Dyslexia is a word-level reading disability that impacts decoding and encoding skills (International Dyslexia Association [IDA], 2002). The estimated prevalence of individuals impacted by dyslexia varies from 5% to 20% (Phillips & Odegard, 2017). In the United States, the primary legislation overseeing special education is the Individuals with…

Ensuring providers have the knowledge and skills they need to be able to provide families with navigation support while they orient to the idea of an ASD diagnosis is crucial. Doing so may help families to feel supported and increase access to meaningful services. Project ECHO is an evidence- based approach to delivering and facilitating…

Background: Speech sound disorders (SSDs) in children are heterogeneous. Differentiating children with SSDs into distinct subtypes is important so that each child receives a treatment approach well suited to the particular difficulties they are experiencing. Aims: To study the distinct underlying processes that differentiate phonological…

Recent advocacy efforts and state policies have recognized the identification of and support for students with dyslexia as a critical issue for schools. Current issues related to dyslexia identification include the lack of a universal definition for dyslexia and the possible confusion created by state legislation related to dyslexia. Tackling…

Although professional organizations in the United States have recommended genetic testing for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), uptake rates of genetic testing remain low. This review lists the recommendations made by professional medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of…

The North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has developed two methods of working with low-literacy students. One is testing for accommodations for GED testing. The other is integrating the STAR literacy program for adult readers.

Despite intensive study in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, genetics, and education, simple truths about dyslexia have been slow to emerge, with some early results not holding up to further scientific scrutiny. Research conducted with and applied to adult learners is especially thin, as intensive scientific scrutiny has increasingly focused…

Although federal law has provided guidelines for autism eligibility for special education, school-based autism assessment and eligibility vary widely across states and identification continues to lag behind national prevalence data. The main role of the school psychologist continues to be conducting evaluations for special education eligibility,…

Background: Early intervention (EI) can improve a range of outcomes for families of children with developmental disabilities. However, research indicates the level of access does not always match the level of need. To address disparities, it is essential to identify factors influencing access. Method: We propose a framework where access to EI is…

Over the last few decades, several definitions of dyslexia have centered on phonological awareness as the sole linguistic risk factor for developing dyslexia. Although difficulties with the acquisition and application of speech sounds can affect reading and spelling development, additional factors can as well and are included in other…

Act 419 of the 2021 Louisiana Legislative Session requires each public school governing authority to submit a report to the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) annually relative to the occurrence of dyslexia. Act 622 of the 2022 Louisiana Legislature updated the due date of the report to December 15 to better align with reporting cycles. The…

The Global Research Agenda for Children with Disabilities (the Research Agenda) is a strategic framework that identifies priority research areas -- defined through a global research prioritization exercise -- to close critical evidence gaps, inform inclusive policies and programmes, and guide effective investments that support children with…

The heterogeneous nature of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) makes accurate diagnosis challenging. Best practice assessments in schools can open pathways to appropriate interventions and educational placements for those with ASD, as well as help identify a student's strengths. There are various tools used in school settings to assess autism. In this…

Parents may experience a range of emotions when hearing that their child may be on the autism spectrum, including shock or denial (Martins et al., 2021). While hearing the word "autism" can be challenging for families, early identification of autism (also referred to as autism spectrum disorder [ASD]) allows families more time to process…

"Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to…