Dyslexia and Learning Disability Testing in Tulsa
Oklahoma schools screen young readers for signs of dyslexia and decide whether a student qualifies for school services. They do not diagnose. A diagnosis of dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia comes from a comprehensive evaluation by a licensed psychologist. Dr. Jaye Capretto, a licensed clinical psychologist with specialty training in child assessment, evaluates reading, writing, and math in children and teens in Tulsa. The scope of testing is set with you at intake, and the result is a written report that families and schools can act on.
Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia: What the Terms Mean
Parents, schools, and clinicians often use different words for the same thing.
| Everyday name | Clinical term | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Dyslexia | Specific learning disorder with impairment in reading | Accurate and fluent word reading, decoding, and spelling |
| Dysgraphia | Specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression | Spelling, grammar, and getting ideas onto the page |
| Dyscalculia | Specific learning disorder with impairment in mathematics | Number sense, math facts, and calculation |
Schools use a fourth term, "specific learning disability," which is the special education category that includes all three. Schools may also use the everyday names in a student’s plan.
Learning disorders are common. They affect an estimated 5 to 15 percent of school-age children, and most involve reading. They are not a measure of intelligence or effort.
What Are Signs of Dyslexia and Other Learning Disorders?
Kindergarten through second grade
- Trouble learning letter names and the sounds that go with them
- Difficulty rhyming or breaking words into sounds
- Guessing at words from the first letter or the picture
- Slow progress in reading despite good instruction
- Trouble learning to count, or connecting numbers to quantities
Third through fifth grade
- Reading that is slow and effortful, even when accurate
- Spelling the same word several different ways
- Avoiding reading aloud
- Writing far less than the child can say
- Math facts that do not stick despite practice
Middle and high school
- Reading assignments that take much longer than classmates need
- Strong ideas in discussion, thin work on paper
- Persistent spelling difficulty
- Trouble with word problems or multi-step math
- Rising frustration, avoidance, or worry about school
A child can be very capable and still have a learning disorder. Strong reasoning can mask it for years, until the demands of schoolwork grow faster than the child’s ability to compensate.
My Child Was Flagged on the School’s Dyslexia Screening. What Now?
Oklahoma public schools screen students in kindergarten through third grade for reading difficulty during the school year. Students who are not meeting reading targets are also screened for characteristics of dyslexia, and parents may ask the school for a screening.
A flag on a screening means a child is at risk and deserves a closer look. It is not a diagnosis, and many children who are flagged respond well to targeted instruction. Reasonable next steps:
- Ask what the school will do now. What reading intervention will your child receive, how often, and how will progress be measured?
- Request a school evaluation in writing if concerns continue. A parent may request one at any time, and a school may not use interventions to delay or deny it. A school that declines must explain why in writing.
- Consider a private evaluation. It can provide a diagnosis and a full picture of how your child learns, which the school must then consider.
Can the School Diagnose Dyslexia?
Oklahoma’s own guidance says that schools do not diagnose dyslexia. Schools decide whether a student is eligible for special education under "specific learning disability," and they may use the word dyslexia in a student’s plan. A diagnosis comes from a comprehensive evaluation by a licensed clinician, who can also say what a screening cannot: why reading is hard for this particular child, and what will help.
What is the difference between school testing and a private evaluation?
| School evaluation | Private evaluation | |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | Is this student eligible for special education? | Does this child have a learning disorder, and what is the full learning profile? |
| Who conducts it | The school district’s team | A licensed psychologist |
| Cost to the family | None | Private pay |
| Timing | Within 45 school days of your signed consent | Scheduled with the practice |
| What you receive | An eligibility decision and, if eligible, a school plan | A diagnosis where criteria are met, scores, and specific recommendations |
Does the school have to accept a private evaluation?
Oklahoma schools must consider an outside evaluation that parents share. They are not required to adopt its findings, and the school team makes its own eligibility decision. Schools count outside results toward a first eligibility decision only when the results are less than a year old, so it helps to share a report soon after you receive it.
How Is a Learning Disability Diagnosed?
There is no single test for dyslexia or any other learning disorder. A comprehensive evaluation looks at the pattern across several areas. Interpreting that pattern, and telling a learning disorder apart from attention, language, anxiety, or simply too little instruction, is the work a licensed psychologist is trained for.
- Background. Developmental, family, and school history, including what instruction has already been tried.
- Reasoning ability. How your child thinks and solves problems, which sets the context for everything else.
- Reading. Awareness of the sounds in words, rapid naming, decoding of real and made-up words, fluency, comprehension, and spelling.
- Writing. Spelling, sentence construction, and written expression.
- Math. Number sense, calculation, fluency with math facts, and applied problems.
- Attention and emotional factors. Because these can cause, or add to, difficulty with schoolwork.
Brief screenings, including those offered by tutoring programs, can be a useful starting point. They may not be sufficient for a school’s eligibility decision, and they do not provide a diagnosis.
Is it dyslexia, ADHD, or both?
A substantial share of children with dyslexia also have ADHD, and each can hide the other. A child who avoids reading may look inattentive, and an inattentive child may fall behind in reading. A comprehensive evaluation checks for both, and Dr. Capretto evaluates them together when the question calls for it, so the answer accounts for each. See ADHD Testing for Children and Teens in Tulsa.
What the Results Are Used For
- A plan at school. The report gives the school team specific findings and recommendations to consider for a 504 plan or an individualized education program.
- The right kind of instruction. For reading disorders, that usually means explicit, systematic instruction in how sounds and letters work, often called structured literacy. The practice evaluates and refers; it does not provide tutoring.
- Accommodations. On Oklahoma state tests, accommodations come through a current school plan. For the SAT, the ACT, and college, testing agencies and disability offices generally ask for a licensed evaluator’s report based on testing from the last several years.
How Much Does Dyslexia Testing Cost, and Will Insurance Cover It?
Health plans commonly exclude testing done for educational reasons, so learning evaluations are often paid for privately wherever they are done. Capretto Psychological Assessment is a private-pay practice with flat, published fees. Families receive a superbill, and HSA and FSA cards are accepted. The scope of a learning evaluation, and the fee that goes with it, is confirmed at intake before you commit. Current fees are on the FAQ & Fees page.
A school evaluation is available at no cost, and for some families it is the right first step.
Questions Parents Ask About the Practice
At what age can a child be tested for dyslexia?
Word-reading skills can usually be measured reliably from about the middle of first grade. Risk can be identified earlier, and Oklahoma’s guidance notes that children can be diagnosed before third grade. For a younger child, the free consultation is the place to decide what kind of evaluation makes sense.
How long does testing take?
It depends on the questions. Some learning evaluations are completed in one testing day, and others call for a second. You will know the scope at your intake appointment, before you commit.
Do you provide tutoring or reading therapy?
No. This is an evaluation practice. The report describes the type of instruction your child needs, so that you can look for it with confidence.
My child gets good grades, but homework takes hours. Is an evaluation worthwhile?
It can be. Capable children often compensate for a learning disorder with time and effort, and the cost shows up as exhaustion or avoidance before it shows up in grades.
Will an evaluation get my child an IEP or a 504 plan?
The school makes that decision. A private evaluation gives the school team detailed findings that it must consider, and many families find that it makes the conversation more specific.
Do you evaluate college students or adults?
The practice sees clients through age 21, which includes many students preparing for or beginning college.
Oklahoma Resources for Families
- Oklahoma State Department of Education: Dyslexia: the state’s dyslexia page, with its current handbook and a guide for families
- Oklahoma Parents Center: help for families with special education and school plans
- Decoding Dyslexia Oklahoma: a parent-led advocacy group
- International Dyslexia Association: definitions and fact sheets
- Understood: practical guidance on learning differences and school plans
Related guides: Autism Testing and Evaluation in Tulsa · ADHD Testing for Children and Teens in Tulsa · Evaluation Services
Reviewed by Dr. Jaye Capretto, PhD, HSP, LPC · October 2026
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