Recently the United States Department of Education released a federal guidance memo about the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia and the apparent reluctance in some states to include those terms students’ IEPs. IDEA and related regulations use the term “specific learning disability” as an overall classification, but the memo notes that this classification includes students who present with the characteristics of dyslexia, dyscalculia, or dysgraphia. If an IEP team feels that use of the “dys-“ term is helpful in making an eligibility determination or understanding a child’s need, there is nothing in IDEA to preclude use of those terms in IEPs.

The memo reiterates:

• The importance of comprehensive evaluations related to reading, mathematics and writing to determine the nature and extent of a child’s disability and educational need.
• There is nothing in IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act) that prohibits the inclusion of the condition that is the basis of a child’s disability determination or referencing the condition in a child’s IEP.
• IEP documents can reflect these conditions so that proper evidence-based instruction and intervention can be identified.