Alabama families
The Alabama dyslexia guide
We're building the deepest dyslexia-and-504 resource in Alabama, starting with our own backyard — the Shoals and North Alabama. Here's what's true today, verified August 2026.
The Alabama Literacy Act, in parent terms
Alabama's Literacy Act (with its dyslexia amendments and later updates) changed the game for reading instruction in this state: schools screen early, provide intervention for students showing reading deficiencies, and 3rd-graders must demonstrate reading proficiency before promotion (with good-cause exemptions, including for students with disabilities whose plan addresses reading — confirm current implementation rules with the Alabama State Department of Education, because the specifics have evolved year by year).
What this means for you: Alabama schools are required to know how to screen for reading problems — including dyslexia characteristics — early. If nobody has ever mentioned screening results to you, ask for them by name. Those scores are your baseline evidence.
The state's official resources live at the Alabama State Department of Education's Alabama Reading Initiative and its dyslexia resources — worth reading before any meeting, because the “we don't do that here” answers tend to evaporate when you can name the state program.
Free evaluations in Alabama (the best-kept secret)
Alabama Scottish Rite centers: free dyslexia evaluations for grades 1–8
The Scottish Rite Foundation of Alabama operates centers offering free dyslexia evaluations and tutoring support for Alabama students — a program families in other states pay thousands for. Contact the Scottish Rite centers (Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, Mobile areas) and ask about current waitlists. Verify current enrollment windows directly, as capacity shifts.
Beyond that: your local public school's evaluation (free, in writing, always your right — see the 504 guide), university speech-and-hearing clinics (UNA and UA both run clinics that can be affordable evaluation routes), and the cost guide's national free options.
Documented North Alabama providers (examples, not endorsements)
These are real, verified providers families in our area use. We list them as documented examples — always interview and check credentials yourself. (Our full vetted directory is coming; the screener gets you on the launch list.)
- The Loft Literacy Center (Huntsville) — Orton-Gillingham tutoring at published prices ($80/50-min session, ~$640/mo at 2×/week), a $600 reading-skills evaluation with dyslexia assessment, and a $150 parent consultation designed to leave you with “a plan, not just a report.” OGA-certified staff.
- Greengate School at Randolph (Huntsville) — an Orton-Gillingham-accredited school program for dyslexic students; also offers tutoring and teacher training.
- Dyslexia Therapy of North Alabama — Certified Academic Language Therapists (ALTA) providing structured-literacy therapy 3–4×/week.
- Clear Connections Tutoring (Huntsville/Madison) — 1:1 OG tutoring; rates on request.
- Spring Valley School (Birmingham) — K–12 school with a dyslexia therapy program and financial aid.
Know a great Alabama advocate, tutor, or evaluator we should document? We'd genuinely like to hear about them — this list grows from parent referrals.
What's coming for Alabama families
- A vetted, state-wide directory of advocates, tutors, evaluators, and dyslexia-friendly schools — with prices published wherever possible
- County-by-county pages: where each district's 504 process tends to be smooth, and where parents report friction
- Alabama Literacy Act plain-English walkthroughs by grade
- Scholarship and funding options available to Alabama families
Verified August 2026 against provider websites and Alabama State Department of Education publications. Program details change — always confirm directly with providers and ALSDE. Nothing here is legal or educational advice for your specific situation.