Category Archives: Special Ed Law and Dyslexia

Practical Articles and information about how to navigate the school system when a student has dyslexia or is at-risk for dyslexia.

Dyslexia and the School

Dyslexia and the School by Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley - DyslexiaTrainingInstitute.org

At the risk of being a Debbie Downer, I wanted to share with you some facts about special education that you should know to prevent any unnecessary delays or frustration. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was enacted to protect children from being denied an education because of their disability. What many people seem to overlook is the fact that this legislation was not set up to provide special education services to everyone with a disability, because not every disability interferes with learning. So, it is not as easy as, Michael has dyslexia, therefore he is entitled to special education services. It doesn’t work that way. Continue reading

Dyslexia: When the IEP is a Dictatorship

Dyslexia - When the IEP is a Dictatorship by Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley of the Dyslexia Training Institute

Today the school psychologist walked into the room where we were having our IEP meeting, saw me sitting at the table, let out an audible sigh and turned around and walked out. I am not kidding, this really happened. Of course, we have a history and that history includes him not wanting to hear anything anyone has to say about scores, eligibility, goals or dyslexia. He is the fast-talking wordsmith (used car salesman?) in an IEP meeting. He is the kind of guy that talks in circles so most parents, who don’t have support at IEP meetings, are given very little opportunity to question his decisions because he won’t allow it. He is unable to think flexibly and does not like it when there is someone in the room who knows more than he does – he is the expert, no wait, he is the dictator.

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Dyslexia Awareness Month Giveaway: Wrightslaw – Special Education Law Book

Dyslexia Awareness Month - Week 1 GiveawayOctober is Dyslexia Awareness Month and in celebration of this amazing opportunity to raise awareness for the cause to which we have dedicated our lives, we are excited to be hosting a giveaway each week during the month.  This week we will be giving away a copy of the essential resource, Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition.  This valuable guide breaks down special education law and addresses questions about IEPs, eligibility and placement issues, and so much more.

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All About Dyslexia

All About Dyslexia by Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley - Dyslexia Training InstituteDownload the PDF version of this article here.


The Lowdown on Dyslexia was originally published here, but with new resources, new research, and even more detailed tips, Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley updated the original work below.

All About Dyslexia

by Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley

Every teacher in every classroom in every school in this country (and beyond) will come across several, if not dozens, of students who just can’t keep seem to get the ‘reading thing’ down. The students are smart, articulate, and creative, yet they omit small words, read slowly, have difficulty spelling, and stumble, guess or mumble through multisyllabic words. They are placed in reading groups for extra instruction and still don’t seem to ‘get it.’ And during his or her career, every teacher in every classroom in every school will ask themselves, “How can I help these children?” The answer is to learn as much as possible about dyslexia , because the child described above has dyslexia.

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