• Struggles with literacy occur on a continuum.
  • For some learners, reading difficulties stem from instructional gaps. For other learners their difficulties are cognitive differences.
  • Reading challenges, often called dyslexia, are a common learning difference affecting 10-20% of the population.
  • Dyslexia is a neurocognitive difference with hereditary traits.
  • Dyslexia is NOT a result of a lack of intellect or motivation.
  • Many people with dyslexia have above average intelligence.
  • Dyslexia makes learning difficult; reading, writing, math, speaking, and comprehension can all be affected.
  • Dyslexia often co-occurs with ADHD and delayed speech.
  • Dyslexia is not curable, but learners can acquire strategies and skills to make reading and writing easier.


Why do some people struggle with literacy?

For some students, struggles with reading and writing stem from gaps in their educational experiences (e.g. Covid absence and online learning, poor school attendance, instruction focused on balanced literacy approaches, instruction that moved too quickly, etc.). For others, their struggles are cognitive-based.


The word dyslexia, first coined in 1887 by German ophthalmologist, Rudolf Berlin, comes from the Greek word "difficulty with words." 


In the 1940’s, Anna Gillingham, educator and psychologist, said that her system of multi-sensory, one-to-one tutoring could re-wire the brain for language processing. Her claims were initially met with skepticism, but today neurobiological research is proving Gillingham right.


In 2005, Sally Shaywitz's research involving fMRI scanning proved that people who struggle with literacy skills or dyslexic have very few or no neural paths to the lower left sections of their brain where language is typically processed. Instead, these people rely heavily on the right side of the brain to do the work commonly done by the left: What is dyslexia? - Kelli Sandman-Hurley - YouTube


Learning with dyslexia requires a multi-sensory (auditory, visual, kinesthetic, verbal) technique to build these neural pathways. Students need explicit instruction to re-wire the brain so they can begin to use their brain’s own dictionary and library: Why the dyslexic brain is misunderstood - YouTube

How long until my child is reading at grade level?

Teaching reading language skills to students who struggle with written language is not a quick fix. To master skills and apply them independently, students need explicit instruction and consistent practice and repetition.


How long a student will need intensive instruction depends on the nature  of the learning difference and the frequency and length of sessions. At a minimum, two one-hour sessions should occur each week; optimally, a student will be scheduled for four to five sessions per week.  Intervention should continue until the student is functioning at a level of independence in alignment with their age and cognitive ability. This could take a few months to three years depending on how often a student is attending sessions and the nature of their individual struggles. The pace of progress is 'as fast as we can, and as slow as we must.'


It's hard work! However, students themselves are often the best judges of their progress. They become aware that the strategies they are learning empower them to read or spell words they could not previously. They recognize their newly-learned ability to 'decode' and 'encode' what they could only guess previously.


Appropriate instruction for students with dyslexia and related language disorders is a process. For the student with dyslexia, it can be an important step toward a lifetime of learning.


Can we access benefits or insurance to help with the cost of intervention?

The costs associated with your child's intervention services may be eligible for tax deductions and insurance. See our Rates section for more information.

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