Dyslexia in High School: Plan Reading and Writing Supports

For a high school student with dyslexia, planning should address both access to course content and continued reading and writing instruction. An access tool can help with today’s assignment; it does not automatically replace the teaching a student still needs. Discuss both parts with the school.

Separate two questions

Ask, ‘How will the student access science, history, and other course content?’ Then ask, ‘What instruction will help develop reading and writing skills?’ These questions can require different supports.

For example, listening to an accessible version of a history text may help a student participate in a discussion about its ideas. That is different from a lesson designed to teach a specific reading skill. The school should identify the target being assessed and which tools are appropriate for it.

Plan access task by task

Possible tools to discuss include accessible digital text, text-to-speech, audio versions, speech-to-text, a writing organizer, or additional processing time. Confirm availability and permission in the actual courses and assessments.

Practice with a short assignment before relying on a tool for a major project. Check whether the document format works, the student knows how to use the tool, and the resulting work can be submitted correctly. A feature listed on a platform does not ensure that every document is accessible.

Ask about instruction and progress

The Institute of Education Sciences’ adolescent literacy guide recommends explicit work on vocabulary and comprehension, discussion of meaning, and individualized intervention by trained specialists for struggling readers. Ask the school which instructional approach addresses the student’s needs and how progress will be monitored.

Questions include:

• Who provides the instruction, and how often?
• Which reading or writing skills are being targeted?
• How will progress be measured and explained?
• What happens if the current approach is not helping?
• Which support is included, and which must be arranged separately?

Do not assume that a general online curriculum includes individualized reading intervention.

Make writing expectations visible

A writing assignment is easier to plan when its purpose, steps, and review criteria are clear. As an illustration, a student preparing an argument might first collect evidence, organize ideas, draft with an approved tool, and review whether each claim is supported.

Discuss how spelling, composition, subject knowledge, and independence are evaluated. The appropriate use of tools depends on the learning target. Ask the school to explain any effect on course credit or academic expectations.

Keep the graduation plan separate from a label

Dyslexia alone does not settle the student’s credential. Review the actual transcript, remaining requirements, accommodations, and instruction. A diploma pathway needs evidence that applicable requirements have been completed.

For 2026–27, FlexED HSE offers a parent-supported learning program and WonderED K-12 Academy serves as school of record and diploma issuer. Families should clarify available reading support before committing; the program does not automatically replace every current service.

Continue your comparison

Read IEP diploma planning, online school comparison questions, and executive-function supports. Prepare a Diploma Pathway Review to discuss instruction, access, and requirements.

Sources and scope

See IES: Improving Adolescent Literacy and CAST UDL Guidelines. These are educational planning questions, not a diagnostic assessment or a prescribed intervention. Updated October 10, 2026.