SLS Quick Start Guide

The SLS is a simple, cost-effective way to screen for language and literacy disorders, including dyslexia. This quick and easy 12-question screener is filled out by parents, teachers, and students to show each party's perspective on how the student is performing on academic tasks as compared to their same-age peers.

The SLS helps you:

• Screen for language/literacy disorders such as dyslexia by gathering teachers' and parents' ratings of students. When teachers or parents rate more than two areas on items 1-8 less than 5, SLS results indicate the student is at risk and needs further assessment with TILLS. (Sensitivity and specificity are strong: sensitivity is .90 for teachers and .85 for parents, and specificity is .90 for teachers and .83 for parents.)
• Gather input about a struggling student's strengths and needs from multiple sources--a key requirement of IDEA
• Enhance home-school communication by gaining new insight into student performance, whether or not there are concerns