Ep. 157: What Dyslexia Screening in Schools Means for Your Child with Vickie Brett and Amanda Selogie

Diverse Thinking Different Learning

With a new dyslexia screening law coming into effect next year in the state of California, parents need to know what to expect and what the rights of their children are. To help educate us on what this screener is and what it means for our children, educational attorneys Vickie Brett and Amanda Selogie join the podcast again.

Vickie and Amanda are both attorneys and founders of the Inclusive Education Project, which includes an IEP Learning Center and a podcast. As educational attorneys, they focus on advocating for and educating families on their legal rights, especially when it comes to the services their child is entitled to through public education.

Today, we’re discussing what this law means and how it impacts all students in Kindergarten through second grade in the state of California. You’ll learn what to expect and how you can be prepared for pushing for a comprehensive evaluation in the event that your child is found to be at risk for dyslexia.

Show Notes:

[1:49] - Welcome back, Vickie and Amanda! They were previously on during the COVID-19 pandemic discussing legal rights of students needing services.

[4:00] - October is specifically a busy month for IEP meetings and initial assessments.

[6:42] - Because of holidays and the busy season, there are a lot of things to accomplish in a short amount of time.

[8:08] - It is so important for parents to understand the rights their children have.

[9:31] - In 2024, California will have funding for universal screening for dyslexia in students from Kindergarten through second grade.

[11:34] - Schools are supposed to implement these screenings in 2024. The goal with this law is it uses a universal screener.

[13:23] - Interventions being provided through RTI and reading groups are not enough.

[16:46] - The timing in California also coincides with the universal pre-Kindergarten program.

[18:18] - Screening is not the same thing as intervention or assessment. They identify kids who are at risk for dyslexia. But then what?

[20:30] - Vickie explains how the law works and the requirements it outlines.

[23:03] - For a screener to really work, it needs to be done for all students.

[24:30] - One common trait of children with dyslexia is that they are able to compensate in the early years of school and tend to be overlooked.

[26:47] - Being at risk should be enough of an alert to proceed with a comprehensive evaluation.

[29:19] - There are certain things that the school will take care of, but parents need to be vigilant in requesting more if it's needed.

[30:52] - With a universal screener, there should be a universal intervention.

[34:59] - Amanda thinks that implementation will be left to each county and school district.

[37:04] - Is every county going to be able to train and implement this screener?

[40:15] - You can find more information on the Inclusive Education Project website.

About Our Guests:

Vickie Brett

Vickie Brett was born and raised in Southern California and through the Inclusive Education Project she focuses on advocating and educating families about their legal rights. Vickie is committed to strengthening her clients who come to her disheartened and beaten down by the current education system. Because Vickie is bilingual, she represents and empowers many monolingual Spanish-speaking families. She is a dedicated pro bono attorney for the Superior Court of Los Angeles’s Juvenile and Dependency 317(e) Panel and in the past was a supervising attorney for the UCI Law School's Special Education Law Project.

Amanda Selogie

Amanda Selogie received a bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development, specializing in Education from California State University, Northridge and a Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School where she served as a Fellow in the prestigious Center for Children's Rights Fellowship Program and served in the school's pro-bono Special Education Legal Clinic. Amanda immersed herself in the world of civil rights and educational advocacy through her work in education, empowerment and advocacy with the Inclusive Education project, supporting inclusion in early education through her appointment to the Orange County Child Care and Development Planning Council and their Inclusion Collaborative Committee, previous work serving as a supervising attorney for UCI Law School’s Education Rights Pro-bono project and coaching of AYSO’s VIP (Very Important Player) program coaching players living with disabilities and creating an inclusive soccer program.

Connect with Vickie and Amanda:

• Inclusive Education Project Website

• @inclusiveeducationproject on Instagram

• Email [e-mail]

Links and Related Resources:

• Register for Our Self-Paced Mini Courses with LIVE AMA Sessions

• Inclusive Education Project Podcast

• Dr. Karen Wilson on the Inclusive Education Project Podcast

Connect with Us:

• Get on our Email List

• Book a Consultation

• Get Support and Connect with a ChildNEXUS Provider

• Check out some amazing schools for incredible students

The Diverse Thinking Different Learning podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or legal advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Additionally, the views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are not considered treatment and do not necessarily reflect those of ChildNEXUS, Inc or the host, Dr. Karen Wilson.