How to Use Your State's Dyslexia Law in IEP Meetings

Discovering your state has a specific law and a detailed handbook about dyslexia can feel like finding a secret weapon for your advocacy. And in many ways, it is. These documents provide the official guidance and mandates that your school district is expected to follow. However, the way you use this weapon is critical. Wielding it like a club can create conflict and defensiveness, but using it skillfully as a tool for education and collaboration can be transformative.

Here’s how to effectively leverage your state’s dyslexia law in your next IEP meeting.

1. Frame it as a Tool for Collaboration

Your goal is to be a partner, not a prosecutor. When you introduce the state law or handbook, frame it as a shared resource to help everyone on the team make the best possible decisions for your child.

Instead of saying: “You’re out of compliance with state law.”

Try saying: “I was reading through the state’s Dyslexia Handbook, and I found some really helpful guidance that I think could help us in planning for Sarah’s program. I brought copies for everyone.”

This approach invites the team to look at the resource with you, rather than feeling accused by it.

2. Use it to Ask Educated Questions

The state handbook can provide you with the language and the benchmarks you need to ask more specific and powerful questions.

Instead of saying: “I think he needs more reading help.”

Try saying: “The state handbook on page 15 recommends that students with a profile like John’s receive a minimum of 45-60 minutes of intensive, evidence-based instruction daily. The current IEP offers 30 minutes twice a week. Could you help me understand the discrepancy and how the proposed schedule will be sufficient to close his reading gap?”

This shows you have done your homework and anchors your request in the state’s own recommendations.

3. Connect the Law to Your Child’s Specific Needs

Don’t just quote the law; connect it directly to your child. The law is the “what,” and your child is the “why.”

Example: “I see that the state law passed last year mandates universal screening for dyslexia in K-2. Since my daughter is now in 3rd grade and was never screened, I believe this contributed to the delay in her identification. This is why I feel it’s so critical that we provide her with a very intensive intervention now to make up for that lost time.”

4. Use it to Validate Your Requests for Evidence-Based Practices

If you are getting pushback on your request for a Structured Literacy approach, the state law can be your best ally.

Example: “I understand that the school has used the balanced literacy curriculum for a long time, but my reading of the state’s new dyslexia law suggests a clear mandate for evidence-based practices aligned with the Science of Reading. Can you show me how the current curriculum meets that legal standard, especially since it still seems to include elements of three-cueing?”

5. Know When to Escalate

If you have collaboratively shared the information from the state law and the team still refuses to follow its guidance, you have a clear basis for a more formal dispute. In your follow-up letter, you can state:

“As we discussed, the team’s decision not to provide a Structured Literacy intervention appears to be inconsistent with the requirements outlined in [Your State’s Law/Dyslexia Handbook]. I am requesting Prior Written Notice explaining the district’s position on this matter.”

Using your state’s dyslexia law is about more than just winning an argument. It’s about educating the team, raising the standard of conversation, and grounding the IEP in best practices and legal mandates. By approaching it as a knowledgeable and collaborative partner, you can use the law not just to advocate for your child, but to help improve the system for all children.

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Related reading:

• Does Your State Have a Dyslexia Law? Here’s How to Find Out
• The Parent Movement That Changed Dyslexia Education
• 10 Questions to Ask at Every IEP Meeting