U.S. Department of Education Archives

DDCA has been receiving many questions regarding Section 504 Plans for students with dyslexia. In particular, there is a common misunderstanding that students with dyslexia that have a 504 Plan can only receive accommodations. Did you know that Section 504 Plans can include services and assistive technology as well?

DDCA is providing links with helpful resources including several of our You Asked! questions regarding Section 504.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights Frequently Asked Questionsabout Section 504:

What services are available for students with disabilities under Section 504?

Section 504 requires recipients to provide to students with disabilities appropriate educational services designed to meet the individual needs of such students to the same extent as the needs of students without disabilities are met. An appropriate education for a student with a disability under the Section 504 regulations could consist of education in regular classrooms, education in regular classes with supplementary services, and/or special education and related services.

(Source: UNITED STATES DEP’T OF EDUC., OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, FREE APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: REQUIREMENTS UNDER SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 (2010), available at: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html.)

Other You Asked! questions on Section 504 are listed below:

You Asked! Q10

You Asked! Q17

You Asked! Q18

Legal & General Disclaimer: Decoding Dyslexia CA (DDCA) is a grassroots movement. The materials produced by DDCA are for informational purposes only and are not written by lawyers or anyone qualified in any way to interpret the law or provide legal advice. You should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. DDCA does not promote any specific company, organization, service, product or program. – Decoding Dyslexia CA

Download a PDF version of this You Asked question and answer here.

Q8: IEP Team states they don’t use the terms “dyslexia”, “dysgraphia” or “dyscalculia” in student’s IEP. What can I do?

A: IDEA requires that the IEP Team tailor specially designed instruction to specifically meet the individual needs of the student. As Specific Learning Disability is an umbrella term, the IEP Team needs to carefully document all areas of deficits. If the student exhibits characteristics of dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia it is important that these areas of need are specified in the IEP.

The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) encourages States to review their policies, procedures and practices to ensure that they do not prohibit the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia, or dysgraphia in evaluations, eligibility, and IEP documents. Finally, in ensuring the provision of Free and Appropriate Public Education, USDOE stressed the importance of addressing the unique educational needs of children with specific learning disabilities resulting from dyslexia, dyscalculia, or dysgraphia during IEP meetings and other meetings with parents under IDEA (Source: OSERS Dear Colleague Letter October 23rd, 2015). To download a complete copy of this letter, click HERE.

In addition, under the California Education Code Section 56334, deficits in phonological processing need to be identified as part of special education eligibility requirements. A deficit in phonological awareness is viewed as the hallmark of reading disability or dyslexia (Source: The Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing 2nd Edition Examiners Manual by Richard K. Wagner et al. page 37). It is critical that the IEP team note deficits in phonological processing in the IEP in order to determine the individualized intervention for the student.

Please also see California Department of Education’s PowerPoint page 10 that it is okay for school districts to use the term dyslexia.

For more YOU ASKED questions and answers click HERE

Tag: U.S. Department of Education

You Asked! Question 8