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Myths persist because they offer simple explanations for complex issues and are often passed from person to person, long after research has changed. Some arise from outdated training or lack of professional development, some from misinterpreting national and state laws, and some from confusion between dyslexia, reading difficulties, and special education eligibility. Here are some of the most common misconceptions that may arise in schools:
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"People with dyslexia see letters backwards."
"We have to wait until 3rd grade to identify dyslexia."
"Kindergarten is too young to evaluate for Special Education."
"Schools cannot diagnose dyslexia."
"People with dyslexia see letters backwards."
Letter reversals are common in many young children, including those without dyslexia, because our brains are wired to perceive objects as the same from any angle: a chair is a chair no matter how we are looking at it. We have to train our brains to view similar letters as unique objects.
Additionally, visual stress is a visual-perceptual processing condition that causes text to appear distorted, blurred, or moving. Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference and not primarily a visual problem, although some dyslexic individuals may experience visual stress. Working memory and weak phonemic skills may contribute to letter confusion.
Why it persists:
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Easy for adults to notice in early writing
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Became a widely repeated public explanation decades ago
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Simplifies a complex language-based issue
Brooks et al., (2011) “Research has shown that reversals are neither the hallmark cause nor defining feature of dyslexia nor the result of a visual perceptual dysfunction (e.g., Vellutino, 1979). Likewise, reversals do not appear to be related to inability to attend to the left-right visual orientation cues of letters alone (Simner, 1984).”
Treiman et al., (2014) “This outcome speaks against the widespread view that reversals in the production of individual letters are a good predictor of future reading problems… Educators and clinicians, therefore, should not assume that reversal errors in writing are indicative of dyslexia.”
How you can respond: “That’s a common and persistent misconception, but dyslexia affects how the brain processes language. It doesn’t cause people to see or write letters backwards.”
"We have to wait until 3rd grade to identify dyslexia."
Research shows that risk factors for dyslexia can often be identified in kindergarten and 1st grade, sometimes even earlier. Screening requirements in Washington, Idaho, and Montana were created specifically to support earlier identification and intervention.
Why it persists:
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Older educational models relied on a "wait-to-fail" approach in which schools waited for a large achievement gap before acting.
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3rd grade is incorrectly seen as the shift from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” in which classrooms no longer teach foundational skills.
IDEA, 34 C.F.R. § 300.111 Child find “All children with disabilities residing in the State, including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State, and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated”
How you can respond: “There is no federal or state law that requires waiting until 3rd grade. In fact, state law requires dyslexia screening beginning in kindergarten. Decades of research show that dyslexia risk can be identified before reading failure occurs, not after.”
"Kindergarten is too young to evaluate for Special Education."
Kindergarten is not too young to evaluate a child when there is reason to suspect a disability. Research shows early indicators of future reading difficulty can be identified even before kindergarten, and early intervention is most effective before a child falls behind.
Why it persists:
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Concern about overidentifying very young children
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Kindergarten is often seen as the time for children to learn “how” to be in school.
IDEA, 34 C.F.R. § 300.111 Child find “All children with disabilities residing in the State, including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State, and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated”
How you can respond: “There is no law that requires schools to wait until first grade to evaluate a child for special education. According to IDEA’s Child find, all students, including those in kindergarten, are legally required to be evaluated when there is a disability suspected. Choosing to wait is a school policy, not a legal requirement.”
"Students who are doing well academically can't have dyslexia or be evaluated for special education."
You might also hear, “a bright child can’t have dyslexia,” “a student with good grades can’t be evaluated for special education services,” or “she can’t have dyslexia because she’s reading above grade level.” A child can appear successful while working much harder than their peers. Some children compensate through factors such as strong memory, high verbal ability, intensive family support or tutoring, and painstaking effort.
Why it persists:
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Historically, some schools used an IQ-achievement discrepancy model ("too smart to be dyslexic"), but that approach has largely been rejected
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Struggling readers were attributed to instruction or effort instead
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Misunderstanding of how other factors can mask dyslexia
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The myth that dyslexia is a sign of low intelligence
IDEA, 34 C.F.R. § 300.111 Child find “All children with disabilities residing in the State, including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State, and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated”
How you can respond: “There is no law that requires schools to wait until first grade to evaluate a child for special education. According to IDEA’s Child find, all students, including those in kindergarten, are legally required to be evaluated when there is a disability suspected. Choosing to wait is a school policy, not a legal requirement.”
"Schools cannot diagnose dyslexia."
Schools have a duty to identify students with dyslexia and provide services when appropriate. Sometimes districts avoid using the word "dyslexia" and instead use broader terms: Specific Learning Disability (SLD) or reading deficits.
Why it persists:
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Schools are trained to separate medical/clinical diagnosis vs. educational eligibility, and often directed parents to seek guidance from their child’s pediatrician instead
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Historically, many school systems avoided using the term “dyslexia”
IDEA, 34 C.F.R. § 300.111 Child find “All children with disabilities residing in the State, including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State, and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated”
United States Department of Education - Dear Colleague Letter
How you can respond: “There is no law that requires schools to wait until first grade to evaluate a child for special education. According to IDEA’s Child find, all students, including those in kindergarten, are legally required to be evaluated when there is a disability suspected. Choosing to wait is a school policy, not a legal requirement.”
"We can't evaluate unless interventions are failing or before trying an intervention."
Under IDEA, schools have a duty to evaluate when there is reason to suspect a disability and a need for special education, not after a student has failed. The U.S. Department of Education has repeatedly cautioned against using RTI (Response to Intervention) as a reason to postpone evaluation.
Why it persists:
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Older educational models relied on the "wait-to-fail" approach in which schools waited for a large achievement gap before acting
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Policies get written locally in ways that are more restrictive than federal law
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RTI and MTSS were designed to improve instruction early, but in practice many districts turned them into a gatekeeping sequence: intervene first, evaluate later
IDEA, 34 C.F.R. § 300.111 Child find “All children with disabilities residing in the State, including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State, and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated”
OSEP Memo 11-07 Response to Intervention (RTI) (January 21, 2011) “The use of RTI strategies cannot be used to delay or deny the provision of a full and individual evaluation, pursuant to 34 CFR §§300.304-300.311, to a child suspected of having a disability under 34 CFR §300.8.”
How you can respond: “Federal and state law requires schools to evaluate when a disability is suspected, which overrides any school or district policy. There is no legal requirement for intervention to precede an evaluation, and RTI and MTSS cannot be used to delay or deny an evaluation.”