Alaska Dyslexia Resources
K–3 reading screening and intervention are required; special education has a 90-calendar-day timeline.
More about dyslexia help in Alaska
Alaska screens K–3 students for reading deficiencies, including dyslexia risk. Screening is not a diagnosis; reading support and special education evaluation are separate processes.
Ask for screening results and a written reading plan. Statewide parent support, accessible books, technology advice, and remote adult literacy programs can help families in rural communities.
Start here
The go-to contacts for families in Alaska.
Free parent help
Stone Soup Group
Free statewide parent support for IEPs, including virtual help; some training events have fees.
Free and paidState dyslexia guidance
Alaska Department of Education Dyslexia eLearning
Free dyslexia course for eligible Alaska educators and student-supporting adults; registration required.
FreeSpecial education office
Alaska Department of Education and Early Development Special Education
State special education rights, parent guides, mediation, and complaint information.
Free
More go-to contacts
Free audiobooks
Alaska State Library Talking Book Center(opens in a new tab)
Parent-led dyslexia group
Decoding Dyslexia Alaska(opens in a new tab)
Department of education
Alaska Department of Education and Early Development(opens in a new tab)
Adult reading help
Alaska Adult Education(opens in a new tab)
Job help for adults
Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation(opens in a new tab)
How to get help in Alaska
The steps and deadlines in Alaska rules.
Ask for results and a reading plan
For a K–3 reading deficiency, notice is due within 15 days and the reading plan starts within 30 days of identification.
Request an evaluation in writing
Ask the special education team to evaluate reading difficulties. If it refuses, ask for written notice explaining the decision.
Give informed written consent
Consent to evaluation is separate from consent to first special education services. Keep a dated copy of your consent.
- Time limit: 90 days
Track the 90-day deadline
Within 90 calendar days of evaluation consent, the district evaluates, develops an IEP if eligible, and provides services if you consent.
Review eligibility and the IEP
The IEP is due within 30 days of eligibility; this does not extend the 90-day service deadline. Ask about accommodations if not eligible.
Get help if you disagree
Ask about an independent evaluation, free mediation, a state complaint, or due process. Stone Soup Group can help explain your options.
Alaska dyslexia law
Each answer opens to what the law says and where.
Dyslexia screening
Yes
What it says
Screen all K–3 students in fall; students with reading deficiencies also take winter and spring screening.
AS 14.30.760; 4 AAC 06.400 (2022)
Help after screening
Yes
What it says
K–3 reading deficiencies require intensive support and an individual plan implemented within 30 days of identification.
AS 14.30.765(a)–(c) (2022)
Teacher training
Yes
What it says
Teachers and administrators in K–3 classrooms need Alaska Reads Act endorsements effective July 1, 2025.
Dyslexia defined in law
Yes
What it says
Alaska regulations define dyslexia as a neurobiological learning disability affecting word recognition, spelling, and decoding.
State dyslexia handbook
Partly
What it says
The education department offers official dyslexia training and reading guidance; a standalone current handbook was not confirmed.
State dyslexia specialist
Partly
What it says
State reading specialists must know dyslexia; a separate dedicated dyslexia coordinator was not confirmed.
AS 14.30.770(d) (2022)
Science of reading law
Yes
What it says
Reading intervention must include explicit, systematic phonics and other reading skills; state training covers the science of reading.
- Compare dyslexia laws in every state
Dyslexia testing, tutoring and support in Alaska
Pick what you need.
Get tested
School testing is free. Clinics add detail.
Reading Write Alaska (opens in a new tab)
Dyslexia testing and one-to-one structured literacy reading and spelling instruction.
Audiobooks and tech
Keep learning while reading catches up.
Alaska Center for Accessible Educational Materials (opens in a new tab)
Free print-access consultation and help finding audio, digital, Braille, and large-print materials.
Assistive Technology of Alaska (opens in a new tab)
Free technology advice, virtual demonstrations, and two-week device loans; some services have fees.
For adults
It is never too late to get help.
Alaska Literacy Program (opens in a new tab)
Serves Anchorage Municipality and Matanuska-Susitna Borough counties
Adult reading and English classes with income-based fees in Anchorage and Mat-Su.
Kenai Peninsula College Adult Education (opens in a new tab)
Serves Kenai Peninsula Borough
Free basic-skills refresher instruction for adults at Soldotna and Homer learning centers.
Kodiak College Adult Education (opens in a new tab)
Serves Kodiak Island Borough
Free adult basic-skills instruction and high school equivalency preparation on Kodiak Island.
Literacy Council of Alaska (opens in a new tab)
Adult reading classes and one-to-one high school equivalency tutoring in Fairbanks and the Interior.
The Learning Connection — Southeast Regional Resource Center (opens in a new tab)
Free adult reading and English help, with online options and tutors in rural communities.
For teachers
Orton-Gillingham and structured literacy training.
Alaska Staff Development Network Dyslexia Course (opens in a new tab)
Professional-development course on dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia for teacher recertification.
Schools for dyslexia in Alaska
Each one has a documented reading program. Ask to see it.
3 of 3 shown
- Public districtExtra reading help
Anchorage School District(opens in a new tab)
Anchorage · Anchorage Municipality
Screening three times a year, and dyslexia help such as Barton and SIPPS from trained staff.
Screens for dyslexia - Public districtExtra reading help
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District(opens in a new tab)
Fairbanks · Fairbanks North Star Borough
K-3 reading screening and reading plans, with UFLI phonics lessons for students who need extra help.
Screens for dyslexia - Public districtExtra reading help
North Slope Borough School District(opens in a new tab)
Utqiaġvik · North Slope Borough
CKLA phonics in every K-5 class, plus daily UFLI lessons for students who need the most reading help.
Screens for dyslexia
How Alaska reads
Students and adults, next to the whole U.S.
4th graders reading at Proficient
Public schools. The Nation's Report Card (NAEP), 2024
8th graders reading at Proficient
Public schools. The Nation's Report Card (NAEP), 2024
Adults who struggle to read
Ages 16 to 74 at or below Level 1 in a national adult skills survey (PIAAC), data through 2017
NAEP Proficient is a high bar, not the same as “on grade level.” Adult figures are model estimates. Sources: The Nation’s Report Card and the U.S. PIAAC Skills Map, both from NCES.
See reading scores in every stateAlso good, in every state
Bookshare (opens in a new tab)
Ebooks read aloud with highlighting, free for U.S. students with dyslexia; adults pay a yearly fee.
Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) (opens in a new tab)
Find your state's federally funded parent center for help with special education.
International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Provider Directory (opens in a new tab)
Search IDA's directory for dyslexia testing, tutoring, therapy, and advocacy near you.
Job Accommodation Network (JAN) (opens in a new tab)
Free, confidential advice on job accommodations for adults with dyslexia, by phone or email.
Learning Ally (opens in a new tab)
Human-read audiobooks for students with dyslexia. Families pay yearly; your school may already offer it.
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) (opens in a new tab)
Free audiobooks by mail or app for children and adults with a reading disability like dyslexia.
Alaska dyslexia questions
Does screening diagnose dyslexia?
No. Alaska’s statewide screener identifies reading difficulties and dyslexia risk; students may need further evaluation.
SourceHow is a 504 plan different from an IEP?
An IEP gives special education services to a student who qualifies. A 504 plan gives a student with a disability equal access, often through accommodations and aids; ask about both.
SourceWhat if I disagree with the school evaluation?
You can ask for an independent evaluation at public expense. The district must pay for it or ask for a hearing to defend its own evaluation.
SourceAre all adult literacy programs free?
No. Some programs are free, but Alaska Literacy Program lists $25 per eight-week quarter and income-based fee options; confirm current charges before enrolling.
SourceCan rural adults get reading help without travel?
The Learning Connection offers adult reading help and online options with tutors in rural communities. Ask which services reach your community; it is not a dyslexia diagnostic clinic.
SourceCan I file a state special education complaint?
Yes. Send a signed complaint about a problem from the past year; the state usually decides within 60 calendar days.
SourceCan someone with dyslexia get free audiobooks in Alaska?
Yes. Alaska State Library Talking Book Center lends free audiobooks to readers whose dyslexia makes print hard to read.
How well do students read in Alaska?
In 2024, 22% of Alaska 4th graders scored Proficient in reading on the NAEP test (U.S.: 30%). Proficient is a high bar: solid grade-level reading and more.
Nearby states
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Sources for this page (9)
- akleg.gov — AS 14.30.765(b) also requires plan implementation within 30 days. Statute says days, not school days.
- akleg.gov
- education.alaska.gov
- education.alaska.gov
- akleg.gov
- education.alaska.gov
- education.alaska.gov — Agency says required endorsements apply before working in K–3 classrooms, including new hires and support teachers.
- akleg.gov
- education.alaska.gov
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