Overview:
Diagnosing Dyslexia in schools is often inconsistent and complex, AI may serve as a supporting tool to analyze student data and help teachers make more accurate and balanced identification decisions.
The Growing Role of AI in Education
“Artificial intelligence (AI) will be the future of education,” a colleague recently commented in passing. As a current Dyslexia Interventionist, I find myself coming back to this statement over and over again. While AI is undoubtedly becoming an integral part of modern classrooms, an important question remains: what will this mean to increase in dyslexic people?
Specifically, how can artificial intelligence serve as a supportive validation tool in dyslexia identification—to help teachers analyze patterns in student data, reduce inconsistencies, and make informed decisions?
The Challenge of Diagnosing Dyslexia in Schools
Before exploring how AI can support education and learning, educators must first address a much larger and more complex problem—how dyslexia is seen in schools today.
With the revised definition published in 2025, school districts across the United States are working to translate what this revised guidance means into practice. This revised definition emphasizes the complex, individual nature of dyslexia as a neurobiological learning disability and recognizes that it exists along a continuum, rather than as a single, uniform profile. As a result, dyslexia is no longer viewed solely through the lens of phonological processing deficits, as earlier definitions tended to suggest.
In large regions, these changes are already affecting identification patterns. Some districts remain vigilant in identifying students, while others report a rapidly growing population with dyslexia. This inconsistency raises an important question: who really fits the dyslexic profile?
Understanding the 2025 IDA Definition of Dyslexia
According to the 2025 updated definition from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), dyslexia is defined as “a specific learning disability characterized by difficulty in word reading and/or spelling that involves accuracy, speed, or both and varies depending on the spelling system”. The IDA further notes that basic phonological and morphological processing difficulties are common, although not universal, and that early oral language impairments often predict later learning challenges.
The IDA also states that negative outcomes may include difficulties with reading comprehension and reduced exposure to reading and writing, which can hinder growth in language development, written expression, background knowledge, and overall academic achievement.
Complexity of Accurate Identification
Dyslexia interventionists have long navigated the effects of both under-identification and over-identification. With dyslexia affecting 15-20% of the populationthe International Dyslexia Association states that while some students may qualify for a specific learning disability and may receive services, many will leave without receiving the formal education they need; therefore, it often leads students to struggle with reading and spelling well into adulthood.
The challenge of diagnosing dyslexia is further complicated by the high prevalence of co-occurring conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and speech or language impairment. When these factors meet, precisely
Diagnosing dyslexia is very difficult in school groups and often confusing for families.
Although many school districts across the United States use structured supports such as targeted interventions and progress monitoring, differences remain in how decisions are made about referrals for special education assessments—especially in districts that lack access to updated, evidence-based practices.
While everything 50 states have passed legislation related to dyslexiaand many require early universal screening, implementation remains uneven across the country. A 2025 report from the National Center on Improving Literacy notes that while all states have taken steps to increase dyslexia awareness, local businesses vary widely in how they support students in practice. Beyond the shared goal of identifying dyslexia in schools, what remains inconsistent is how assessment data are interpreted and used at the local district level. As a result, schools may reach different conclusions about students’ eligibility for testing and services, even when the same data is available.
How AI is Supporting Students with Dyslexia
The validity of this advanced tool was particularly evident to me during an individual assessment session for one of my students, when a parent paused and asked, “I wonder how AI will start to help target students?” At that time, the ARD committee did not have a clear answer. Although this question may feel unsatisfying, it also reflects a growing truth. As AI continues to advance, its role in education—especially in assessment and data analysis—is sure to grow.
One thing we know for sure is that AI already has the potential to reduce barriers for students with dyslexia when used responsibly. Writing, in particular, can be a tedious and mentally demanding process for students with dyslexia, often requiring them to juggle spelling, sentence structure, and idea generation all at once. When used in conjunction with accessibility tools and instructional frameworks that are already in place, AI can serve as an additional resource that enhances what teachers and schools are already doing.
For both teachers and parents, these tools can be viewed not as shortcuts, but as foundations—similar to other acceptable accommodations—that increase access, independence, and confidence while instruction continues to target basic skills.
AI as a Tool to Add to the Evaluation Process
Given the ongoing conflict in identification procedures, it is worth considering that AI may also play a role earlier in the assessment process. What if AI served as a secondary validation tool, supporting psychiatrists and school psychologists after the completion of a personal assessment? By analyzing assessment patterns and instructional data, AI can help identify consistency, highlight discrepancies, and support teams in developing more accurate, individualized instructional programs across all learning platforms.
For example, an AI system can analyze patterns across a student’s district-supported reading tests—whether they’re collected monthly or at key points during the school year—and monitor progress and test data. It can detect persistent trends such as inconsistent decoding accuracy, slow growth in fluency, or repetitive phonological errors over time, even if scores fluctuate across testing windows. These patterns may be flagged by the analysis team, making for a more in-depth review of data that may appear conflicting or inconsistent at first.
Could this result in greater uniformity in identification across campuses and regions?
Moving Forward Consciously
AI will not replace expert judgment, nor should it. Human observation, professional expertise, and relationship-based decision-making remain essential. However, when used as a collaborative tool rather than a decision-making tool, AI may provide an opportunity to strengthen identification processes and better serve students with dyslexia.
As educators, our responsibility is not to resist innovation directly, but to ensure that emerging tools are used ethically, thoughtfully, and always in the interest of students. The use of AI as a collaborative tool for analyzing student data is not a question of what will happen, but when. Now is the time for districts to begin evaluating these tools with purpose by investing in training, setting clear boundaries, and prioritizing equity at every step of the identification process.
Sources:
International Dyslexia Association National Center for Literacy Development (2025) / State of Dyslexia report
