Rates
We understand the worry and concern families might feel when their child is struggling with literacy. There is no fee for an initial 30-minute consultation. Should your needs and our services match, we will then schedule a time for an intake session. This will include an analysis of any formal assessments your child might already have, a referral to a psychologist for a psych-ed, or an assessment administered by Rising Tide Reading Clinic, if needed, and the development of a program plan.
Instruction and assessment is a standard rate of $75 per 55 minute session. Upon registration for services, families pay in advance for a prescribed number of hours (e.g. 20 hours of Spell Read intervention services). Throughout the course of instruction, students will be reassessed and prescribed more hours as needed. Please contact us if financial costs are a barrier. We have a sliding scale for financial need.
Our instruction and intervention services require a serious commitment. We want to ensure that each student receives 2-5 hours of support per week to experience measurable gains. For some learners, more intensive hours may be required. When your family has made a commitment to our services, we ask that you make every effort to get full value for your investment and attend every scheduled session.
Scheduled instructional hours missed due to vacations or other pre-planned events, without two weeks prior notice, will be charged. During extreme weather events, excluding power outages, sessions will move online. Consistent, regular, rigorous commitment to the scheduled sessions are important to your child’s success.
We offer services Monday to Friday 8:00AM to 4:30 PM at our clinic or at your child's school if arrangements can be made.
We look forward to working with you!
Insurance Coverage & Tax Deductions
Literacy intervention services for persons with learning difficulties is sometimes considered a medical expense if a medical practitioner (e.g. a licensed clinical psychologist) has certified that the person is in need of such services (e.g. psych-ed assessment). In Canada, assessment for dyslexia, learning disabilities, and other diagnoses can only be completed by a registered Canadian psychologist (or school-based psychologist). A diagnosis, if found, must be noted according to criteria met through the DSM-5 (315.00 for a reading disorder/ dyslexia). With this, you may be able to claim a tax deduction for costs for educational intervention services; however, the medical practitioner must certify in writing that these services are necessary.
Note that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has updated Form T2201 to include a wider range of mental functions that grant eligibility for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC). If your child does not qualify for the DTC, they might still qualify for tax-deductible tutoring. In addition, your insurance provider may cover portions of educational intervention and instruction services.
We recommend that families seek out clinical practices that can provide a formal psych-ed focused on Canadian-normed language and literacy assessments (e.g. WIAT-III, Canadian) should they feel that their child's learning struggles merit it. Here is an excellent resource for determining which psychologists would be able to do so: Diagnosis — Dyslexia Canada. We can provide local recommendations if families choose.
If families are not ready to undertake a psych-ed, but they would like an accurate, cost-effective assessment that can provide results within days, Halifax Learning can provide a 1-hour comprehensive and Canadian-normed diagnostic. It is free of charge. Free Reading Assessment (halifaxlearning.com). Halifax Learning is well regarded and they use evidence/research-based award winning methods. There is no obligation to use their services after the assessment. Halifax Learning houses SpellRead, which is a program developed here in Canada. It is one of the recommended intervention strategies in Ontario's Right to Read curriculum/mandate, and a program we are trained in.
Upon registration and payment, we will provide you with an invoice and receipt clearly stating the instructional services amount. Please note that for tax purposes, eligibility for deduction is based on monies received by us during that tax year. Invoices are deductible in the calendar year in which they are paid.
Rising Tide Reading Clinic makes no guarantee (implied or expressed) that tax deductions are applicable to your situation. We provide this information for your convenience, and you are advised to seek your own independent tax advice as each situation must be examined on its own merit.
Copyright Rising Tide Reading Clinic 2021