia, students might be referred for evaluation for special education services. At times,

students will display additional factors complicating their dysgraphia and will require more

support than what is available through general education. In such cases, a referral to special

education for evaluation and possible identification as a child with a disability within the

meaning of IDEA 2004 [20 U.S.C. §1400 et seq.] should be made.

Referral Process

Once assessment for dysgraphia is recommended, the procedures for Section 504 must be

followed.

1. Begin gathering data for the committee decision

a. School Records – history of writing difficulties, vision and hearing, medical

history, other assessments, any other difficulties besides handwriting.

2. Collect samples of the student’s written work

a. Worksheets or answers to question in a textbook

b. Spelling tests and Journal writing

c. Short classroom assignments (3 – 4 paragraphs)

d. Reports or essays (more than one page)

3. Obtain information from the student’s parents and teachers. Areas to assess:

a. Legibility of handwriting – letter formation, size and proportion, spacing,

slant, alignment, line quality, repetitive figures.

4. Obtain information from the student about their handwriting (continued).

a. Automaticity (rate), keyboarding abilities

b. Orthographic processing

c. Spelling

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Domains to Assess

Pearsall ISD administers measures that are related to the student’s educational needs. Depending

upon the student’s age and stage of writing development, the following are the areas related to

writing that should be assessed:

Academic Skills – letter knowledge, writing words in isolation and in context, writing

fluency (both speed and accuracy), spelling

Possible Additional Areas – vocabulary, listening comprehension, written expression,

handwriting, orthographic processing, verbal working memory, processing speed.

English Language Learners Much diversity exists among English Language learners (ELLs). The identification and service

delivery process for dysgraphia must be in step with the student’s linguistic environment and

educational background. In Pearsall ISD, the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee

(LPAC) will be involved in the decision-making process.

Additional data to be gathered with assessing English Language learners include:

Home Language Survey

Assessment related to identification for limited English proficiency (oral language

proficiency test and norm-referenced tests – all years available)

Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) information for four

language domains (listening, speaking, reading, and writing)

Instructional interventions provided to address language needs

Information regarding previous schooling inside and/or outside the United States

Type of language program model provided and language of instruction

Assessment of Students Identified Outside the District

Students identified as having Dysgraphia or related disorders from an outside source will be

evaluated for eligibility in the district’s program. Pearsall ISD may choose to accept the outside

assessment, or may re-assess the student. In either situation, the committee of knowledgeable

persons will determine the identification status of a student enrolled in Pearsall ISD, and the

placement of the student in the Dysgraphia program(s) within 30 days.

Pearsall ISD will stop accepting Dysgraphia Referrals by April 20th from School Teachers

so that all referrals will be completed by the end of the current school year.

Instruction for Students with Dysgraphia

Once it has been determined that a student has dysgraphia, Pearsall ISD shall provide an

appropriate instructional program for the student. The following procedures will be followed:

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The §504 committee will make instructional decisions for a student with dysgraphia.

Pearsall ISD shall purchase a writing program or develop their own writing program for

students with dysgraphia

Parents/guardians of students eligible under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, §504, will be

informed of all services and options available to the student under that federal statue.

The instructional program will be offered in a small class setting and include handwriting

and spelling as appropriate.

Students need explicit, systematic instruction in handwriting and spelling in addition to word

reading and decoding. Many schools offer accommodations in testing and teaching to students

with dysgraphia, but these students also need ongoing, explicit instruction in handwriting

spelling, and composition. It is also important to determine if a child with dysgraphia may also

have dyslexia and/or require special help with any reading difficulties that may be associated

with Dyslexia and Related Disorders.

Instructional Activities

Initially, children with impaired handwriting benefit from activities that support learning to form

letters:

Playing with clay to strengthen hand muscles;

Keeping lines within mazes to develop motor control;

Connecting dots or dashes to create complete letter forms;

Tracing letters with index finger or eraser end of pencil;

Imitating the teacher modeling sequential strokes in letter formation; and

Copying letters from models.

Subsequently, once children learn to form legible letters, they benefit from instruction that helps

them develop automatic letter writing, using the following steps to practice each of the 26 letters

of the alphabet in a different order daily:

Studying numbered arrow cues that provide a consistent plan for letter formation;

Covering the letter with a 3 x 5 card and imagining the letter in the mind’s eye;

Writing the letter from memory after interval that increases in duration over the

handwriting lessons; and

Writing letters from dictation (spoken name to letter form).

Students benefit from explicit instruction in spelling throughout K – 12:

Initially in high frequency Anglo-Saxon words;

Subsequently in coordinating the phonological, orthographic, and morphological

processes relevant for the spelling of longer, more complex, less frequent words; and

At all grade levels in the most common and important words used for the different

academic domains of the curriculum.

Throughout K – 12, students benefit from strategies for composing:

Planning, generating, reviewing/evaluating, and revising compositions of different genre

including narrative, informational, compare and contrast, and persuasive; and

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Self-regulation strategies for managing the complex executive functions involved in

composing.

Some children do make reversals (reversing direction letter faces along a vertical axis),

inversions flipping letters along a horizontal axis so that the letter is upside down), or

transpositions (sequence of letters in a word is out of order). These errors are symptoms rather

than causes of handwriting problems. The automatic letter writing instruction described earlier

has been shown to reduce reversals, which are less likely to occur when retrieval of letters from

memory and production of letters have become automatic.

If children have both handwriting and spelling problems, the kinds of handwriting instruction

described earlier should be included along with the spelling instruction.

Program Exit Criteria

The dysgraphia instructional program exit criteria are based on a thorough consideration of a

preponderance of student data. The committee (§504 or ARD) will make the decision to exit a

student from the District’s dysgraphia instructional program if such evidence is available to

support the decision. The data may include;

Data gathered shows consistent progression of improvement in student’s handwriting

abilities.

Lack of progress due to factors such as behavior and/or absenteeism prevent the student

from benefitting from the District’s dysgraphia instructional program. This lack of

progress must be documented in either the student’s §504 committee minutes or

ARD minutes along with documentation indication District remediation.

Classroom Accommodations

A student with Dysgraphia may require accommodations in the classroom setting. The most

common and needed accommodations are extended time for writing due to the student’s lack of

fluency and not penalizing the student for spelling errors on assignments without time for

editing, since Dysgraphia directly affects spelling. Depending on the student’s individual needs,

additional accommodations may be necessary.

When making decisions about accommodations, instruction is always the foremost priority. Not

all accommodations used in the classroom are allowed during a state assessment. However, an

educator’s ability to meet the individual needs of a student with Dysgraphia should not be

limited by whether an accommodation is allowable on a state assessment.

Accommodations are changes to materials, actions, or techniques, including the use of

technology, that enable students with disabilities to participate meaningfully in grade-level or

course instruction. The use of accommodations occurs primarily during classroom instruction as

educators use various instructional strategies to meet the needs of each student. A student may

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need an accommodation only temporarily while learning a new skill, or a student might require

the accommodation throughout the school year or over several years.

In order to make accommodation decisions for students, educators should have knowledge of the

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and how a student performs in relation to them.

Educators should also collect and analyze data pertaining to the use and effectiveness of

accommodations (e.g., assignment/test scores with and without the accommodation,

observational reports) so that informed educational decisions can be made for each student. By

analyzing data, an educator can determine if the accommodation becomes inappropriate or

unnecessary over time due to the student’s changing needs. Likewise, data can confirm for the

educator that the student still struggles in certain areas and should continue to use the

accommodation.

For more information, see Critical Information about Accommodations for Students with

Disabilities available at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/accommodations/staar-

telpas/.

For more information about technology integration, see

http://www.region10.org/Dysgraphia/techplan/.

Access to Instructional Materials for Students with Disabilities

Accessible instructional materials (AIM) are textbooks and related core instructional materials

that have been converted into specialized formats (e.g., Braille, audio, digital text, or large print)

for students who are blind or have low vision, have a physical disability, or have a reading

disability such as Dysgraphia. Digital books or text-to-speech functions on computers and

mobile devices provide access to general education curriculum for students with Dysgraphia.

Bookshare and Learning Ally provide electronic access to digitally recorded materials for

students with print disabilities. TEA provides links to these resources as well as other accessible

instructional materials for students with disabilities at

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147487109.

Contacts for Dysgraphia

Location Name Phone Number

Pearsall ISD District Brandi Feldhousen:

M.Ed.,CALT, LDT,

Federal/Special Programs

Coordinator

830-334-8001, ext.

1134

Pearsall High School Norma Govea 830-334-5012, ext.

2228

Pearsall Jr. High School Norma Govea 830-334-8021, ext.

3232

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Pearsall Intermediate

School

Becky Raymond 830-334 3316, ext.

4230

Ted Flores Elementary

School

Becky Raymond 830-334 3316, ext

4230

Websites:

Attention Deficit Disorder Association

(ADDA) http://www.add.org

Children and Adults with Attention-

Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder

(CHADD) http://www.chadd.org

Council For Learning Disabilities http://www.cldinternational.org

Hello Friend: Ennis William Cosby

Foundation http://www.hellofriend.org

Learning Disabilities Association of

America (LDA) http://www.ldanatl.org/

Learning Disabilities/ LD OnLine http://www.ldonline.org/

National Center for Learning Disabilities

(NCLD) http://www.ncld.org/

National Association for the Education of

African American Children with Learning

Disabilities http://www.aacld.org

National Coalition on Auditory

Processing Disorders http://www.ncapd.org/php/

National Dissemination Center for

Children with Disabilities http://www.nichcy.org

Reading Rockets http://www.readingrockets.org/

Schwab Learning http://www.schwablearning.org

MULTISENSORY STRUCTURED LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Academic Language Therapy

Association http://www.altareads.org

Academy of Orton-Gillingham

Practitioners and Educators http://www.ortonacademy.org

International Multisensory Structured

Language Education Council (IMSLEC) http://www.imslec.org/

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HIGHER EDUCATION

Association on Higher Education and

Disability (AHEAD) http://www.ahead.org

CollegeView http://www.collegeview.com/

Council for Opportunity in Education http://www.coenet.us

Peterson's Guide http://www.petersons.com

RESEARCH & READING

DISABILITIES

Florida Center for Reading and

Research (FCRR) http://www.fcrr.org/

National Institute for Literacy http://www.nifl.gov/

National Research Center on Learning

Disabilities http://www.nrcld.org/

Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and

Language Arts http://www.texasreading.org/utcrla/

What Works Clearinghouse http://www.whatworks.ed.gov/

RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS

Council For Exceptional Children (CEC) http://www.cec.sped.org/

National Center for Education Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

National Association of State Directors of

Special Education (NASDSE) http://nasdse.org/

Special Education Resources on the

Internet (SERI)

http://www.seriweb.com

U.S. Department of Education http://www.ed.gov/

IDEA Partnership http://www.ideapartnership.org

Study guides and strategies

University of St. Thomas

http://www.studygs.net

Phonemic Awareness, Alphabetic

Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency,

Comprehension

University of Oregon

http://reading.uoregon.edu

Reading Skills http://texasreading.org

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School boards MUST ensure the following:

• Procedures for identifying a student with Dyslexia or a related disorder are implemented in the

district (TAC §74.28).

• Procedures for providing appropriate instructional services to the student are implemented in

the district (TAC §74.28).

• The district or school complies with all applicable requirements of state educational programs

(TEC §7.028).

Texas Education Code §38.003 (State Law)

Screening and Treatment for Dyslexia and Related Disorders

(a) Students enrolling in public schools in this state shall be tested for Dyslexia and related disorders

at appropriate times in accordance with a program approved by the State Board of Education.

(b) In accordance with the program approved by the State Board of Education, the board of trustees

of each school district shall provide for the treatment of any student determined to have Dyslexia or a

related disorder.

(b-1) Unless otherwise provided by law, a student determined to have Dyslexia during testing under

Subsection (a) or accommodated because of Dyslexia may not be retested for Dyslexia for the purpose of

reassessing the student’s need for accommodations until the district reevaluates the information obtained

from previous testing of the student.

(c) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules and standards necessary to administer this

section.

(d) In this section:

(1) “Dyslexia” means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to

read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural

opportunity.

(2) “Related disorders” includes disorders similar to or related to Dyslexia, such as developmental

auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia,

and developmental spelling disability.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.

Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 635, Sec.3, eff. June 17, 2011.

The original version of this statute was passed in 1985 through HB 157, Texas Legislature, and 69th

Regular Session. Subsection (b-1) was added by the 82nd Texas Legislature in 2011.

Texas Administrative Code §74.28 (State Board of Education Rule)

Students with Dyslexia and Related Disorders

(a) The board of trustees of a school district must ensure that procedures for identifying a student

with dyslexia or a related disorder and for providing appropriate instructional services to the student are

implemented in the district. These procedures will be monitored by the Texas Education Agency (TEA)

with on-site visits conducted as appropriate.

(b) A school district’s procedures must be implemented according to the State Board of Education

(SBOE) approved strategies for screening, and techniques for treating, Dyslexia and related disorders.

The strategies and techniques are described in “Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia

and Related Disorders,” a set of flexible guidelines for local districts that may be modified by SBOE only

with broad-based dialogue that includes input from educators and professionals in the field of reading and

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Dyslexia and related disorders from across the state. Screening should be done only by

individuals/professionals who are trained to assess students for Dyslexia and related disorders.

(c) A school district shall purchase a reading program or develop its own reading program for

students with Dyslexia and related disorders that is aligned with the descriptors found in “Dyslexia

Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders.” Teachers who screen and treat

these students must be trained in instructional strategies that utilize individualized, intensive,

multisensory, phonetic methods and a variety of writing and spelling components described in “Dyslexia

Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders.” The professional development

activities specified by each district and/or campus planning and decision-making committee shall include

these instructional strategies.

(d) Before an identification or assessment procedure is used selectively with an individual student,

the school district must notify the student’s parent or guardian or another person standing in parental

relation to the student.

(e) Parents/guardians of students eligible under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, §504, must be

informed of all services and options available to the student under that federal statute.

(f) Each school must provide each identified student access at his or her campus to instructional

programs required in subsection (c) of this section and to the services of a teacher trained in Dyslexia and

related disorders. The school district may, with the approval of each student’s parents or guardians, offer

additional services at a centralized location. Such centralized services shall not preclude each student

from receiving services at his or her campus.

(g) Because early intervention is critical, a process for early identification, intervention, and support

for students at risk for Dyslexia and related disorders must be available in each district as outlined in

“Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders.”

(h) Each school district shall provide a parent education program for parents/guardians of students

with Dyslexia and related disorders. This program should include: awareness of characteristics of Dyslexia

and related disorders; information on testing and diagnosis of Dyslexia; information on effective strategies

for teaching dyslexic students; and awareness of information on modification, especially modifications

allowed on standardized testing.

Source: The provisions of this §74.28 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 4311;

amended to be effective September 1, 2001, 25 TexReg 7691; amended to be effective August 8, 2006,

31 TexReg 6212; amended to be effective August 24, 2010, 35 TexReg 7211.