Does FCPS test for Dyslexia/Dysgraphia?
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Anonymous
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I believe my rising fourth grader has dysgraphia. In third grade when writing assignments increased in frequency and frequency, it became really evident. All the signs were there. I reached out to his school this summer with the question this was their reply:
“Regarding your reference to dyslexia, please note that schools do not diagnose medical conditions such as dyslexia. A formal diagnosis would need to come from your child's physician or a licensed evaluator outside of the school system.” So I guess I have to do private testing? Does FCPS really do no testing at all if there are concerns related to writing? |
Anonymous
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The terminology they use is “specific learning disability”
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/special-education-instruction/high-incidence-disabilities-team-k-12-13 This is from the Dyslexia Handbook https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/special-education-instruction/dyslexia-handbook I would also look at wrightslaw.com. They have articles about how to request an evaluation and learning about IEPs and 504s. Other sources: https://www.parentcenterhub.org/evaluation-2/ https://www.understood.org/en/articles/6-steps-for-requesting-a-school-evaluation https://ldaamerica.org/advocacy/lda-position-papers/right-to-an-evaluation-of-a-child-for-special-education-services/ |
Anonymous
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What sorts of challenges is she having with writing? Many writing challenges arise from the same problems that cause reading problems, ie dyslexia, which may be why they mentioned dyslexia.
What are you seeing? That may help us make some suggestions for your next steps. |
Anonymous
DS has exhibited some difficulty with writing tasks specifically poor handwriting, punctuation, slow writing, tiring easily when writing, frequent spelling errors, omitting words and letters. He avoids writing tasks and performs poorly on writing assignments. DS is not able to express himself in writing the same way he can orally. This all led me to believe it may be dysgraphia |
Anonymous
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I would consider an assessment for dyslexia, then (and they’ll assess for dysgraphia, too).
It sounds like he hasn’t mastered the conventions of written language. Most people make the leap from reading written language to producing it. But people with unremediated dyslexia never got the explicit training in sounds, sound symbol correlation, spelling rules, morphology, syntax, that they need to both comprehend written language or produce it. |
Anonymous
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Op- you need to use the school's language and ask for comprehensive assessment for a disability in Written Expression. However, you should know that schools don't teach kids much writing these days and also really struggle with evaluating for dysgraphia-. You should privately evaluate to get a good assessment.
I went through this battle for my child- I had to do my own private assessment, fight to get the diagnosis included in her records, train her in assistive tech, fight to get the school to let her use it, and then privately tutor her in spelling, grammar, and writing. It was exhausting. |
Anonymous
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Do everything in writing
https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/child.find.mandate.htm |
Anonymous
| they do not test for it and I believe they know when kids are having these issues and willfully do nothing and try to bulldoze parents with lies. |
Anonymous
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They have a convoluted process (at least it was to me) on testing, but they don't label or diagnos a "medical condition" about their findings or test results (for liability reasons; their not medical professionals).
My DC has phenolic dyslexia, but not once did anybody at the table (iep meetings)utter those words. Instead it was "Larlo has exhibited he struggles with X and these are the accommodations we can provide (small groups #/week). Have a nice day. Next." Just the way a massive school system works. |
Anonymous
| I got a private evaluation for my son at Mindwell and they found phonological dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD. Maybe try a private evaluation. FWIW, an earlier evaluation only found the dyslexia and ADHD. |
Anonymous
| You should get a full neuropsych exam. It’s costly but necessary. Don’t delay. You and they need the assessment to know how to support your child. |
Anonymous
| They will test for a learning disability and you should request that in writing immediately along with your reasons. The school is not deliberately trying not to help kids, but they do have rules about what the testing proves in order to get an IEP. They want kids with IEP needs identified because then they are less likely to fail standardized tests, which are a problem for the school. I do agree to seek a neuropsychological assessment and get a tutor. The private testing will take a while. Start tutoring as soon as possible. Good luck. |
Anonymous
The bold is just wrong, and, frankly, illegal. Dyslexia is not a medical condition. It is an alternative name for a special type of specific learning disability in reading. When a parent informs the school that the parent suspects 1) a disability that 2) adversely impacts education and 3) needs special instruction, the school is obligated under IDEA law to hold a specifically constituted meeting within 30 days to determine whether there is a “reasonable suspicion of disability.” If the IEP team, of which you and anyone you choose to invite is a full and equal member, determines at this screening meeting that there is a suspicion of disability, the school is obligated to assess “all areas of suspected disability” and within 60 days convene an “eligibility determination” meeting at which the team decides if the student has 1,2 &3 and thus qualifies for an IEP, if so there is an IEP meeting within 30 days to write the IEP. Write the school back, note that it is inappropriate for the school to require you to get your own testing for dyslexia. State clearly that you believe your DD has disabilities (dyslexia, dysgraphia and whatever else you think), describe how there are adversely impacting her education (doesn’t have to be “bad grades”) and that you think she needs special instruction in reading and writing and therefore want her assessed in all areas of suspected disability. Request that an IEP team be convened and suggest a couple of dates that you would be available. Close by saying that you, “look forward to resolving this matter without having to resort to my due process options.” PS - Summer is no reason for the school to take more than 30 days to convene a screening meeting. IMO, I would do it ASAP. If you gather documentation of the trouble in school (emails to teacher, bad marks in reading or low placement, excessive time, poor quality work, etc., you really should pass screening without trouble. By the time you get to eligibility determination in 90 days, school teachers will be able to provide current evidence of adverse impact. |
Anonymous
| School psychologist here! It’s really a semantics question. We are not giving diagnoses in the educational setting, we are giving educational classifications. If I test your child and the pattern is clearly dyslexia, I will tell you that! But there won’t be a piece of medical paperwork for your child’s record that says that. Instead, there will be an IEP under the category of specific learning disability. I would not encourage you to get private testing at this stage, as the school will give many of the same tests for free. |
Anonymous
How many hours of testing do you spend with a child when you conduct a school-based evaluation? Case loads are very high and time is extremely limited. |