What to Do After a Dyslexia Diagnosis: A Roadmap for Parents
By Daniela Feldhausen (Kids Up Reading Tutors) and Salya Namazi (The Stixrud Group)
1. Introduction
You just got the results of your child’s evaluation and the word “dyslexia” is now part of your family’s story, bringing some mix of relief (finally, an explanation) and worry (now what?). Wherever you land on that spectrum, a diagnosis is information, not a verdict. It helps you understand what your child’s brain needs in order to learn to read. This post walks through what typically comes next: understanding the diagnosis, advocating at school, choosing the right reading support, and getting the right professionals working together on your child’s behalf.
2. Understanding the Diagnosis
A dyslexia diagnosis is not a single test score, it is a profile. A good evaluation should tell you far more than “yes” or “no.” In our practice, we look at the underlying reasons behind the dyslexia, from phonological processing to rapid naming to morphological awareness, just to name a few. This matters because two kids can both carry a dyslexia diagnosis and need very different support. A comprehensive evaluation gets at the root of what’s happening, i.e., “the why,” and not just the surface behavior of slow or effortful reading. Parents should walk away understanding the why behind the diagnosis. It also gives you something equally important: a clear list of your child’s cognitive strengths, which becomes the foundation for building confidence and designing interventions that actually fit how they learn.
3. Your First Steps at School
Once you have the report in hand, your next move is likely scheduling a meeting with the school. Bring the evaluation with you. Ideally the report should already spell out what your child needs, whether that’s a 504 plan, an IEP, or accommodations like extended time, audiobooks, reduced reading load, or direct reading intervention from the school itself. If you’d like an extra layer of support and expertise in the room, you can ask the evaluator to attend the meeting with you.
4. Choosing the Right Reading Intervention
Look for a program built on structured literacy, sometimes called the Science of Reading or Orton-Gillingham. The instruction should be explicit, systematic, and multisensory (meaning, it has your child seeing, hearing, writing and talking – no shaving cream or colored sand required). Ask the teacher or tutor:
- Whether they’ll start with an assessment of your child’s specific phonological, phonics, spelling and other skills and then tailor the instruction to the exact skills your child needs to learn
- How often your child will meet with them (three or more sessions a week tends to move the needle fairly rapidly; once a week rarely does)
- How they’ll measure progress and keep you informed
One-on-one, high-dosage instruction outside of school is extremely important for kids with dyslexia. Many kids without dyslexia learn to read on their own or with minimal instruction. But kids with dyslexia typically need more repetition and individualized attention than school can provide, whether in a general classroom or special ed setting. Ask your child’s special education team how often they “graduate” students out of special ed because they’ve taught them to read. The answer is likely zero – or only those students who had tutoring outside of school.
5. Building the Team Around Your Child
No single professional can carry this whole journey alone. Most families end up with a small team: a testing psychologist, whose evaluation becomes the foundation and often unlocks accommodations at school, a school-based specialist who turns that into a plan like an IEP or 504, and a private reading tutor who builds the missing skills directly at a pace school can’t match. Your child’s team may also include other specialists like a speech-language pathologist for articulation issues and an executive functioning coach if your student also has ADHD. Ideally these professionals should coordinate with one another so that your child experiences one consistent plan and progresses as quickly as possible.
6. Closing: There’s a Path Forward
A dyslexia diagnosis can feel like the end of not knowing and the start of a lot of new questions, but here’s what matters most: kids of all ages with dyslexia can absolutely learn to read with the right instruction delivered consistently by people who understand what their brains need. Start with understanding the diagnosis, then take the first steps at school and find an outside reading intervention built for how your child learns. Your child can absolutely become a fluent reader and learn to love reading. They’re just waiting for the right kind of help.
Daniela Feldhausen is the founder of Kids Up Reading Tutors, LLC which provides high-dosage 1-on-1 reading and spelling tutoring for kids and teens with and without dyslexia in grades 1-12.
Salya Namazi is a clinical neuropsychologist and co-owner of the Stixrud Group. Dr. Namazi practices within a neuro-affirming framework and serves a wide range of children and adults.