Indiana’s Definition of Dyslexia
In 2015 the Indiana General Assembly passed House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1108. This law put in place an official definition for dyslexia in Indiana. This definition is based on the International Dyslexia Association’s definition of dyslexia. When referring to dyslexia, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) uses the language from HEA 1108.
House Enrolled Act 1108 defines dyslexia as a specific learning disability that:
- is neurological in origin and characterized by: difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and poor spelling and decoding abilities;
- typically results from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction;
- may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge; and
- may require the provision of special education services after an eligibility determination is made in accordance with Article 7.
Parent Resources
Indiana Legislation
Screening
In accordance with the requirements of Indiana SEA 217, each school year, Batesville Community School Corporation will utilize an approved universal screener to identify students who may be “at risk” or “at some risk” for dyslexia in grades kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Per the Indiana Department of Education, “The universal screener is an assessment for understanding students’ literacy performance, both strengths and areas of concern. Universal screeners focus on specific areas and are typically brief, but determine those students who are “at some risk” or “at risk”. Universal screeners are used for the initial screening of students shall include the following, as determined to be developmentally appropriate, for each student”:
- Phonological and phonemic awareness
- Sound symbol recognition
- Alphabet knowledge
- Decoding skills
- Rapid naming
- Encoding skills
Annual Report
SENATE ENROLLED ACT No. 217 Indiana Code 20-35.5, et seq.
Sec. 2. Each school corporation or charter school must report dyslexia related information on their public website no later than July 15 each year.
- The dyslexia intervention program(s) used during the previous school year to support students with dyslexia. The dyslexia intervention program that was used during the 2022-2023 school year at Batesville Primary School to assist students with dyslexia: Orton Gillngham
- The number of students who received dyslexia intervention during the previous school year. This indicator represents the number of students who were identified as “at risk” or “at some risk” for dyslexia during the previous school year and who received the appropriate interventions. It does not represent the number of students who were officially diagnosed with dyslexia. The number of students during the 2022-2023 school year at Batesville Primary School who received dyslexia intervention: 17
- The number of students identified with dyslexia during the previous school year. This indicator represents the number of students who were officially diagnosed with dyslexia and may differ from the number of students who received dyslexia intervention under the guidelines within this document. The total number of students identified with dyslexia during the 2022-2023 school year at Batesville Primary School: 0
