Dyslexia Services in Texas Public Schools: What Your Child Is Entitled To

Your child has been identified with dyslexia. The school put them on a 504 plan with extended time and a read-aloud accommodation. The reading specialist works with them twice a week. Two years later, your child is still reading two grade levels below their peers.

This is not an unusual situation in Texas. For years, districts routinely placed students with dyslexia on Section 504 plans and called it addressed. That framework changed significantly with House Bill 3928 and the 2024 update to the Texas Dyslexia Handbook — and Texas parents need to understand what those changes mean for their child's services right now.

What the 2024 Texas Dyslexia Handbook Changed

Prior to 2023, Texas operated what amounted to a two-track system for students with dyslexia. Most students received "standard protocol" dyslexia instruction through Section 504 plans. Only students with more severe presentations — those with co-occurring disabilities that required instructional modifications, not just accommodations — were routed into IDEA-based IEPs.

House Bill 3928 (88th Legislature) closed that divide. The bill clarified that dyslexia is a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) and that students who require direct, specialized dyslexia instruction cannot have that need met through a 504 accommodation plan alone. The 2024 Texas Dyslexia Handbook, updated to reflect HB 3928, now requires that all initial evaluations for suspected dyslexia go through the IDEA process — specifically through a Full Individual and Initial Evaluation (FIIE).

This is a structural shift. An evaluation for dyslexia now triggers the same ARD committee process, the same 45-school-day evaluation timeline, and the same eligibility determination process as any other suspected disability under IDEA.

The Two Outcomes After a Dyslexia FIIE

When the ARD committee reviews a completed FIIE for a student with dyslexia, there are two possible outcomes under the updated framework:

Outcome 1: IEP required. If the evaluation shows dyslexia and the committee determines that the student requires direct, specially designed instruction to make progress — meaning accommodations alone are not sufficient — the student qualifies for special education and an IEP must be developed. The IEP must specify the type, frequency, and duration of dyslexia instruction, and that instruction must meet the evidence-based requirements outlined in the Dyslexia Handbook.

Outcome 2: 504 plan appropriate. If the evaluation confirms dyslexia but the committee determines the student does not require specially designed instruction — only accommodations to access the general curriculum (such as text-to-speech, audiobooks, or extended time on tests) — the student may be placed under Section 504 rather than special education. This outcome should only apply when the evaluation data genuinely supports it, not as a default to avoid the resource commitments of an IEP.

The critical point: whether a student needs specially designed instruction versus accommodations only is a data-driven decision the ARD committee must make based on the FIIE results, not an administrative preference. Districts that reflexively route all dyslexia students to 504 plans to avoid the staffing and cost commitments of IEP services are not complying with the current law.

What "Specially Designed Instruction" for Dyslexia Means in Texas

Specially designed instruction for dyslexia is not a generic reading support pull-out. Under the Texas Dyslexia Handbook and IDEA's requirements for students with SLD, dyslexia instruction must be:

• Structured, systematic, and cumulative. Skills are taught in a logical sequence, with each new concept building on previously mastered material.
• Explicit. The teacher directly teaches phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, and spelling — these skills are not assumed or incidentally acquired.
• Multisensory. Instruction engages multiple pathways simultaneously (auditory, visual, kinesthetic-tactile).
• Evidence-based. Programs must have demonstrated effectiveness for students with dyslexia through research, not just marketing claims.

Texas recognizes several structured literacy programs that meet these criteria, including those based on Orton-Gillingham methodology. The IEP must specify which program or approach is being used, not just state that "dyslexia instruction" will be provided.

What a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) Is

Texas is one of the few states with its own certification standard for dyslexia therapists. A Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) is a professional who has completed graduate-level coursework in language structure and dyslexia remediation, passed a national examination, and met supervised clinical hours requirements — all administered through the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA).

A CALT is distinct from a general reading interventionist or a special education teacher who has received basic dyslexia training. The CALT credential represents the highest level of dyslexia therapist training available in Texas.

Some Texas school districts employ CALTs or Licensed Dyslexia Therapists (LDTs) on staff. Others do not. If your child's IEP specifies dyslexia instruction but the person providing it does not hold a CALT, LDT, or equivalent credential, ask the ARD committee what training and certification the provider holds. The Dyslexia Handbook does not require a CALT specifically — but it does require evidence-based, structured literacy instruction delivered by someone trained to provide it.

If the district cannot identify a qualified provider, they cannot simply provide a less intensive substitute. Under IDEA, a lack of qualified staff does not excuse a failure to deliver services. The district is legally required to contract outside services or otherwise meet the IEP obligation.

How to Request a Dyslexia Evaluation Under IDEA

If your child has not yet been evaluated and you suspect dyslexia, the request process is the same as for any special education evaluation. Your request must be in writing and submitted to the campus principal or special education director.

The letter should:

• State that you suspect your child has a learning disability, specifically dyslexia
• Describe the specific academic difficulties you have observed
• Request a Full Individual and Initial Evaluation (FIIE) under IDEA, including phonological processing, oral language, reading fluency, and reading comprehension assessments

Once the district receives your written request, they have 15 school days to either provide you with consent paperwork to initiate the evaluation — starting the 45-school-day evaluation clock — or issue a Prior Written Notice explaining why they are refusing to evaluate.

If the district says your child doesn't qualify for an evaluation because they are "doing okay" or their grades are "average," that is not a sufficient legal basis for refusing an evaluation. Under IDEA's Child Find mandate, the standard is whether there is a reasonable suspicion of a disability — not whether the child is failing.

If Your Child Has a 504 Plan and You Think They Need an IEP

Texas parents whose children already have 504 plans for dyslexia are now in a position where that designation may be legally insufficient if the child is not making adequate progress with accommodations alone.

The key question: Is your child making meaningful progress in reading with the current 504 accommodations? If extended time and text-to-speech are in place but your child's oral reading fluency and decoding accuracy have not meaningfully improved over the past year, that is evidence that accommodations are not sufficient and that specially designed instruction is needed.

You can request that the school conduct a new evaluation to reassess whether your child needs an IEP. You can also request an ARD meeting to review current progress data and discuss whether the 504 framework is providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) under IDEA — because even students on 504 plans have protections under federal law.

For a complete walkthrough of the dyslexia evaluation process, how to read the FIIE results for a student with reading difficulties, and what a strong dyslexia IEP should include, the Texas IEP & 504 Blueprint covers the current Texas framework in plain language, including the HB 3928 changes and how they affect decisions made at the ARD table.

Key Numbers from Texas

Texas currently serves 212,167 students specifically identified with the Specific Learning Disability of dyslexia — out of a total of 365,916 students in the broader SLD category. That surge followed HB 3928 and the removal of the longstanding systemic barriers that kept students with dyslexia out of special education for years.

The scale of that number means your child's district is navigating significant resource strain. That context matters when you're at the ARD table and staff say they "don't have" a CALT on staff or that your child's reading struggles don't meet the threshold for specially designed instruction.

Resource strain is real. It is also not a legal justification for denying appropriate services.

See more United States guides →