Maryland Dyslexia Resources
Get K-3 reading screening, a reading improvement plan, and free parent help.
More about dyslexia help in Maryland
Maryland screens all K-3 students three times yearly. Rules effective March 30, 2026 require reading improvement plans starting in 2026-27, with an IEP-team review for students who already have an IEP.
Ask for a special education evaluation in writing. It must be done within 60 days after you give consent, and within 90 days after the school system gets your written request.
Start here
The go-to contacts for families in Maryland.
Free parent help
Parents’ Place of Maryland
Free help with special education, IEPs, and parent rights.
FreeState dyslexia guidance
Maryland Reading Screening and Intervention Rules
Read the current K-3 screening and supplemental instruction rules.
FreeSpecial education office
Maryland State Department of Education - Special Education Family Support and Dispute Resolution
Get state special education timelines, complaints, mediation, and parent help.
Free
More go-to contacts
Free legal advocacy
Disability Rights Maryland(opens in a new tab)
Parent-led dyslexia group
Decoding Dyslexia Maryland(opens in a new tab)
Dyslexia association
International Dyslexia Association Maryland(opens in a new tab)
Department of education
Maryland State Department of Education - Reading Difficulties(opens in a new tab)
Adult reading help
Maryland Adult Education and Literacy Services(opens in a new tab)
Job help for adults
Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services(opens in a new tab)
How to get help in Maryland
The steps and deadlines in Maryland rules.
Ask about the reading plan
If your K-3 child shows reading risk, ask for the screening results and help write the reading plan. If your child has an IEP, the IEP team reviews it instead.
Request an evaluation in writing
If you suspect a disability, send the school system a written referral. Reading intervention must not delay a disability evaluation.
- Time limit: 60 days
Give consent and track both deadlines
The evaluation must be done within 60 calendar days after your consent and 90 days after the school got your written request. A few exceptions apply.
- Time limit: 30 days
Review eligibility and write the IEP
The team considers assessments and parent input. For an eligible student, the team meets to develop an IEP within 30 calendar days of evaluation.
- Time limit: 30 days
Disagree with the evaluation?
Request an independent educational evaluation at public expense. The school system must approve or deny in writing within 30 calendar days.
Ask for dispute help
Ask about mediation, a signed written state complaint, or due process. Parents’ Place offers free help understanding special education rights.
Maryland dyslexia law
Each answer opens to what the law says and where.
Dyslexia screening
Yes
What it says
All K-3 students are screened in fall, winter, and spring; the first screening is within 60 calendar days of school starting.
COMAR 13A.03.08.03 (2026)
Help after screening
Yes
What it says
From 2026-27, students at risk get a diagnostic survey and reading plan; students with IEPs receive an IEP-team review.
COMAR 13A.03.08.05G-K (2026)
Teacher training
Partly
What it says
Screeners must be trained. Broader science-of-reading policy training requirements need further scope and deadline review.
COMAR 13A.03.08.04D (2026)
Dyslexia defined in law
Partly
What it says
Special education rules include dyslexia within specific learning disability; reading rules define reading difficulties.
State dyslexia handbook
Yes
What it says
The education department provides reading-difficulty implementation guidance and a dyslexia warning-sign checklist.
State dyslexia specialist
Not sure
What it says
A separately designated statewide dyslexia specialist was not confirmed; use the education department's reading guidance.
Science of reading law
Yes
What it says
Tier II and III reading interventions must use a science-of-reading-aligned program from the 2026-27 school year.
COMAR 13A.03.08.05F,J(4) (2026)
- Compare dyslexia laws in every state
Dyslexia testing, tutoring and support in Maryland
Pick what you need.
Get tested
School testing is free. Clinics add detail.
Kennedy Krieger Educational Evaluation Services (opens in a new tab)
Independent educational evaluations and school-placement consultations for students.
Summit Resource Center Diagnostic Testing (opens in a new tab)
Diagnostic learning evaluations for students and adults, including reading and writing concerns.
Tutoring and programs
Explicit, structured reading help.
Dyslexia Tutoring Program (opens in a new tab)
Free Orton-Gillingham tutoring for eligible learners in greater Baltimore.
Siena Tutors (opens in a new tab)
Online one-to-one reading and academic tutoring for students with dyslexia or learning differences.
Summit Resource Center Tutoring (opens in a new tab)
Individual reading tutoring using multisensory phonics methods, plus writing and study support.
Towson University Reading Clinic (opens in a new tab)
Low-cost reading assessment and tutoring for students and adults; online sessions for students.
Audiobooks and tech
Keep learning while reading catches up.
Maryland Assistive Technology Program (opens in a new tab)
Try, borrow, reuse, or finance assistive technology in Maryland.
For adults
It is never too late to get help.
Allegany College of Maryland Adult Education (opens in a new tab)
Free adult reading and basic-skills classes, with online and in-person learning options.
Garrett College Adult Basic Education (opens in a new tab)
Serves Garrett County
Free adult reading and basic-skills classes in Oakland, Grantsville, and Accident, with blended learning.
Literacy Council of Washington County Maryland (opens in a new tab)
Serves Washington County
Free one-to-one reading, writing, and English tutoring for adults near Washington County.
For teachers
Orton-Gillingham and structured literacy training.
McDaniel College Dyslexia Specialization (opens in a new tab)
Online Wilson Reading System certification for Maryland literacy professionals.
Schools for dyslexia in Maryland
Each one has a documented reading program. Ask to see it.
9 of 9 shown
- Dyslexia school
The Summit School(opens in a new tab)
Edgewater · Anne Arundel County · Grades 1-8
Grades 1-8 school for students with dyslexia and learning differences, with Orton-Gillingham instruction.
Financial aid - Dyslexia school
Jemicy School(opens in a new tab)
Owings Mills · Baltimore County · Grades 1-12
Specialized grades 1-12 school for students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences.
Financial aid - Dyslexia school
Radcliffe Creek School(opens in a new tab)
Chestertown · Kent County · Grades K-8
K-8 school with Orton-Gillingham reading instruction on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
Financial aid - Dyslexia school
The Siena School Silver Spring(opens in a new tab)
Silver Spring · Montgomery County · Grades 3-12
Grades 3-12 dyslexia-focused school with daily Orton-Gillingham reading intervention and financial aid.
Financial aid - Public districtExtra reading help
Calvert County Public Schools(opens in a new tab)
Calvert County
Reading programs include Wilson Reading System and other structured literacy interventions.
- Public districtExtra reading help
Washington County Public Schools(opens in a new tab)
Washington County
Western Maryland reading screening and intensive Wilson intervention documented for 2026-27.
Screens for dyslexia - Public districtExtra reading help
Worcester County Public Schools(opens in a new tab)
Worcester County
Fundations phonics lessons, plus Just Words and Wilson for older students who struggle with reading.
- Public district
Kent County Public Schools(opens in a new tab)
Kent County
K-3 reading screening and structured literacy intervention, with reading improvement plans.
Screens for dyslexia - Public district
Talbot County Public Schools(opens in a new tab)
Talbot County
Find the district's reading-risk screening and intervention information.
Screens for dyslexia
How Maryland 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.
Maryland dyslexia questions
Does Maryland screen for reading difficulties?
All K-3 students are screened three times each school year under rules effective March 30, 2026. Screening identifies risk; it is not a dyslexia diagnosis.
SourceHow long can a special education evaluation take?
It must be done within 60 calendar days after you give consent, and within 90 days after the school system gets your written request. A few exceptions apply, such as a move to a new school system.
SourceWhere can I get free parent help?
Parents’ Place of Maryland is the state Parent Training and Information Center and says its family services are free.
SourceDoes a dyslexia diagnosis automatically mean an IEP?
No: the evaluation team must find an eligible disability and a need for special education and related services. Ask the school about evaluation, not only a reading screener.
SourceCan a student get a 504 plan without an IEP?
Yes, if the student meets Section 504 eligibility and needs support. Ask the school's 504 coordinator about evaluation; federal rules allow aids and services even when special education is not needed.
SourceAre there schools for dyslexia in Maryland?
Yes. This guide lists 4 schools built for students with dyslexia: Jemicy School (Owings Mills), Radcliffe Creek School (Chestertown), The Siena School Silver Spring (Silver Spring), and 1 more. Public districts with reading programs are listed too.
Can someone with dyslexia get free audiobooks in Maryland?
Yes. Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled lends free audiobooks to readers whose dyslexia makes print hard to read.
How well do students read in Maryland?
In 2024, 34% of Maryland 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
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Sources for this page (10)
- regs.maryland.gov
- regs.maryland.gov — Section .06A(1)(a)-(b): both deadlines; .06A(2)-(3): exceptions; .03B(16) defines day as calendar day.
- regs.maryland.gov — Replacement regulations effective March 30, 2026; original chapter effective July 26, 2021.
- regs.maryland.gov
- regs.maryland.gov
- regs.maryland.gov
- marylandpublicschools.org — Reviewed agency guidance; this does not establish the presence or absence of a specialist.
- regs.maryland.gov
- regs.maryland.gov
- regs.maryland.gov
We list official, nonprofit, university, and well-known services, checked by people. No paid listings. Not legal or medical advice; confirm details with each organization.
Dyslexia resources in every state