iSTEEP: Approved Dyslexia Screener
iSTEEP, an approved vendor in multiple states for early literacy and dyslexia screening, embraces a proactive approach to identifying potential dyslexia. We strive to provide educators with the tools and support needed to follow a research-based consensus:
- Routine Universal Screening: Identify potential issues early.
- Targeted Intervention and Progress Monitoring: Provide strong MTSS support and rule out instructional factors.
- In-Depth Evaluation and Ongoing Support: If the student does not respond satisfactorily to intervention, conduct comprehensive assessments and determine appropriate next steps.
The key to this process is intervention. By intervening early and monitoring progress, we can assist educators to support every student as they learn literacy skills.
STEP 1: Routine Universal Screening
iSTEEP prioritizes early identification of potential dyslexia through routine universal screening. This means all students are assessed for phonological skills, like hearing sounds in words and decoding letters, which can be challenging for individuals with dyslexia.
Why is early screening important?
- Identify needs early: Detecting potential issues early allows for timely intervention, maximizing the impact on learning,
- Stronger foundation: By identifying and addressing early literacy skills, we build a solid foundation for future learning.
- Targeted support: Early screening allows schools to personalize instruction and provide the support students need.
iSTEEP offers a variety of assessments addressing different literacy skills, enabling us to work with your district to:
- Identify priority skills: Determine which areas need the most attention at each grade level.
- Choose the right assessment: Select the most appropriate iSTEEP assessment to address those specific skills.
STEP 2: Targeted Intervention and Progress Monitoring
Building on universal screening, Step 2 involves targeted intervention and progress monitoring. This is a common practice in MTSS systems, with the ultimate goal of improving student performance.
However, in the context of dyslexia identification, intervention serves a unique purpose:
- Ruling out instructional issues: When students perform below grade level, it could be due to learning challenges or instructional factors. Dyslexia identification uses targeted intervention to assist schools in ruling out the latter.
- Providing intensive support: Students receive more intensive instruction during this stage.
- Evaluating response to intervention: If the student displays significant improvement with targeted intervention, dyslexia can often be ruled out. There are many reasons students do not learn early literacy skills such as absences, emotional challenges, or disruptions due to COVID could have impacted learning.
- Importance of intervention: Since no single test can definitely identify non-instructional factors affecting learning, intervention remains crucial in this process.
By providing targeted support and monitoring progress, Step 2 helps determine the root cause of low achievement and allows for informed decisions about next steps.
STEP 3: In-Depth Evaluation and Ongoing Support
Step 3 focuses on providing in-depth evaluation and ongoing support for students who require additional support after Tier 2. This may involve:
- Comprehensive diagnostic assessments: iSTEEP's reading diagnostic and Random Automatic Naming test (if not already administered) can provide deeper insights into specific skill areas.
- Intensified intervention: The frequency, duration, and intensity of intervention are typically ramped up to address the identified needs.
- Continuous progress monitoring: Progress is closely monitored to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention and make necessary adjustments.
Next steps:
- If a student continues to struggle despite comprehensive interventions, next steps may differ based upon district preferences and state regulations. Among other things, a more formal evaluation may be necessary to determine if the student appears to have characteristics of dyslexia. iSTEEP does not provide specialized assessment used during clinical evaluation.
- Considering the need for special education: In cases where students require significant ongoing resources to achieve learning goals, exploring the need for special education services may be appropriate.
Emphasis in Step 3:
- Providing a multi-pronged approach to support students at risk of dyslexia.
- Making informed decisions about next steps based on comprehensive data and ongoing progress monitoring.
- Ensuring appropriate educational resources are available to meet individual student needs.