With the recent update to the NCAA waiver process, the number of collegiate student athletes with education-impacting disabilities (EID) has steadily increased. Dyslexia is an increasingly common EID affecting student athletes in the classroom. Current research supports the use of individualized, systematic, and explicit word-level interventions to address the needs of students with dyslexia. However, young adults with dyslexia present unique challenges related to the implementation of these evidence-based interventions; student athletes present even more unique challenges because of academic, social, and athletic pressures. Despite these known conditions, little research has been done to address how to support this population. The accommodations provided by universities and athletic associations are insufficient means of remediation reading disabilities. A proposed model of support includes intensive, explicit reading instruction that is individualized for each student athlete’s needs.
