Testing

There is no one single test for dyslexia. Rather, we look for both weaknesses in specific areas as well as strengths in other areas.

Dyslexia can be thought of as a weakness in fluent and effortless decoding, surrounded by a sea of strengths such as reasoning, comprehension, critical thinking, general knowledge, vocabulary, and problem solving skills. 

Typically, dyslexia testing involves collecting data on:

• a student's ability to read both real and nonsense words in isolation 
• reading rate and accuracy (fluency)
• reading comprehension
• listening comprehension
• phonological awareness
• phonological auditory memory
• rapid naming skills
• vocabulary and word meanings
• spelling
• general cognitive ability
• vision/hearing screening
• teacher/report cards/progress reports
• parent information

As of the beginning of the school year 2022-23, schools now follow a revised pathway for testing for learning disabilities, including dyslexia. This type of evaluation is called a Full Individual Initial Evaluation (FIIE) under the guidelines of IDEA.  You can find more information about these changes through this update from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Links to an external site..