Evaluation Criteria

In order to be considered for evaluation at the Center, an individual must be:

• A Tennessee resident
• In grades Kindergarten – 12
• In public, private, or home school

We are unable to evaluate individuals whose learning difficulties are primarily related to:

• Lack of English proficiency
• Low cognitive ability / Intellectual Disability
• Severe emotional or behavioral problems / Emotional Disturbance
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Hearing or vision impairment that cannot be corrected
• Students identified with a Specific Learning Disability in Basic Reading Skills and/or Reading Fluency

We do not provide testing services to students who have a documented Specific Learning Disability in Basic Reading Skills and/or Reading Fluency. These students have already been found to have characteristics of dyslexia based on the special education eligibility criteria adopted by the state of Tennessee for those two categories. These students should be receiving dyslexia specific intervention services in accordance with TN HB 2616/SB 2635. The following document further explains the relationship between Specific Learning Disability and dyslexia:

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/special-education/dys/dys_conversations.pdf.

Students who have a documented Specific Learning Disability in Basic Reading Skills and/or Reading Fluency may be considered for a consultation with the Center. If a student is eligible for a consultation, Center staff will review information from the parent and school, including previous test results. Parents/guardians will receive a report that includes instructional recommendations for their child. They are encouraged to share this report with the child’s school. Requests for consultations are processed through our evaluation application process. Please review the procedures for requesting an evaluation for additional details.