South Dakota Dyslexia Resources
Ask for a school evaluation and free parent guidance; use the state's dyslexia handbook.
More about dyslexia help in South Dakota
South Dakota law defines dyslexia, and the state publishes a dyslexia handbook. A 2025 bill for statewide dyslexia screening did not pass.
South Dakota Parent Connection gives free one-on-one guidance to parents. Testing, tutoring, and adult classes are listed below.
- Not sureDyslexia screening law
- 28%4th graders at Proficient
- FreeParent help with IEPs
- 24Places to get help
Start here
The go-to contacts for families in South Dakota.
Free parent help
South Dakota Parent Connection
Free individualized school guidance through the Navigator Program, plus parent information and training.
FreeState dyslexia guidance
South Dakota Department of Education Dyslexia Supports
Official dyslexia handbook and family and educator guidance.
FreeSpecial education office
South Dakota Special Education Programs
State special education guidance, parent rights, IEP forms, and dispute resources.
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More go-to contacts
Parent-led dyslexia group
Decoding Dyslexia South Dakota(opens in a new tab)
Dyslexia association
International Dyslexia Association Upper Midwest Branch(opens in a new tab)
Adult reading help
South Dakota Adult Education and Literacy Program(opens in a new tab)
How to get help in South Dakota
The steps and deadlines in South Dakota rules.
Request an evaluation in writing
Send reading concerns and work samples to the district. Ask for a special education evaluation and a written response.
- Time limit: 25 school days
Give informed consent
The initial evaluation is due within 25 school days after the district receives signed consent, unless another timeline is agreed.
- Time limit: 30 days
Meet to review eligibility
Reports, eligibility, and the IEP meeting are due within 30 calendar days after the 25-school-day or agreed evaluation timeline ends.
Write a reading plan
If eligible, agree on reading instruction, goals, progress reports, and accommodations in the IEP. Ask about 504 support if needed.
Question an evaluation
If you disagree with the district evaluation, ask for an independent evaluation at public expense; the district may defend its test at a hearing.
Get help with a disagreement
Ask Parent Connection for guidance. State options include mediation, a written state complaint, and a due process hearing.
South Dakota dyslexia law
Each answer opens to what the law says and where.
Dyslexia screening
Not sure
What it says
A statewide dyslexia-screening mandate was not confirmed. The 2025 screening proposal was tabled, not enacted.
Help after screening
Partly
What it says
The state recommends explicit, systematic reading intervention; a dyslexia-specific statewide mandate was not confirmed.
Teacher training
Partly
What it says
Literacy Blueprint courses are offered to educators. The course deadline is not evidence of a statewide training law.
Dyslexia defined in law
Yes
What it says
State law defines dyslexia as a neurological learning disability affecting word recognition, spelling, and decoding.
SDCL 13-37-28.1; Session Laws 2020, chapter 60, section 1 (2020)
State dyslexia handbook
Yes
State dyslexia specialist
Not sure
What it says
Regional special education representatives are listed; a current statewide dyslexia specialist role was not confirmed.
Science of reading law
Partly
What it says
The literacy framework supports science-based reading instruction but explicitly does not dictate a curriculum.
- Compare dyslexia laws in every state
Dyslexia testing, tutoring and support in South Dakota
Pick what you need.
Get tested
School testing is free. Clinics add detail.
University of South Dakota Scottish Rite Children's Clinic (opens in a new tab)
Dyslexia evaluations in Sioux Falls for eligible students through age 21; ask about scholarships.
Tutoring and programs
Explicit, structured reading help.
Northern State University Reading Clinic (opens in a new tab)
Free K-5 reading tutoring in Aberdeen; fall is full, with spring 2027 applications planned.
Pathways Literacy Center (opens in a new tab)
Structured literacy tutoring and dyslexia assessment in Sioux Falls; scholarships may be available.
Audiobooks and tech
Keep learning while reading catches up.
DakotaLink (opens in a new tab)
Try assistive technology, get device advice, and ask about funding; some services have fees.
Siouxland Libraries Reading Kits and Audio Books (opens in a new tab)
Serves Minnehaha County
Reading-skill kits and books with built-in audio; free cards for eligible local users.
For adults
It is never too late to get help.
Career Learning Center of the Black Hills Adult Education (opens in a new tab)
Free adult classes in Rapid City and the Black Hills; testing costs extra, with scholarships available.
Cornerstones Career Learning Center (opens in a new tab)
Free adult basic skills classes and statewide online study; younger learners and testing have fees.
Hovland Learning Center at Southeast Technical College (opens in a new tab)
Free adult basic skills, English, and high-school-equivalency preparation in Sioux Falls.
Lake Area Technical College Adult Education and Literacy (opens in a new tab)
Free adult reading, basic skills, and English classes in Watertown and Brookings.
Lutheran Social Services Center for New Americans English Classes (opens in a new tab)
Free adult English reading and writing classes, in person or online.
Oglala Lakota College Community and Continuing Education (opens in a new tab)
Serves Oglala Lakota, Bennett, and Jackson counties
Individual adult education and high-school-equivalency tutoring at Pine Ridge college centers.
Sinte Gleska University Adult Basic Education (opens in a new tab)
Serves Todd, Mellette, and 2 more counties
Free adult basic education and one-to-one tutoring in four south-central South Dakota counties.
For teachers
Orton-Gillingham and structured literacy training.
South Dakota Literacy Blueprint Courses (opens in a new tab)
Science of Reading courses for educators through public university partners.
University of South Dakota Dyslexia Graduate Certificate (opens in a new tab)
Online graduate certificate for educators teaching students with dyslexia and reading difficulties.
Schools for dyslexia in South Dakota
Each one has a documented reading program. Ask to see it.
2 of 2 shown
- Public districtExtra reading help
Sioux Falls School District(opens in a new tab)
Sioux Falls · Minnehaha County
Middle-school reading intervention with explicit, systematic phonics and phonemic awareness lessons.
- Public district
Rapid City Area Schools(opens in a new tab)
Rapid City · Pennington County
District dyslexia guidance, reading-support information, and staff training.
Screens for dyslexiaDyslexia contact
Dyslexia help by county in South Dakota
Local schools, groups, and services in each guide.
How South Dakota 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.
South Dakota dyslexia questions
Does dyslexia automatically qualify a student for an IEP?
No. South Dakota includes dyslexia within specific learning disability, but eligibility depends on an evaluation and need for special education.
SourceCan a student get 504 support without qualifying for special education?
Yes, if the disability substantially limits a major life activity; 504 eligibility is separate. A 504 plan does not automatically replace needed reading instruction.
SourceWhere can a parent get free help?
South Dakota Parent Connection gives free one-on-one guidance to parents and school staff. Disability Rights South Dakota may also take some disability-rights cases.
SourceIs all private dyslexia testing free?
No. Ask the Scottish Rite clinic about evaluation fees and scholarships; Pathways charges different fees for skills assessment and dyslexia evaluation. A private report does not guarantee school eligibility.
SourceWhat can families outside Sioux Falls use?
Northern State offers K-5 reading tutoring in Aberdeen. Accessible Library Services offers free books and equipment, and Cornerstones offers statewide distance learning after intake; these are not all dyslexia-specific services.
SourceCan a learning disability qualify for accessible books?
Yes, if it prevents access to standard print and program eligibility is met. South Dakota Accessible Library Services provides audio and Braille materials and equipment free of charge.
SourceCan someone with dyslexia get free audiobooks in South Dakota?
Yes. South Dakota Accessible Library Services (605-773-3131) lends free audiobooks to readers whose dyslexia makes print hard to read.
How well do students read in South Dakota?
In 2024, 28% of South Dakota 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 (20)
- sdlegislature.gov
- sdlegislature.gov — ARSD 24:05:25:03; ARSD 24:05:13:01(10) defines unqualified days as calendar days. Not 30 days from the initial request.
- sdlegislature.gov
- sdlegislature.gov
- sdlegislature.gov
- sdlegislature.gov — ARSD 24:05:30:03: subject to criteria; without unnecessary delay district must fund or request due process. Not automatically free for every private test.
- doe.sd.gov — School eligibility requires disability-related educational need. Federal 504 source is cited in FAQ; eligibility is individualized.
- Current English and translated parental safeguards
- doe.sd.gov
- Free Navigator guidance
- Disability rights agency and case priorities
- pathwaysliteracycenter.org — Current $299 skills assessment versus $499 dyslexia-characteristics evaluation; donor scholarship help.
- northern.edu — Free K-5 tutoring; fall full and spring 2027 applications planned.
- sdlegislature.gov — Committee tabled bill February 12, 2025. Passed describes the motion to table, not enactment.
- sdlegislature.gov — Reviewed live 2026 bill-title list and current special education chapter. Not an exhaustive guarantee that no screening provision exists.
- doe.sd.gov — Previous cohort completion deadline September 30, 2026; no universal statutory mandate inferred.
- doe.sd.gov — Current agency hub still links handbook; document age is visible, not presented as a 2026 revision.
- doe.sd.gov
- doe.sd.gov — 2023 framework, pages 5-6; guidance, not proof of a statutory curriculum requirement or three-cueing ban.
- doe.sd.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