Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act places the responsibility for identifying and locating students with disabilities on the school. A school/district must annually undertake efforts to identify and locate every qualified individual with a disability residing in the school’s jurisdiction who is not receiving a public education. 

If you suspect a child has a disability that requires intervention under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, please contact your campus or the District 504 Coordinator, Alisen Adcock at aadcock@boydisd.net. 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, is a federal civil rights statute which protects the rights of persons with disabilities. Section 504 prohibits discrimination against disabled persons, including both students and staff members by school districts receiving federal financial assistance. Included in the U.S. Department of Education regulations for Section 504 is the requirement that disabled students be provided with Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). These regulations require identification, evaluation, the provision of appropriate services, and procedural safeguards.

Referral for services under Section 504 is made through the 504 Coordinator on each campus. 

Programs for Children with Disabilities

Every child with a disability in Texas, from age three through twenty-one, has the right to a free appropriate public education. Students with visual or auditory impairments have the right to a free appropriate public education from birth. Boyd ISD, in partnership with Wise County Shared Services, provides free appropriate programs for students with disabilities. If you know a child that needs help, contact your school at 940-433-2327 or Wise County Shared Services at 940-683-8361.

Dyslexia/Dysgraphia

Boyd Independent School District’s Dyslexia Program properly identifies students with dyslexia and/or dysgraphia, provides academic support to meet their individual needs and assists the students in developing skills to compensate for any difficulties they may have in order to become successful individuals.

Dyslexia Defined

As defined in TEC §38.003 (The Dyslexia Law):

“Dyslexia” means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and socio-cultural opportunity.

“Related disorders” includes disorders similar to or related to dyslexia such as developmental auditory imperceptions, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability.

The International Dyslexia Association’s definition of dyslexia states:

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge”.

Dysgraphia Defined

The International Dyslexia Association’s definition of dysgraphia states:

“Dysgraphia is a neurological disorder that involves handwriting.  It is a written language disorder in serial production of strokes to form a handwritten letter and involves not only motor skills but also language skills – finding, retrieving and producing letters, which is a sub-word level language skill.  The impaired handwriting may interfere with spelling and/or composing, but individuals with dysgraphia only, do not have difficulty with reading.” 

What If I Suspect My Child Has Dyslexia and/or Dysgraphia?

First and foremost, discuss your concerns with your child’s classroom teacher. He or she may be able to reassure you that your child is making appropriate progress. If you continue to be concerned about your child’s progress, contact your child’s campus Dyslexia Specialist. The campus Dyslexia Specialist will meet with the Assessment Committee and decide whether the district suspects dyslexia and/or dysgraphia. If so, your child will be referred for a dyslexia assessment and/or a dysgraphia assessment as well as evaluation for either Section 504 or Special Education. If your child is currently eligible for either Section 504 or Special Education, please contact the appropriate committee with your concerns.