Arkansas Dyslexia Resources
K-3 screening and reading intervention are required. Get parent training and help with school evaluations.
More about dyslexia help in Arkansas
Arkansas requires K-3 screening and screening of older students with documented fluency or spelling concerns. Students who need dyslexia intervention receive it from trained staff, with progress reports at least quarterly.
Request a school evaluation in writing if you suspect a disability. The Center for Exceptional Families offers parent training; Disability Rights Arkansas gives free disability-rights help, based on its case priorities.
Start here
The go-to contacts for families in Arkansas.
Free parent help
The Center for Exceptional Families
Parent support and free online training to prepare for school meetings.
FreeState dyslexia guidance
Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Dyslexia Guidance
Official dyslexia guide, screening information, and the state specialist's office contact.
FreeSpecial education office
Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Special Education
State special education guidance, family resources, and dispute-resolution information.
Free
More go-to contacts
Parent-led dyslexia group
The Dyslexia Project Decoding Dyslexia Arkansas(opens in a new tab)
Department of education
Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education(opens in a new tab)
How to get help in Arkansas
The steps and deadlines in Arkansas rules.
- Time limit: 7 days
Make a written referral
Ask school staff to complete the referral form. Within 7 calendar days of receipt, the district schedules a conference and sends written notice.
- Time limit: 21 days
Attend the referral conference
The referral conference is held within 21 calendar days of receipt of the written referral. The team decides whether to evaluate.
- Time limit: 60 days
Give evaluation consent
Sign consent for testing. The school must finish testing within 60 calendar days, unless your child changes schools or is not brought to testing.
- Time limit: 30 days
Review eligibility and write the plan
Meet within 30 calendar days after testing to decide eligibility and, if appropriate, develop an IEP. Give separate consent for initial services.
- Time limit: 30 days
Check that services begin
IEP services start as soon as possible, no later than 30 calendar days after the meeting unless the IEP specifies otherwise.
Ask for help if you disagree
If you disagree with the school's evaluation, request an independent evaluation at public expense. The district must fund it or seek a hearing.
Arkansas dyslexia law
Each answer opens to what the law says and where.
Dyslexia screening
Yes
What it says
K-3: screening early in the year and at year end, plus midyear if needed. Grades 3-12: when fluency or spelling concerns are documented.
Help after screening
Yes
What it says
Students needing dyslexia intervention receive it from trained staff; generally it starts within 30 days of identification for screening.
Teacher training
Yes
What it says
Each teacher receives awareness training on dyslexia, interventions, and accommodations; interventionists need program training.
Dyslexia defined in law
Yes
What it says
Dyslexia is a neurological learning disability affecting fluent word recognition, spelling, and decoding.
State dyslexia handbook
Yes
What it says
The state publishes a Dyslexia Resource Guide. Use current rules for screening duties when older guidance differs.
State dyslexia specialist
Yes
What it says
The state must employ a dyslexia specialist and train a specialist in each education cooperative; districts need an interventionist.
Science of reading law
Yes
What it says
The Right to Read Act requires reading-science-based curriculum programs and an approved state list.
- Compare dyslexia laws in every state
Dyslexia testing, tutoring and support in Arkansas
Pick what you need.
Official help
What your state says schools must do.
Arkansas Technical Assistance Manual: Identification of Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (opens in a new tab)
A 2016 state manual for schools on deciding if a student has a learning disability, like dyslexia.
Help with IEPs and 504 plans
Free experts who know the rules.
Arkansas Family Guide to Special Education (opens in a new tab)
A 2019 state guide for parents on special education testing, IEPs, and your rights.
Get tested
School testing is free. Clinics add detail.
University of Arkansas Speech and Hearing Clinic (opens in a new tab)
University clinic offering assessment and intervention for students with reading or writing concerns.
Tutoring and programs
Explicit, structured reading help.
The APPLE Group (opens in a new tab)
One-to-one dyslexia therapy for children and adults, in Jonesboro or live on Zoom.
Audiobooks and tech
Keep learning while reading catches up.
Increasing Capabilities Access Network (opens in a new tab)
Assistive-technology loans, demonstrations, and training for Arkansans of all ages.
For adults
It is never too late to get help.
Adult Learning Alliance of Arkansas (opens in a new tab)
Finds adult literacy programs and local literacy councils across Arkansas.
Literacy Council of the Ouachitas (opens in a new tab)
Serves Garland, Montgomery, and 2 more counties
Free adult literacy tutoring, including a Barton pathway for adults with dyslexia.
Twin Lakes Literacy Council (opens in a new tab)
Serves Baxter County
Free adult tutoring in reading, English, math, and computer skills in Mountain Home.
University of Arkansas Rich Mountain Adult Education (opens in a new tab)
Adult reading and basic-skills instruction at Mena and Mount Ida, with distance-learning options.
For teachers
Orton-Gillingham and structured literacy training.
University of Central Arkansas Dyslexia Graduate Certificate (opens in a new tab)
Graduate courses preparing educators for Arkansas's K-12 dyslexia teaching endorsement.
Schools for dyslexia in Arkansas
Each one has a documented reading program. Ask to see it.
7 of 7 shown
- Public districtExtra reading help
Mountain Home Public Schools(opens in a new tab)
Baxter County
Barton dyslexia intervention documented in the district's 2025-26 report.
- PublicExtra reading help
Cutter Morning Star Elementary School(opens in a new tab)
Hot Springs · Garland County · Grades K-6
Sonday System and Take Flight dyslexia intervention documented in the 2025-26 elementary plan.
- Public districtExtra reading help
Calico Rock Public Schools(opens in a new tab)
Izard County
Small-group Barton dyslexia intervention documented for 2025-26.
- Public districtExtra reading help
Lawrence County School District(opens in a new tab)
Lawrence County
Sonday System and Take Flight dyslexia intervention documented for 2025-26.
- Public districtExtra reading help
Cabot Public Schools(opens in a new tab)
Cabot · Lonoke County
Take Flight and Sonday System dyslexia intervention documented in the July 2026 district report.
- Public districtExtra reading help
Little Rock School District(opens in a new tab)
Pulaski County
Wilson Reading System dyslexia intervention for grades 2-12, documented on the current district page.
- Public districtExtra reading help
Strong-Huttig School District(opens in a new tab)
Union County
Sonday System and Take Flight dyslexia support documented for 2025-26 and planned for 2026-27.
How Arkansas 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.
Arkansas dyslexia questions
Does screening decide special education eligibility?
No. Screening guides instruction; a full school evaluation determines special education eligibility and educational needs.
SourceMust I pay for a private dyslexia diagnosis to get school intervention?
No. School screening can show a need for dyslexia intervention. If you choose an outside dyslexia evaluation, you pay for it, and the school must consider the results.
SourceCan dyslexia supports include a 504 plan?
Yes, when the student qualifies. Dyslexia intervention does not replace the school's duties under Section 504 or special education law.
SourceWhere can parents learn about school meetings?
The Center for Exceptional Families offers free online parent-toolkit training and information about the IEP process.
SourceIs there free adult reading help?
Arkansas Adult Education offers free basic-skills programs. Ask a local center about reading classes and accommodations.
SourceWhat if school concerns are not resolved?
Contact the state Dispute Resolution Section about complaints, due process hearings, or mediation. Parent support can help you understand these choices.
SourceHow do I get my child tested for dyslexia in Arkansas?
Ask your child's public school, in writing, for a free evaluation. Ask school staff to complete the referral form. Within 7 calendar days of receipt, the district schedules a conference and sends written notice. This guide also lists 1 place for private testing.
SourceCan someone with dyslexia get free audiobooks in Arkansas?
Yes. Arkansas Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (866-660-0885) lends free audiobooks to readers whose dyslexia makes print hard to read.
How well do students read in Arkansas?
In 2024, 28% of Arkansas 4th graders scored Proficient in reading on the NAEP test (U.S.: 30%). Proficient is a high bar: solid grade-level reading and more.
Neighboring states
Learn more
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Sources for this page (18)
- Arkansas Special Education
- Arkansas official dyslexia guidance — Live page links a guide PDF with a 2021 filename; older page text still describes 2018 rules. Current codified rules checked independently.
- Codified Dyslexia Screenings and Interventions Rules
- 6 CAR §§ 130-403, 130-404
- Arkansas Adult Education
- Disability Rights Arkansas
- Free parent-toolkit training
- 6 CAR § 91-104(f) — Trigger: identification as requiring screening. If a parent chooses an independent evaluation, appropriate intervention starts within 30 days of district receipt of its results.
- 6 CAR § 91-105. Required screening for 3-12
- 6 CAR § 91-106. Requirements for intervention
- 6 CAR § 91-112. Professional awareness
- 6 CAR § 91-103. Definitions
- 6 CAR § 91-110. Dyslexia specialist
- 6 CAR § 91-111. Dyslexia interventionists
- Approved Science of Reading Curriculum
- 6 CAR § 130-603
- 6 CAR § 130-803(b)
- 6 CAR § 130-903(b) — Fund an independent educational evaluation or file for a hearing, subject to rule conditions. No invented numeric response deadline.
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Dyslexia resources in every state