1761 --- Dyslexia specialist. K-12.

The applicant must have met the requirements for the standard license and have completed at least three years

of post-baccalaureate teaching experience in a K-12 setting. Applicants who have achieved dyslexia

certification in another state may apply for a certification review through the Iowa reading research center.

a. Authorization. The holder of this endorsement is authorized to serve as a dyslexia specialist in

kindergarten and grades 1 through 12.

b. Content. Completion of 18 semester hours in dyslexia strategies to include the following:

3. Recognize that dyslexia may present differently along a continuum of severity and impact

depending upon age, grade, and compensatory factors.

4. Understand federal and state laws that pertain to dyslexia, including use of the word “dyslexia”

within school settings and documentation.

5. Understand common misconceptions regarding characteristics of and interventions for dyslexia.

(2) Psychology of language and reading. The dyslexia specialist will understand the highly complex

processes by which children learn to speak, read, and write, including language acquisition, linguistics, and the

structure of written language, including phonological processing, phonics, orthography, morphology, syntax,

1. Instruction utilizing multisensory and multimodal strategies (visual, auditory, kinesthetic,

and tactile), systematic and cumulative instruction, direct instruction, diagnostic and prescriptive

teaching, as well as synthetic and analytic instruction.

2. Instructional approaches supported by the science of reading for the following areas:

phonological processing, phonics, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, and writing.

3. Creation of a dyslexia-friendly learning environment (within or outside the regular

classroom) utilizing evidence-based accommodations and modifications to meet the needs of students

with dyslexia, including appropriate interventions, remediation, assistive technology, and classroom

accommodations for students with dyslexia.

4. Use of data to determine effectiveness of the instruction and curriculum along with

purposes (including the strengths and limitations of assessments) and assessment tools for screening,

diagnosis, progress monitoring, and measuring outcomes.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of the signs and symptoms of reading difficulties, including but not

limited to dyslexia; and also demonstrate an understanding of norms and student benchmarks.

3. Select, administer, and interpret assessments for specific purposes, including screening students at

risk for dyslexia and identifying students who display a profile of dyslexia, and:

● Understand the features of standardized norm-referenced assessments.

● Understand the importance of selecting reliable and valid assessments to evaluate typical and

atypical reading development.

● Interpret various scores derived from standardized norm-referenced and criterion-referenced

assessments.

the effectiveness of specific intervention practices, and examining students’ responses to interventions.

5. Communicate assessment results and implications to a variety of audiences, including staff,

(5) Practicum in dyslexia. The dyslexia specialist will participate in elementary and secondary practicum

experiences with instructors who have experience with and are currently serving students who display

characteristics of dyslexia. The practicum must include:

1. Supervised administration of norm-referenced literacy assessments.

2. Practice composing a report of literacy assessment results that will include interpretation of the

results and instructional recommendations.

3. Supervised delivery of systematic, explicit, and multisensory intervention for students with

characteristics of dyslexia.

4. Practice composing a report of students’ response to intervention.