Dyslexia Accommodations for a 504 Plan or IEP

These are options to discuss with your team, drawn from the standard accommodation taxonomy and read against Section 504 and IDEA. Read against OSEP/OSERS, Dear Colleague Letter on the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia in IDEA evaluations, eligibility and IEPs on July 19, 2026. Jump to sources

What accommodations help a student with dyslexia?

Common school accommodations for a student with dyslexia focus on getting past the reading and spelling barrier so the child can show what they actually know: hearing text read aloud, having more time and being able to respond in a way that is not blocked by spelling. An IEP or a 504 plan can carry these when the team agrees, from the evaluation, that they are needed. Federal guidance is clear that a school can name dyslexia directly in the evaluation and the IEP, so you can ask for it to be named. Treat the list below as options to talk through with your team, not a checklist the school must adopt.

How to use this list. This page uses person-first wording (a student with dyslexia); some people prefer identity-first (a dyslexic student), so use whatever fits your child and family. These are accommodation options to discuss with your child's IEP or 504 team, not a list the school is required to adopt and not medical, legal or educational advice. The team decides what fits your child from the evaluation.

Common accommodation options for a student with dyslexia, by type

Circle the ones that match what you see with your child and bring them to the team as a starting point, not a demand list. The team decides what fits from the evaluation.

Presentation

Text and directions available in audio, such as audiobooks or text-to-speech
Directions read aloud or repeated
Fewer items on a page and larger or highlighted text
Key instructions given both out loud and in writing

Response

Speech-to-text or dictation to a scribe where writing is the barrier
Answers typed rather than handwritten
Spelling not counted on work that is not testing spelling
Answers given orally

Setting

A reduced-distraction or separate space for reading-heavy tasks
Small-group or individual test administration

Timing and scheduling

Extended time on reading and writing tasks
More frequent breaks during long reading
A long task split across sessions

Does this go in a 504 plan or an IEP?

Dyslexia often calls for specialized reading instruction, which usually points to an IEP under the specific learning disability category. When a child mainly needs accommodations rather than specialized instruction, a 504 plan can carry them. The IEP vs 504 guide explains how the team decides.

A preview of the free Dyslexia Accommodations List (504 and IEP), one printable page

Get the free Dyslexia Accommodations List (504 and IEP) (PDF)

The most common dyslexia accommodation options grouped by type, to circle and bring to the team.

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The IEP & 504 Command Center

This page shows the options to discuss. The Command Center hands you the done pieces: the binder built, the letters written, the meeting scripts ready and a self-review that shows where your child's plan is strong or thin. The library stays free.

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Questions parents ask

Can the school write the word dyslexia in my child's IEP?

Yes. Guidance from the U.S. Department of Education says there is nothing in the law that stops a school from using the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia in evaluations, eligibility and the IEP. If naming it helps everyone understand your child's needs, you can ask the team to name it.

Are audiobooks and text-to-speech considered accommodations?

They are among the most common presentation accommodations a team considers for a reading barrier, because they let a child reach grade-level ideas that decoding alone would block. Whether they fit your child is the team's decision from the evaluation. Bring them as options to discuss.

Can spelling stop counting against my child?

On work that is not testing spelling, teams often consider not counting spelling so a child's ideas are not buried under decoding and spelling effort. On a spelling test itself the skill being measured is spelling, so that one is different. This is a good question to raise with the team as an option.

Does my child need an IEP or a 504 plan for dyslexia?

It depends on the evaluation. When a child needs specialized reading instruction, an IEP under the specific learning disability category is usually the fit. When a child mainly needs accommodations, a 504 plan can carry them. The team decides together. The IEP vs 504 guide explains the difference.

Sources

What the facts on this page come from

OSEP/OSERS, Dear Colleague Letter on the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia in IDEA evaluations, eligibility and IEPs (Oct 23, 2015) sites.ed.gov/idea/idea-files/osep-dear-colleague-letter-on-ideaiep-terms/
IDEA, 34 CFR 300.8(c)(10) (dyslexia is named within the specific learning disability category) sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8
Section 504, 34 CFR 104.33(b)(1) (appropriate education: regular or special education and related aids and services) with IDEA 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4) (supplementary aids and services in the IEP) www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-I/part-104/subpart-D/section-104.33
International Dyslexia Association, Accommodations for Students with Dyslexia (fact sheet) dyslexiaida.org/accommodations-for-students-with-dyslexia/
IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University (accommodation categories: presentation, response, setting, timing and scheduling) iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/acc/

This page is general educational information for parents, not legal or educational advice. It does not tell any family what to do. Every example here is a starting point to discuss and adapt with your child's IEP or 504 team, which decides what fits your child from the evaluation. Confirm anything time-sensitive with your school or district. For a genuinely contested situation, a special education advocate or an attorney who works in your state is the right person to ask.