Does FCPS test for Dyslexia/Dysgraphia?

[Anonymous]

We had private testing done and found out both of our kids have dyslexia, something their FCPS school never identified. When I asked why my child received fluency-based support for two years instead of the phonics-based help they actually needed, the school psychologist dismissed the private results, claiming they often “over-diagnose.”

Get the private testing. It’s the best way to ensure your child gets support that actually addresses the root cause of their challenges not just the symptoms. Otherwise, you risk wasting valuable time on the wrong interventions.

We’ve since moved to a state where all kindergartners will be tested for dyslexia. It’s incredibly unfair that not all kids get access to adequate testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school attorney has said they love when we do our own testing-- it's easier to build a case when going up against a parent. IEE are also extremely hard to get the district to pay for.

-school psychologist

It’s nice when a school system puts a child first. /s

[Anonymous]

FCPS parent here. IEE was easy to get. And we were reimbursed for testing that was not someone on their approved list, mostly because their approved list is crap and none of those providers were either available or still worked with FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had private testing done and found out both of our kids have dyslexia, something their FCPS school never identified. When I asked why my child received fluency-based support for two years instead of the phonics-based help they actually needed, the school psychologist dismissed the private results, claiming they often “over-diagnose.”

Get the private testing. It’s the best way to ensure your child gets support that actually addresses the root cause of their challenges not just the symptoms. Otherwise, you risk wasting valuable time on the wrong interventions.

We’ve since moved to a state where all kindergartners will be tested for dyslexia. It’s incredibly unfair that not all kids get access to adequate testing.

I highly doubt that any state tests all kindergarteners for dyslexia. Teacher-administered reading benchmarks, sure. But psychologists will rarely even consider testing a kindergarten student for a specific learning disability because they are too young. So no, your new state does not test all kindergarteners for dyslexia.

If your child was receiving fluency based supports for two years, it sounds like they were identified in having a specific learning disability in reading (AKA dyslexia).

[Anonymous]

I disagree that getting an IEE is hard - typically, it's more cost effective for a school pay for an IEE than to fight the request.

[Anonymous]

I’m not in FCPS but in MD. A school psychologist through the school diagnosed my child with a few learning disabilities and gave her an IEP. I got a neuropsych evaluation later on after a couple years on the waiting list at KKI. I actually found the school’s evaluation much more thorough than the KKI evaluation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had private testing done and found out both of our kids have dyslexia, something their FCPS school never identified. When I asked why my child received fluency-based support for two years instead of the phonics-based help they actually needed, the school psychologist dismissed the private results, claiming they often “over-diagnose.”

Get the private testing. It’s the best way to ensure your child gets support that actually addresses the root cause of their challenges not just the symptoms. Otherwise, you risk wasting valuable time on the wrong interventions.

We’ve since moved to a state where all kindergartners will be tested for dyslexia. It’s incredibly unfair that not all kids get access to adequate testing.

I highly doubt that any state tests all kindergarteners for dyslexia. Teacher-administered reading benchmarks, sure. But psychologists will rarely even consider testing a kindergarten student for a specific learning disability because they are too young. So no, your new state does not test all kindergarteners for dyslexia.

If your child was receiving fluency based supports for two years, it sounds like they were identified in having a specific learning disability in reading (AKA dyslexia).

Yes, he was identified as having a specific learning disability, but when the dyslexia diagnosis came, there was pushback. Because they didn’t understand why he had a reading delay, they weren’t providing the right intervention.

When my other child was falling behind on benchmarks, the FCPS teacher told me he was just young and to “give it time.” Luckily, we didn’t wait.

In other states, schools will screen and recommend further testing. Believe it or not, it’s well known that FCPS lags in reading instruction. Other states even offer summer interventions for students with dyslexia.

I stand by my recommendation to pursue additional testing. A “learning disability” label doesn’t explain why a child is below grade level, it could be anything from needing glasses to having a visual processing issue. That label only tells you there’s a delay, not the cause.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had private testing done and found out both of our kids have dyslexia, something their FCPS school never identified. When I asked why my child received fluency-based support for two years instead of the phonics-based help they actually needed, the school psychologist dismissed the private results, claiming they often “over-diagnose.”

Get the private testing. It’s the best way to ensure your child gets support that actually addresses the root cause of their challenges not just the symptoms. Otherwise, you risk wasting valuable time on the wrong interventions.

We’ve since moved to a state where all kindergartners will be tested for dyslexia. It’s incredibly unfair that not all kids get access to adequate testing.

I highly doubt that any state tests all kindergarteners for dyslexia. Teacher-administered reading benchmarks, sure. But psychologists will rarely even consider testing a kindergarten student for a specific learning disability because they are too young. So no, your new state does not test all kindergarteners for dyslexia.

If your child was receiving fluency based supports for two years, it sounds like they were identified in having a specific learning disability in reading (AKA dyslexia).

Yes, he was identified as having a specific learning disability, but when the dyslexia diagnosis came, there was pushback. Because they didn’t understand why he had a reading delay, they weren’t providing the right intervention.

When my other child was falling behind on benchmarks, the FCPS teacher told me he was just young and to “give it time.” Luckily, we didn’t wait.

In other states, schools will screen and recommend further testing. Believe it or not, it’s well known that FCPS lags in reading instruction. Other states even offer summer interventions for students with dyslexia.

I stand by my recommendation to pursue additional testing. A “learning disability” label doesn’t explain why a child is below grade level, it could be anything from needing glasses to having a visual processing issue. That label only tells you there’s a delay, not the cause.

An SLD classification does not mean that a student may need glasses... it means they have a learning disability (e.g., dyslexia, dyscalculia). IEP development comes from the special education teacher, not the evaluating psychologist and not the classification.

[Anonymous]

FCPS is a mess and their testing is terrible. But if you know these things- it is easy to get an IEE and have them pay for actual testing. The issue is a lot of parents believe the BS they try to give to parents.

And once you get the diagnosis- accept that FCPS has terrible services and you will have to pay out of pocket for your kid to learn to read. It is really a terrible school system

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is a mess and their testing is terrible. But if you know these things- it is easy to get an IEE and have them pay for actual testing. The issue is a lot of parents believe the BS they try to give to parents.

And once you get the diagnosis- accept that FCPS has terrible services and you will have to pay out of pocket for your kid to learn to read. It is really a terrible school system

THIS. Exactly this.