What is compensatory tutoring?

Compensatory tutoring is a type of academic support given to students with IEPs who did not receive the services they should have for a period of time. These services are designed to make up for support they needed per their IEP but did not receive, or services that were not provided appropriately. Compensatory tutoring is intended to help students catch up and rebuild any skills they missed due to this deprivation of services.

Does my child need to have an IEP to receive compensatory tutoring?

While compensatory tutoring is often awarded to a student whose services indicated on their IEP were not provided or were not appropriately provided, there are other scenarios when compensatory tutoring can be awarded. School districts have an obligation to assess and identify students who have a disability and subsequently provide them with appropriate services. If a school fails to evaluate and identify a student with a disability and therefore the student does not receive an IEP, the student may be entitled to compensatory tutoring.

Do I need a lawyer to seek compensatory tutoring for your child?

You are not required to hire a lawyer to help you seek compensatory tutoring for your child. You can try to pursue a compensatory education claim on your own, but having a lawyer can help you through this process. Special education lawyers can help you collect any evidence that shows missed or inappropriate services. The lawyer can also help you file a due process complaint and guide you through the impartial hearing process so that your child can ultimately receive compensatory tutoring if deemed appropriate. Special education advocates can also help you with this process.

Examples of compensatory tutoring

At EBL Coaching, we provide tutoring to students who have received compensatory tutoring hours, often through an impartial hearing order. These services might include Orton Gillingham tutoring for students with dyslexia or reading challenges, multi-sensory math tutoring, research-based writing tutoring, or executive functioning coaching, amongst other individualized services. While it’s always best if a student receives the services deemed necessary on their IEP from the start, specialized compensatory tutoring can help them make up for any missed services and remediate their academic skills.

We know how much students with disabilities need the appropriate support, and we are happy to help them build their academic skills and thrive with individualized compensatory tutoring.

Learn more about EBL Coaching’s tutoring programs at
https://eblcoaching.com/tutoring/

The post What is Compensatory Tutoring? appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Date published: 8/7/23

Listen to the full podcast here

Dr. Levy appeared on this Bodacity podcast with Jannette Anderson to discuss how to build academic skills and self-esteem for students who struggle in school.

Children with learning challenges often have many gifts. Those with dyslexia may be brilliant artists. Individuals with ADHD may be incredible visionaries who go on to be successful leaders or business owners later in life. Getting through school, however, for these students, can be a challenge. You can help your child with learning challenges excel in school with the strategies detailed below.

Take action!

If you notice your child is struggling with a skill or set of skills, such as reading, writing, or math, or is having trouble staying focused, don’t wait to take action! Many parents don’t learn about their child’s struggles in school until parent-teacher conferences or sometimes even the end of the school year. If you notice your child is having difficulty in school, set up a time to meet with their teacher to discuss what you are seeing at home. Perhaps there are some techniques the teacher can use to further help your child, such as sitting them in the front row or checking in with them periodically to make sure they understood the directions for an assignment. If your child continues to struggle, you may want to seek a formal evaluation to see if there are any learning or attentional challenges. Special education tutoring to address their unique needs may also be beneficial.

Seek services

You as a parent should always be your child’s best advocate! Try to seek services to help your child thrive in school. Once an evaluation is completed and it is determined that your child has a disability, either an IEP or 504 plan is typically created detailing the services and accommodations your child should receive. Services may include speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or special education tutoring, depending on your child’s challenges. Accommodations may include preferential seating, extra time on tests, a scribe, modified tests, and many others. Always keep tabs on how your child is doing; certain accommodations may work at a given time but they may need to be tweaked as your child progresses through school. 

Try special education tutoring if necessary 

If your child continues to struggle academically despite receiving support in school, you may want to consider specialized tutoring outside of school. Children with dyslexia, for instance, typically benefit from Orton Gillingham tutoring to build their reading skills. If this approach is not offered at your child’s school, you may need to seek this help
outside of school. Children with writing, math, or executive functioning challenges may need similar research-based tutoring or executive functioning coaching outside of school. Learn more about how tutoring can help your child at Importance of Tutoring to Help Kids Struggling with Reading, Math, Allow Them to Catch Up with Their Classmates.

Many students with learning challenges struggle in school. However, with the right support, you can help your child thrive academically. 

Learn more at Learning disorders: Know the signs, how to help – Mayo Clinic.

The post Dr. Levy on the Bodacity Podcast with Jannette Anderson: How Parents Can Advocate for their Special Needs Child appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Date published: 6/8/23

Listen to the full podcast here

In this podcast, Dr. Levy discusses ways to help children with autism do well in school.

Being a parent to a child with autism can be challenging. These children might be distractable, struggle to communicate, have behavioral challenges, or demonstrate difficulty with transitions. Yet children with autism can have many gifts too – they can be very caring individuals, can have great memories for facts, and are often good rule followers. It is important that you know your child’s strengths and weakness and always advocate to make sure that they receive the most appropriate services.

When your child starts a new school year, set up a meeting with their teacher and any service providers at the beginning of the year. Tell them about your child’s strengths and weaknesses and discuss strategies that have worked well for them and others that have not worked as well. Discuss a plan for regular communication and make it clear that you are fully vested in your child’s success and want to work as a team with them to help foster your child’s growth. Also try to notice how your child learns best. Many students with autism do well with a visual schedule of which activities to anticipate, and students with autism often learn well using a multisensory approach. Discuss the services your child will receive at school. Some students benefit from a shadow teacher to help keep them engaged in class. Others need a behavior plan with strategies in place for if and when they become overwhelmed or demonstrate behavioral challenges. For some students, having one-on-one special education tutoring to build their unique academic needs can make an immense difference in their academic performance. Read more at Organizational Tools for Academic Success – EBL Coaching.

With the right support and services, students with autism have the potential to do well in school. It is important to always be your child’s best advocate and ensure that they are continuously receiving the most appropriate services, both in and out of school. 

Read more at Autism – Tips for Parents – Better Health Channel.

The post Dr. Emily Levy on the Autism Resource Podcast: Tips for Helping Students with Autism Succeed appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Date published: 5/17/23

Listen to the full podcast here

In this podcast, Dr. Levy discusses strengths and weaknesses of students with autism and how to best help them.

Students with autism have varying types of challenges. Some are nonverbal and struggle significantly to communicate, while others are fully verbal and have difficulty with skills such as social communication, abstract language, and changes to their routine. There are others that fall somewhere in the middle, in different ranges of the autism spectrum. 

Many students with autism, however, struggle with similar skills. They often have difficulty with change and benefit from being made aware of their routines and schedules ahead of time, along with any changes to these routines. They often thrive with a visual schedule that they can see, including how their day will start and what they will do throughout the day, broken down into increments. Many have trouble with language and communication and often have difficulty participating in classroom discussions. They tend to have trouble picking up on nonverbal cues and sustaining friendships. Many struggle in environments that have a lot of sensory stimuli, including loud noises and bright lights. Read more at Differentiating Between ADHD and Autism in Children.

At EBL Coaching, when we provide special education tutoring to students with autism, we take these characteristics into consideration when creating individualized learning plans for each student. We often create visual schedules for each tutoring session and limit sensory stimuli. We also target their academic needs during the tutoring using research-based techniques. For instance, many students with autism struggle with reading comprehension – especially inferencing and abstract language. They may also have difficulty expressing their thoughts on paper in an organized fashion when writing and struggle with their executive functioning skills. To remediate these challenges, we create individualized special education tutoring plans using multisensory techniques that are customized to the needs of each student. This type of instruction can truly help students with autism make significant progress with their academic and language skills.

Read more at Parenting a Child with Autism: Strategies and Support (mind-diagnostics.org).

The post Dr. Emily Levy on the Autism Live Podcast: Learning Strategies for Students with Autism appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Date published: 2/15/23

Listen to the full podcast here

In this podcast, Dr. Levy discusses ways parents can advocate for their special education child to help them thrive in school.

Special education students often have many gifts, but they also have unique and individual needs. Some thrive in math but struggle with reading and writing. Others have strong academic skills but have difficulty with their executive functioning skills, including organization, planning, prioritizing, and time management. Students might have autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, or a combination of diagnoses. As a parent, it is important that you consistently advocate for your child, year after year.

Many different services and accommodations are available to special education students based on their needs, as defined by their IEP or 504 plan. Students may qualify for extra time, preferential seating, a scribe, speech therapy, occupational therapy, pull-out special education tutoring, or other related services. You might find that your child is thriving in school one year with a certain set of services and accommodations only to find that the following year – or even partially through the current school year – their performance begins to sink. 

As a parent, you should always be advocating for your child. At the beginning of the school year, schedule a meeting with your child’s teacher and any other service providers. Tell them about your child and what has or hasn’t worked in the past and try to make sure they read your child’s evaluation reports, IEPs, or 504 plans if available. Then stay in touch with them throughout the school year. Schedule periodic calls or meetings; don’t wait until the end of the school year to find out about any struggles or challenges. Be active in constantly evaluating and reevaluating the services and support your child is receiving to make sure they are consistently getting what they need. Learn more about strategies for helping your special education child at Strategies For Your Child with a Learning Disability or ADHD – EBL Coaching.

With the right support, students with special education needs have the potential to thrive academically.

Read more at Navigating the special education process | LD OnLine.

The post Dr. Emily Levy on the My Child Will Thrive Podcast: Tips for Advocating for Your Special Needs Child appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Having a child with learning difficulties can be challenging. You see them struggling in school, losing focus when completing tasks, or frequently forgetting to turn in assignments. You want to assist them but you just don’t know how. Help your child with learning challenges excel with the ideas detailed below.

Start early!

If you notice your child struggling with learning, attention, behaviors, or any combination thereof, speak to your child’s teacher as soon as you can. They should be able to share valuable advice on how your child is doing in school and any difficulties they are noticing. If your child’s teacher is seeing notable challenges, it may make sense for you to request a formal evaluation from your child’s school to gauge any learning disabilities, attentional challenges, or other diagnoses your child may have. If a diagnosis is made, an IEP will likely be created and your child may be entitled to special services at school, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, special education tutoring, and other related services. Read more at Could My Child Have Dyslexia? – EBL Coaching.

Set routines at home

In addition to special services your child may receive at school, you can help them at home by setting routines. They should wake up at a certain time, do their homework at a specific time, and go to bed at a set time – ideally roughly the same time each day to establish consistency. If your child has weak organization or executive functioning skills, you may want to use checklists for tasks that need to be done at home. For instance, a morning checklist might include brushing their teeth, getting dressed, having breakfast, and packing their backpack. An afternoon checklist might include having a snack, completing their homework, putting their homework in the appropriate place to be turned in the next day (or submitting it online that night), and organizing their backpack for school the next day.

Create a study space

Your child should have a well-organized, well-lit study space for completing their homework each day. This space can be a desk in their room or even a table in a communal area if that is the only option. Just make sure the space is fully equipped with all supplies your child may need for competing their homework – pens, pencils, notebooks, scissors, markers, paper – anything they might need for all types of assignments should be there. This will help prevent them from getting up midway through homework time to find supplies, which could ultimately lead to distractions and diversions. Read more at Organizational Tools for Academic Success – EBL Coaching.

Read with your child

The more you read with your child, the more they will learn to enjoy reading and the better their reading skills will become. Encourage your child to select a book on a topic they are interested in, like dinosaurs or sports. If your child struggles with reading, you might start by reading aloud to them. Stop throughout the book as you read to ask questions and discuss the characters, plot, and setting. Try to encourage your child to form a visual picture of what they are hearing in the story. You can even ask prompting questions, like “What time of day do you think it is?”, “What season is it?”, “How tall do you think the characters are?”, and so on. Eventually, when your child is ready, perhaps alternate the reading, where you read a section, then your child reads a section, and go back and forth. Down the road encourage your child to read the whole book aloud to you, and discuss the story while they are reading and after they are finished.

Seek a tutor

If your child continues to struggle despite your help at home, you may want to consider a special education tutor. This tutor should not just be a “homework helper,” but a tutor who specializes in helping students with learning disabilities or ADHD. If your child has dyslexia or reading challenges, you might want to find a dyslexia tutor or an Orton Gillingham tutor, someone who can utilize the Orton Gillingham method for the tutoring, which is a research-based, multisensory approach, for helping students build stronger reading and writing skills.

Having a child with learning challenges can feel overwhelming at times. Yet with the right support and tools, you can help your child at home and guide them towards academic success. Read more at Orton Gillingham Tutors NYC – EBL Coaching.

Other Related Blogs:

Helping Autistic Students Build Stronger Executive Functioning Skills

ADHD Tutoring

The post How Can I Help My Child with Learning Challenges at Home? appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Choose Interesting Classes

Your child should look at the course options at their school and select classes on topics they are interested in. If they like stars, they may want to take a class on astronomy. If they enjoy writing, a class on poetry or fiction may be a good one to choose. Some students may even benefit from a reduced course load at the start of college so they don’t feel overwhelmed with work and deadlines. They may want to take fewer classes at once and spread out their courses over a longer period of time.  

Scheduling

Creating a well-organized schedule is key for success in college. Once your child has selected their classes, they should organize their schedule using a physical or virtual assignment book. In the assignment book, they should block out their courses so they know exactly when they need to be in class. They should also write in any upcoming assignments and tests, and even carve out study time. If they have a math exam on Friday, for instance, they might want to block out two hours per day, say 4-6pm, Monday-Thursday to spend time studying for the exam.

Study Smart!

Your child should learn effective study skills to help them excel in college. Taking notes is a big part of college classes, so they may want to identify what kind of learner they are (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) and then use the style of note taking that is most suitable for them. For instance, if they are a visual learner, they may want to use a webbing style of note taking, where they draw a large circle in the center of their page and write the topic of the lecture inside it (like “World War I” ). Then as the teacher lectures, your child should add branches to the bubble with each new topic. If the first topic is “Causes of Word War I”, they can draw a line from the middle bubble to a new bubble and write “Causes of World War I” in the new bubble. Then they can create branches and new bubbles for information on the causes of World War I, and so on. If your child is a more linear learner, then outlining or a column-style form of note taking (with main ideas in the left column of a page and notes that correspond to each main idea on the right side) may be more appropriate. Your child can also work on highlighting important, salient details when reading and learning mnemonics and other tricks for memorizing facts.

Seek Accommodations

Colleges are required by law to provide accommodations to students with disabilities. Take action early to seek these accommodations so that your child has them in place before their classes start. They may qualify for early registration, untimed testing, priority seating in class, recordings of class notes, the use of a calculator, audio books, or other accommodations that may help them excel at school.

Seek a Tutor

If your child is still struggling to navigate college alone, hiring a tutor may help. This tutor can help your child select appropriate courses and create an organized schedule for tackling these courses. The tutor can also help your child build stronger executive functioning skills and explain any content within the courses that might be confusing.

College can feel overwhelming to just about any student. Yet most colleges have a multitude of resources for students with learning disabilities. Encourage your child to try these ideas and they will be well on their way to academic success. 

The post How to Adjust a Learning Challenged Student’s Study Habits and Curriculum to College appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Praise their efforts

It is important to praise your child’s efforts as much as possible.

Many children with learning disabilities work very hard on their schoolwork – often much harder than their peers – but their grades don’t reflect this effort. If your child doesn’t score well on a test or assignment but you know how hard they worked and how much time they put in, praise them! Make sure they know that you appreciate this effort, and that a strong work ethic is a skill that will ultimately help them become successful in life. The more you empower them and praise their hard work, the more confident they will become.

Play up their strengths

Children with learning disabilities may struggle with reading, writing, math, or executive functioning skills (or a combination of these skills), but they often have incredible gifts and talents. Those with dyslexia may be very creative and are talented artists. Others are fantastic actors, and many are very social with strong “people skills”. Play up these strengths with after school art classes or acting workshops – or perhaps even encourage them to babysit younger kids when they’re older to flex their great people skills. You may also want to consider Orton Gillingham tutoring if your child has dyslexia and struggles with reading. This specialized learning disability tutoring can boost your child’s academic skills and self-esteem.

Use a multi-sensory approach

Research tells us that using a multi-sensory approach when teaching children with learning disabilities is optimal for their learning. Aside from instruction at school, you can try using a multi-sensory approach at home with your child to help further develop their skills. With younger children, for instance, you can work on letter writing using colored sand or even sugar on a cookie sheet. Tell them the formation of a letter out loud (for instance “down, up, and around” for p, or “down and across” for t) and have them trace the letters in the colored sand or sugar. You can also try this activity using sand at a beach or dirt at a park. For older children, you can build reading comprehension and active reading skills by teaching them to identify three elements when reading: the topic, which is one two or three words describing the passage; the main idea, which is what the author is saying about the topic; and the important details. They can then highlight the topic in blue, main idea in green, and important details in yellow – or choose their own favorite three colors. Multi-sensory tutoring can help them immensely.

Learn more about the Orton Gillingham multi-sensory approach at The Orton Gillingham Approach – EBL Coaching.

They are not alone!

Remind your child that some of the greatest leaders and most successful people in life have a learning disability or ADHD. Tom Cruise and Whoopi Goldberg have dyslexia. Michael Phelps has ADHD. Steve Jobs had dyslexia, and Leonardo Da Vinci likely had both dyslexia and ADHD. Having a learning disability is a gift, and it certainly should not hold your child back in life.

Turn to academic tutoring if needed

Many students with learning disabilities struggle in school. They might have trouble with one skill, like reading, while others struggle with a combination of skills, like reading and math, or executive functioning skills. Some students receive enough support at school to help them thrive, and certain parents can provide extra support at home. However, if your child continues to struggle despite these efforts, you may want to consider one-on-one multi-sensory tutoring or executive functioning coaching. Make sure, however, that it is not homework help or generic tutoring, but that it is specialized tutoring, ideally using a multi-sensory approach, provided by someone with extensive experience working with children with learning disabilities.

Learn more at Orton Gillingham Tutors NYC and NJ – EBL Coaching.

Parents in New York City and New Jersey who are looking for specialized tutoring for dyslexia, ADHD, or executive functioning will find that their child can benefit from EBL Coaching’s research-based, multi-sensory tutoring that is individualized tailored to each child’s needs.

Individuals with learning disabilities often have so many strengths – they are typically bright, creative, and social, but they don’t always see it. Try these ideas to empower your child, build their self-esteem, and ultimately help them thrive in school and in life.

Don’t let your child continue to struggle with reading, writing, math, or executive functioning skills! EBL Coaching’s specialized one-on-one tutoring can make a significant difference in their academic skills and self-esteem. Contact us at www.eblcoaching.com to learn how our multi-sensory, individualized tutoring can help your child build their academic skills and confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do children with learning disabilities have low self-esteem?
Children with learning disabilities often struggle academically. They may notice their peers excelling in reading, writing, or math, while they demonstrate challenges with these skills. Remind your child that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Your child may be social and creative but has a harder time with reading or another academic skill. Building your child’s academic skills with specialized tutoring can also help improve their self-esteem.

How can I help my child with dyslexia feel more confident?
Remind your child about their strengths and praise their hard work and effort. Also show them any concrete progress. For example, if they were only able to write one sentence six months ago but can now write a full paragraph, show them the difference in their writing samples and encourage them to feel good about their own progress.

When should I seek tutoring for my child?
If you notice your child is struggling academically and their self-confidence is taking a toll, you may want to seek tutoring for them. The right specialized tutoring can be life-changing for a child, especially if they have a learning challenge.

Other Related Blogs:

Helping Autistic Students Build Stronger Executive Functioning Skills

Differentiating Between ADHD and Autism in Children

The post Why Does my Child with a Learning Disability Have Low Self-Esteem? appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Does your child struggle at school? Do they have difficulty sounding out new words when reading, breaking down math word problems, or expressing their thoughts on paper when writing? It can be difficult to watch your child struggle. Help your child improve their academic skills with the ideas detailed below.

Be your child’s advocate

If you notice your child is struggling, contact their teacher and set up a time to discuss what you are seeing at home. Find out if the teacher is noticing the same challenges (or others) and if so, ask for specifics. Does your child have trouble staying focused? Has the teacher noticed difficulty with reading, writing, and/or math? Try to get as much feedback as possible, and then maintain regular communication with the teacher to discuss any changes or improvements. If your child continues to struggle, you may want to find out what other resources, including extra help or tutoring, the school offers. If these challenges persist, you might want to request a full evaluation to determine if there are any learning disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD, executive functioning deficits, or other challenges that may require more support.

Build stronger study skills

Help your child build stronger time management, organization, planning, and overall executive functioning skills. To build time management skills, for example, teach your child to estimate how long they think a task will take to complete (and write down the ET, or estimated time) then compare it to the actual amount of time the task took to complete (and write the AT, or actual time). In the beginning, there is often a large discrepancy between the ET and AT, but the more your child practices this strategy, the better their time management skills will become. You can also help your child set up a 3-tier organizational system for filing papers they don’t need to be carrying with them on a regular basis. To do so, select one day per week to be the “clean out my notebook day” and file away any old papers into an accordion file divided into 3 sections for each class: homework, notes, and tests/quizzes. If it’s challenging for you to help your child build these executive functioning skills, you may want to consider hiring an executive functioning coach.

Try using a multisensory approach

Research tells us that using a multisensory approach to help struggling learners is the way to go! For young children who are learning to read and write, try having them practice writing letters in colored sand or sugar. To do so, pour sand or sugar on a cookie tray and have them trace each letter with their finger, while saying the formation aloud, like “around, up, and down” for lowercase a, or “down, up, and around” for lowercase p. For older students, help them build their reading comprehension skills by teaching them to read a passage and then highlight the topic (1, 2, or 3 words describing the passage) in blue, the main idea (what the author is saying about the passage) in green, and the important details in yellow. The more multisensory instruction you can provide, the better!

Hire a tutor

If your child continues to struggle despite your help at home, you may want to consider hiring a tutor. There are various types of tutors who specialize in different areas; for instance if your child struggles with reading, you may want to consider Orton Gillingham tutoring. The Orton Gillingham approach can do wonders in helping your child build stronger decoding and spelling skills. If they struggle with math, you may want to consider a tutor who can use a multisensory approach and lots of manipulatives to build their math skills, or you might also consider a writing tutor or executive functioning coach. The more specialized the tutoring can be, the better!

It can be challenging to watch your child struggle in school. Yet if you advocate for them, help them at home, and possibly consider hiring a tutor, you can help them achieve academic success as they progress through school.

The post How to Help Your Struggling Learner appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Originally published on the World website

Educators are trying to provide more help to students with dyslexia

Naomi Peña’s four children have dyslexia. In fall 2020, as her son Lucas learned virtually from home in New York City during the pandemic, she realized just how far behind he was at his public school.

“Mom, I have a small brain,” her son, now 12, would tell her.

After a pricey neuropsychological evaluation, school officials offered some extra support but ultimately couldn’t provide the structural literacy program Lucas needed, according to his mom. By March 2021, Peña began looking for a school more tailored to his needs. She found a private school for students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities and decided to enroll him. The city Department of Education will pay the school’s $75,000 annual tuition, but Peña had to hire an educational attorney to ensure that she followed proper procedures to receive that reimbursement.

Peña is the co-founder of the Literacy Academy Collective. For the past two years, she and six other moms have been advocating for a new public school for students with dyslexia in New York City. In late January, city Department of Education Chancellor David Banks announced plans for just that. A new school for dyslexia students will complement Bridge Preparatory Charter School, a dyslexia-focused school that opened on Staten Island in 2019. No location or opening date information for the new school has been announced. But while many education advocates agree that NYC students with dyslexia need more support, they disagree over whether a dedicated school is the right approach.

According to data from the city’s Department of Education, one-fifth of the school district’s roughly 1 million students have disabilities. Of those, more than 67,000 have been diagnosed with a learning disability. Students with dyslexia have difficulties learning to read and matching letters with sounds.

“The sheer scale of the problem is daunting,” said David Bloomfield, a professor of education leadership, law, and policy at the CUNY Graduate Center and Brooklyn College. He worries that a stand-alone dyslexia school will serve only a fraction of the students who need help. Instead, he said schools should use COVID-19 funding to staff every school with reading specialists and experts trained in phonics instruction.

While Bloomfield agrees that students at a dyslexia-specific school will benefit from extra intervention, he is concerned the results won’t last: “My worry with schools like this is they may start out with great fanfare and great attention, but because they’re segregated, and isolated, they tend to diminish in quality over time.”

Emily Levy, founder of the New York–based EBL Coaching tutoring service, estimates that more than a fifth of her company’s 200 students have dyslexia. She said that while some students with milder forms of dyslexia may be able to adapt well in mainstream classes, students with more severe needs would likely benefit from an all-school model. She also pointed out that a multisensory, structured literacy approach to reading instruction that includes phonics and decoding skills not only works best for students with dyslexia but also often transfers well to other students: “Kids first off seem to enjoy the multisensory approach—it helps the information stick in their long-term memory.”

Some private schools have found a niche serving students with special learning needs. Molly Arthur founded Educational Pathways Academy in Naples, Fla., in 2017, a Christian school that now serves 82 students from first to 10th grade. All of the school’s students have reading difficulties similar to dyslexia, though not all have a clear dyslexia diagnosis. Some students were adopted after being exposed to drugs prenatally, Arthur said, and one student has a chromosomal disorder. All have average or higher IQ: One sixth grader has an IQ of 135 but reads at a second grade level.

Students at Educational Pathways spend about half of each day in peer groups corresponding to their age and ability and the other half following an independent schedule. Students move to a new classroom and a new teacher every 40 minutes—a design Arthur said is also helpful for her students with ADHD.

Arthur knows the emotional toll dyslexia can take: Her dyslexic sister dropped out of school when she was 16. Many students come to the school with self-doubt, she said, and she wants to focus on the child as a whole person. “God didn’t forget to give you the ability to read well or write well or comprehend well—He doesn’t make mistakes,” she said. “We really try to instill in them that you are made by God for a plan, for a purpose.” She said parents have told her that their children are enjoying school for the first time since coming to Educational Pathways.

Back in New York, Peña said she and others at the Literacy Academy Collective are working toward launching a teacher training residency program. Teachers would receive training and experience by teaching in a dyslexia-specific school, then could take dyslexia-friendly education methods, such as structured literacy, into their district schools.

Meanwhile, Lucas has thrived in his new classroom. “He literally told me last week that his favorite class is reading and writing,” Peña said. “This is a kid that could not string together a couple of sentences to make a paragraph or read a couple of lines.”

The post Schools Made to Fit: Dyslexia Schools and Education appeared first on EBL Coaching.