Understanding Dyslexia Evaluations: Signs, Testing, and Support Options
Recognizing the Signs
Dyslexia or a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) in Reading, often goes unsupported for years because early struggles are mistaken for something else, such as “lack of focus,” or are minimally supported because “the student just needs more time.” Common signs include:
Difficulty rhyming or remembering letter sounds.
Slow, inaccurate reading.
Poor spelling or written expression.
Avoidance of reading-related tasks.
What a SLD/Dyslexia Evaluation Includes
A thorough evaluation should assess:
Phonological processing – the ability to hear and manipulate sounds.
Decoding and word reading – how the student reads unfamiliar words.
Fluency and comprehension – how quickly and accurately they understand text.
Memory and processing speed – how efficiently information is stored and retrieved.
Depending on whether your child’s school district uses a Response to Intervention (RTI), Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW), the Discrepancy Model, or a combination of two, for identifying learning disabilities, the evaluation will look different.
*see our blog post on this for more information
Private educational evaluations often provide clarity and in-depth information around your child’s reading abilities, and how to best support their needs. While private educational evaluations don’t offer a diagnosis of Dyslexia, they can assist a medical professional in making this diagnosis, AND assist a school team in determining eligibility for services and designing a plan whether that be an IEP or 504. They can give a complete picture of how to best support your child.
Final Thoughts
Dyslexia doesn’t define a child’s potential—it defines how they learn best. With the right evaluation, instruction, and advocacy, students with dyslexia can become confident, capable readers who thrive in and out of the classroom.
