Student Advocacy · Video
How to Ask Your School for a Dyslexia Evaluation
A conversation in the hallway changes nothing. A letter starts a clock the district has to answer.
The short answer
To have your child evaluated, send your school district a written request saying you suspect a disability and want a special education evaluation. In California, a written request starts a 15-day deadline for the district to send you an assessment plan, and a 60-day deadline to complete the evaluation once you sign it. You do not need a diagnosis, a lawyer or the school’s agreement.
The full guide, with the legal citations and a free letter builder that writes the request for you, is here: How to Request a Special Education Evaluation in California.
Key takeaways
Child Find is a standing federal obligation. There is no minimum age, no required waiting period, and no need for the school to agree that a problem exists before you ask.
A conversation at pickup starts nothing. A written request is what triggers the district’s legal timelines, which is why the date you send it matters as much as what it says.
In California the district has 15 days to send you an assessment plan, and 60 days from your signature to finish the evaluation and hold the meeting. School breaks pause the clock.
Being in a reading group or an RTI programme is not a reason to postpone an evaluation. The U.S. Department of Education has said so directly.
In one study, first and second graders given the same reading programme as third graders gained almost twice as much in basic word reading. The same instruction, delivered earlier, does more.
Chapters
- 0:00 Introduction: how to request a special education evaluation
- 0:34 Why early reading intervention matters
- 0:54 The long-term risks of delayed support
- 1:19 Child Find and your rights as a parent
- 1:46 Why the request has to be in writing
- 2:09 What to include in your evaluation request
- 2:34 California's 15-day and 60-day deadlines
- 3:02 How to document that you sent it
- 3:25 What happens if the school refuses
- 3:48 Your legal options and next steps
What the school may say, and what the law says
Most of these are said kindly, by people who mean well. None of them removes the district’s obligation to respond to a written request.
| What you may hear | What the law actually says |
|---|---|
| “He’s in a reading group, let’s see if that works first.” | Extra help cannot be used to delay or deny an evaluation. The U.S. Department of Education has stated this directly about RTI. |
| “Six is too young. Let’s wait a year.” | Federal rules let a parent ask at any time and set no minimum grade. California’s duty to find and assess runs from birth to 21. |
| “Her grades are fine.” | Passing grades do not excuse the district from its Child Find duty. Advancing a grade is not evidence that nothing is wrong. |
| “We don’t test for dyslexia.” | The district tests for specific learning disability, and California’s definition of that term names dyslexia. Nothing in IDEA prohibits the word. |
| “She has to be two years behind first.” | Whether a child qualifies is decided after the evaluation, by a team that includes you, with the results on the table. |
| “We’ll look into it.” | A spoken request starts no clock. A written one does. |
Each of these is set out with its legal citation on the full guide: your district's obligations when you request an evaluation.
What happens after you send it
- Day 0 The district receives your letter Not the day you wrote it — the day it arrives. This is why delivery with proof of date matters more than the wording of any single sentence in the letter.
- Within 15 days The district sends you an assessment plan A written plan describing what it proposes to assess and how. You read it before anything happens to your child. If the district intends to refuse instead, that refusal also has to come to you in writing.
- You decide You review the plan and sign it Nothing is tested until you consent. This is the point to check that every area you named in your letter actually appears in the plan — if one is missing, say so in writing before you sign.
- Within 60 days The evaluation is completed and the team meets Sixty days from your signature, not from your letter. The district assesses your child and the team — including you — meets to go through the results and decide eligibility.
- Pauses School breaks stop the clock Holidays and breaks of more than five school days pause the 60 days. Worth knowing before you send a request in late May, because the summer does not count against the district.
The letter builder calculates both dates for you from the day you plan to deliver it.
Questions parents ask
What do I actually say when I ask the school?
Say it in writing rather than in person, and keep it short. One sentence stating that you suspect a disability and are requesting a special education evaluation, a few lines describing what you have seen at home, a list of the areas you want assessed, and the date. You do not need to argue your case or prove anything — the evaluation is what produces the evidence, so the letter only has to start it.
Can the school refuse to evaluate my child?
Yes, but it cannot refuse quietly. A district that declines has to give you prior written notice setting out why it is refusing and what information it relied on. That document is what turns a refusal into something you can challenge, so if you are told no in a meeting or a phone call, ask for it in writing before you leave the conversation.
How long does the whole process take?
In California, up to 15 days for the district to send an assessment plan, then up to 60 days from the day you sign it to complete the evaluation and hold the meeting. So roughly two and a half to three months end to end, assuming you sign promptly. School breaks longer than five days pause the 60-day count, which is why a request sent close to summer can run considerably longer.
Should I get a private assessment instead?
They answer different questions. A private assessment is usually faster and more detailed, and you own the report. A district evaluation is free and is the only route to an IEP. Many families do both: the private report names what is happening, and the district evaluation determines eligibility for services. If you can only do one and cost is a factor, start with the district request — it costs nothing and it starts a legal clock.
Transcript
Video Transcript
About the Author
Dr. Leah Skinner, Ed.D.
Dr. Leah Skinner holds a Doctor of Education in Reading, Literacy and Assessment, a Master of Education with a specialization in dyslexia, and is a Certified Dyslexia Therapist and Special Education Advocate with over 22 years of experience. As the founder of READ Academy of Sacramento and a mother of five neurodivergent sons, four of whom have dyslexia, she brings both clinical expertise and personal understanding to every family she works with.
This video accompanies the full guide, How to Request a Special Education Evaluation in California — which has the legal citations, the complete deadline walkthrough and the free letter builder.
Write the letter now, in about five minutes
Fill in the form and the letter builds itself as you type, with the legal citations included and your 15-day and 60-day dates calculated. It is free, nothing is stored, and you can print it or email it when it is done.
READ Academy of Sacramento · WASC-accredited
2565 Millcreek Dr, Sacramento, CA 95833
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