Montana Dyslexia Resources
Dyslexia screening and intervention are required. Ask for a school evaluation and free parent support.
More about dyslexia help in Montana
Montana requires screening on first entry to a district through grade 2, and for older students not previously screened who miss reading benchmarks. Screening concerns trigger intervention; new reading standards take effect in July 2027.
Request a school evaluation in writing and keep dated consent. Initial assessment normally takes no more than 60 calendar days after the district receives consent; a first learning-plan meeting is due within 30 calendar days of eligibility.
Start here
The go-to contacts for families in Montana.
Free parent help
Montana Empowerment Center
Free parent training and special education help for Montana families.
FreeState dyslexia guidance
Montana Office of Public Instruction Dyslexia Resources
Official dyslexia screening, intervention, family, and educator guidance.
FreeSpecial education office
Montana Special Education Family Resources
Official evaluation, learning-plan, parent-rights, and dispute-resolution guidance.
Free
More go-to contacts
Parent-led dyslexia group
Decoding Dyslexia Montana(opens in a new tab)
How to get help in Montana
The steps and deadlines in Montana rules.
Ask in writing
Ask the district in writing to evaluate your child for a reading disability. Keep a copy; if it says no, ask for the reasons in writing.
- Time limit: 60 days
Give consent and track the date
Testing must normally be finished within 60 calendar days after the district gets your signed consent.
Review the evaluation together
Review results with the team. Special education eligibility requires both a qualifying disability and a need for specialized instruction.
- Time limit: 30 days
Write the first learning plan
If your child qualifies, the team must meet within 30 calendar days to write the IEP (individualized education program).
Give consent and check services
Sign consent for the IEP; services must start as soon as possible after that. Keep the written progress reports.
Ask for help if you disagree
Ask about an independent evaluation at public expense, mediation, or a state complaint. The parent center can help explain your options.
Montana dyslexia law
Each answer opens to what the law says and where.
Dyslexia screening
Yes
What it says
Screening on first entry to a district through grade 2, and for older students that district never screened who miss reading benchmarks.
MCA 20-7-469(3)(b) (2019)
Help after screening
Yes
What it says
When screening or a medical diagnosis suggests dyslexia, the district must identify needs and implement best-practice interventions.
MCA 20-7-469(3)(c) (2019)
Teacher training
Partly
What it says
Screening must be done by staff trained to identify dyslexia signs; broader teacher dyslexia training is urged, not universally required.
MCA 20-7-469(3)(b)(ii), (5) (2019)
Dyslexia defined in law
Yes
What it says
Montana defines dyslexia as a neurological specific learning disability involving word recognition, spelling, and decoding.
MCA 20-7-469(2) (2019)
State dyslexia handbook
Yes
What it says
The Office of Public Instruction publishes official dyslexia FAQs, screening guidance, and educator resources online.
State dyslexia specialist
Not sure
What it says
The state lists outside dyslexia experts for consultation; a dedicated education-agency dyslexia specialist was not confirmed.
Science of reading law
PartlyMore from July 2027
What it says
New reading standards adding decoding, spelling, and decodable texts take effect July 1, 2027; the 2011 standards apply until then.
Source (2025)
- Compare dyslexia laws in every state
Dyslexia testing, tutoring and support in Montana
Pick what you need.
Tutoring and programs
Explicit, structured reading help.
Dyslexia Screening and Tutoring Services (opens in a new tab)
Billings screening and Barton tutoring for children and adults, in person or online.
Montana State University Billings Reading Clinic (opens in a new tab)
Eight weeks of one-to-one reading tutoring by education students in Billings; $100, scholarships available.
Randak Dyslexia Center (opens in a new tab)
Billings dyslexia screening and Barton tutoring, with remote options.
Audiobooks and tech
Keep learning while reading catches up.
MonTECH (opens in a new tab)
Free assistive-device loans, statewide shipping, and online or in-person demonstrations.
For adults
It is never too late to get help.
Billings Adult Education (opens in a new tab)
Free adult basic-education and English classes for learners age 16+ outside high school.
Butte Literacy Program (opens in a new tab)
Serves Silver Bow County
Free one-to-one adult literacy tutoring in Butte for learners age 16 and older.
Flathead Valley Community College Adult Education (opens in a new tab)
Serves Flathead, Lincoln, and 2 more counties
Free adult basic-skills and English classes, in person or online, in four northwest counties.
Great Falls Career and College Readiness Center (opens in a new tab)
Free adult literacy, college preparation, and work-readiness help in Great Falls.
Lewis & Clark Literacy Council (opens in a new tab)
Serves Lewis and Clark County
Free Helena-area tutoring in reading, writing, math, and English.
Miles Community College Adult Education (opens in a new tab)
Free individualized reading, English, and math instruction in Miles City.
For teachers
Orton-Gillingham and structured literacy training.
Montana Office of Public Instruction Literacy Programs (opens in a new tab)
Reading-science professional learning, literacy grants, and district implementation support.
Schools for dyslexia in Montana
Each one has a documented reading program. Ask to see it.
5 of 5 shown
- Dyslexia school
Cottonwood Day School(opens in a new tab)
Bozeman · Gallatin County · Grades 1-12
Orton-Gillingham reading instruction for grades 1-12, with need-based financial aid.
Financial aid - Public district
Bozeman Public Schools(opens in a new tab)
Bozeman · Gallatin County
Free early-learning classrooms for eligible four-year-olds, with literacy screening.
Screens for dyslexia - Public district
Whitehall School District(opens in a new tab)
Whitehall · Jefferson County
Early reading help, age 4 to grade 3, for children who screen at risk; ask which options run this year.
Screens for dyslexia - Public districtClassroom program
Livingston Public Schools(opens in a new tab)
Livingston · Park County
Structured literacy in every classroom: sounds, letters, and word parts taught step by step.
- Public district
Billings Public Schools(opens in a new tab)
Billings · Yellowstone County
Reading classes for 4-year-olds and summer reading help through grade 3 for children who screen at risk.
Screens for dyslexia
Dyslexia help by county in Montana
Local schools, groups, and services in each guide.
How Montana 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.
Montana dyslexia questions
Does Montana require dyslexia screening?
Yes: when a student first enters a district, up to grade 2, and older students the district never screened who miss reading benchmarks. It is not a yearly screening of every K-2 student.
SourceWhat happens after a concerning screener?
The district must identify the student's specific needs and implement best-practice interventions. The process may lead to special education consideration.
SourceCan the 60-day evaluation deadline change?
Only in a few cases: the student is repeatedly not brought for testing, or moves to another district and you and the new district agree on a date. For a suspected learning disability, you and the team can agree in writing to extend it.
SourceIs a dyslexia screener a diagnosis?
No: a screener only shows reading risk. A full evaluation decides whether a student qualifies for special education.
SourceCan a student get a 504 plan without an IEP?
Yes: a student who does not qualify for an IEP may still get help through a 504 plan. A student with an IEP does not need a separate 504 plan.
SourceAre preschool and summer literacy options required everywhere?
No: districts choose whether to offer these early reading programs, and a child is screened for them only if a parent asks. Ask your district what it offers.
SourceWhere can I get free help with an IEP or 504 plan in Montana?
Montana Empowerment Center (877-870-1190) and Disability Rights Montana (800-245-4743) help families for free, by phone or in meetings with the school.
Can someone with dyslexia get free audiobooks in Montana?
Yes. Montana Talking Books (406-444-5352) lends free audiobooks to readers whose dyslexia makes print hard to read.
How well do students read in Montana?
In 2024, 32% of Montana 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 (11)
- opi.mt.gov — University and external experts are not evidence of a dedicated state agency position. Unknown is not a finding of no specialist.
- Montana Code Annotated 20-7-469 — Definition is statutory.
- opifiles.mt.gov — Screening or diagnosis alone does not automatically determine school eligibility.
- ARM 10.16.3321 — Opened current active rule (effective May 25, 2007), incorporates federal evaluation rules and requires school psychologist for initial specific-learning-disability evaluation.
- sites.ed.gov — Specific-learning-disability evaluation extension; cannot unilaterally delay a referred evaluation for intervention.
- opifiles.mt.gov — Initial services require written consent. Guide also describes measurable annual goals and written progress reports; no fixed service-start day count inferred.
- opi.mt.gov — Full live page confirms mediation, complaints, due process, and dispute office 406-444-2046.
- opifiles.mt.gov — Downloaded full current report; 2025-26 actual screening/enrollment evidence distinguished from 2026-27 intentions.
- opi.mt.gov — Official agency confirms standards adoption and future implementation; not a current blanket curriculum law or a confirmed three-cueing ban.
- 2027 Montana English Language Arts and Literacy Content Standards — Downloaded official PDF: title page says adopted 2025, implementation July 2027; kindergarten foundational standards include decoding and encoding.
- opifiles.mt.gov — November 2025 official guide: district must fund qualifying independent evaluation or defend its evaluation in due process. Mediation voluntary; state complaints generally within one year.
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