Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia

Characteristics of:

• DYSLEXIA: A condition affecting reading skills often characterized by difficulties in areas including (but not limited to) phonological processing, decoding, fluency, and/or spelling.
• DYSGRAPHIA: A condition impacting writing skills often characterized by difficulties in areas including (but not limited to) legibility and automaticity.

• DYSCALCULIA: A condition impacting math skills often characterized by difficulties in areas including (but not limited to) working memory, spatial/quantity concepts impacting number sense, and symbol recognition/use.

In addition to following the New York State requirement for school districts to conduct early screenings for Dyslexia, the CSE administers a Dyslexia screener for all students referred to the CSE. No single test confirms Dyslexia; instead, a series of tests are completed that include phonological awareness, decoding, reading fluency, and comprehension. While school districts do not diagnose Dyslexia, the achievement tests completed by the districts directly assess students’ skill development, and the results are used to develop programs and design instruction to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities.

There are conditions that can manifest themselves similarly to Dyslexia, such as ADHD, Executive Functioning, Memory Weaknesses, and other Emotional/Behavioral Disorders.

More information can be found on the New York State Department of Education (NYSED) website or by accessing the following links:

• Meeting the Needs of Students with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia
• Students with Disabilities Resulting from Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia: Questions and Answers
• Identification of Students with Learning Disabilities within a Multi-Tiered System of Support