The Critical Role of Instructional Response for Identifying Dyslexia and Other Learning Disabilities

• Published in: Journal of learning disabilities Vol. 53; no. 5; pp. 343 - 353
• Main Authors: Miciak, Jeremy, Fletcher, Jack M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.09.2020; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC; SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities
• Subjects: Attributes; Best practice; Best Practices; Brain; Child; Child, Preschool; Classification; Decision making; Definitions; Disability Identification; Dyslexia; Dyslexia - classification; Dyslexia - diagnosis; Dyslexia - physiopathology; Dyslexia - therapy; Early Diagnosis; Education, Special - standards; Etiology; Evidence; Fidelity; Humans; Identification; Intelligence Quotient; Intelligence tests; Learning Disabilities; Models, Educational; Models, Psychological; Response to Intervention; Schools; Special education; Spelling; Student Reaction; Teaching Methods; identification/classification; reading; dyslexia
• ISSN: 0022-2194; 1538-4780; 1538-4780
• DOI: 10.1177/0022219420906801

This article addresses the nature of dyslexia and best practices for identification and treatment within the context of multitier systems of support (MTSS). We initially review proposed definitions of dyslexia to identify key commonalities and differences in proposed attributes. We then review empirical evidence for proposed definitional attributes, focusing on key sources of controversy, including the role of IQ, instructional response, as well as issues of etiology and immutability. We argue that current empirical evidence supports a dyslexia classification marked by specific deficits in reading and spelling words combined with inadequate response to evidence-based instruction. We then propose a “hybrid” dyslexia identification process built to gather data relevant to these markers of dyslexia. We argue that this assessment process is best implemented within school-wide MTSS because it leverages data routinely collected in well-implemented MTSS, including documentation of student progress and fidelity of implementation. In contrast with other proposed methods for learning disability (LD) identification, the proposed “hybrid” method demonstrates strong evidence for valid decision-making and directly informs intervention.