HB 1886 deals with two issues—dyslexia and transition.  These two issues are of equal importance, but the dyslexia provisions require more immediate attention. That’s because the transition provisions do not go into effect until the 2018-19 school year.  The new requirements regarding dyslexia will take effect with the upcoming school year.  So here’s what’s new with dyslexia:

1. Every ESC will have to employ as a “dyslexia specialist a person licensed as a dyslexia therapist” under the Occupations Code.  I’m not sure that all 20 ESCs have such a person now.  They may all have people with expertise in dyslexia, but are those folks licensed as a “dyslexia therapist”?

2. The new law requires “screening at the end of the school year of each student in kindergarten and each student in the first grade.” I attended a conference recently where a presenter informed the group (special ed types, mostly) of this new provision. There was an audible gasp.

3. Once a student is identified as having dyslexia, or is receiving accommodations due to dyslexia, the school may not re-screen or re-test the student for dyslexia without first reevaluating the information from the original screening/testing. There is an exception to this general rule if the second testing is required by law—presumably this refers to a full individual evaluation under IDEA.

TEA will annually develop a list of training opportunities for educators pertaining to dyslexia.

DAWG BONE: NO SUB-CATEGORY OF LEARNING PROBLEMS IS MORE MICRO-MANAGED BY LAW THAN DYSLEXIA.

File this one under: SPECIAL EDUCATION

Tomorrow: How a verdict of $4.5 million can go away