According to the State of Louisiana, “Dyslexia is an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader, most commonly caused by a difficulty in phonological processing, which affects the ability of an individual to speak, read, and spell". It's recognized as a specific learning disability stemming from a neurological origin, impacting word recognition, fluency, and spelling, despite adequate intelligence and instruction, leading to challenges with sounds in language. 

According to the International Dyslexia Association, “Dyslexia is a specific learning disability characterized by difficulties in word reading and/or spelling that involve accuracy, speed, or both and vary depending on the orthography. These difficulties occur along a continuum of severity and persist even with instruction that is effective for the individual’s peers. The causes of dyslexia are complex and involve combinations of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental influences that interact throughout development. Underlying difficulties with phonological and morphological processing are common but not universal, and early oral language weaknesses often foreshadow literacy challenges. Secondary consequences include reading comprehension problems and reduced reading and writing experience that can impede growth in language, knowledge, written expression, and overall academic achievement. Psychological well-being and employment opportunities also may be affected. Although identification and targeted instruction are important at any age, language and literacy support before and during the early years of education is particularly effective.”

Dyslexia therapy may also be referred to as multisensory structured language education (MSLE). It is a specialized form of educational intervention designed to help individuals with dyslexia improve their reading, spelling, writing, and language-processing skills.

It involves:

• Structured, systematic instruction in phonics (sound–letter relationships)

• Multisensory techniques that use visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activities (This is often referred to as Orton-Gillingham approach.)

• Explicit teaching of decoding, fluency, spelling, and comprehension skills

• Individualized or small-group support based on the learner’s specific needs

Dyslexia therapy does not cure dyslexia (dyslexia is a lifelong condition), but it helps individuals develop effective strategies and skills to read and learn more successfully. It is provided by trained specialists known as a dyslexia therapist or language therapist.

Evidence-based programs are built through rigorous scientific research and confirmed through empirical studies and longitudinal outcomes. These curricula implement structured literacy approaches that explicitly develop phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

A Certified Academic Language Therapist is a dyslexia therapist who has been certified through ALTA (Academic Language Therapy Association).

Requirements include:

• Master's Degree

• Comprehensive Therapy-Level Training: Through an IMSLEC (International Multi-sensory Structured Education Council)-accredited institution

  • A minimum of 200 instructional hours (including face-to-face).

  • A minimum of 700 clinical teaching/practicum hours with students.

  • A minimum of 10 observed teaching demonstrations by a qualified instructor. 

• Deep understanding of the English language - structure and orthography.

• Mastery of Orton-Gillingham/multisensory structured language (MSL) methods.

• Assessment and intervention strategies for dyslexia. 

• Pass the ALTA Competency Exam

• Complete ongoing education: Earn continuing education credits to maintain certification. 

One of the best explanations comes from the Dyslexia Center at Princeton:

A reading tutor can benefit a child who is struggling with specific reading goals or with grade-level literacy homework. However, if a child is more than one grade level behind in reading and shows signs of continuing to fall behind, a phone consultation with a dyslexia therapist will help parents determine whether a dyslexia evaluation is needed. Similarly, if a child has worked with a tutor for 6 months to a year and shown little to no improvement, parents should consider contacting a dyslexia therapist.

A dyslexia/language therapist follows therapeutic protocols that likely won’t exactly mirror what a child is learning in school. By contrast, reading tutoring typically takes its cue from what a child is learning in school. *Problems can arise when the child does not have the underlying skills to grasp and retain what is being taught currently in the classroom. That is where targeted dyslexia therapy can be helpful for an individual child’s specific needs.* By identifying the roots of the problem, reading difficulties are remediated from the bottom up. The process may take longer. However, with insight into the roots of dyslexia, the result will be more successful over the lifespan of the child diagnosed with dyslexia.”

©️2021 The Dyslexia Center of Princeton

I was trained using Alphabetic Phonics (also referred to as Situation Learning) by EPS Publishing. It is my main resource.

I have recently trained on Take Flight, published by Texas Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital.