Dyslexia Tutoring vs. Dyslexia Therapy
When looking for support for dyslexia support options, it helps to understand how services differ to find the best services for your family. When investing time and money, outcomes are the best measure of success! The difference between dyslexia therapy and dyslexia tutoring matters!
Dyslexia Tutoring
In general, dyslexia tutors may have experience helping students with reading or schoolwork, but formal training in dyslexia-specific methods is often limited or inconsistent. Their qualifications vary widely. Some may use structured literacy programs, while others rely on general tutoring strategies. Tutors typically focus on extra practice or homework support, rather than intensive, therapeutic intervention.
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Additionally, the term Orton-Gillingham does not specify therapy, but instead an approach to dyslexia intervention. While Orton-Gillingham may be the most helpful approach to working with students with dyslexia, it does not indicate a therapy-level program or knowledge.
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Dyslexia Therapy
Dyslexia therapy is a highly specialized intervention that can only be provided by a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT). Unlike general tutoring, a CALT is trained to deliver diagnostic, explicit, and systematic multisensory instruction that helps students with dyslexia and related written-language disorders build accuracy, independence, and long-term success. Licensed dyslexia therapists guide students through structured, evidence-based programs that address both reading and spelling at a therapeutic level. Programs such as Take Flight (developed by the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children) and Basic Language Skills (developed by Neuhaus Education Center) are examples of intensive Orton-Gillingham-based interventions that are prescriptive, multisensory, and designed to deliver measurable results. When a CALT leads a child through this kind of therapy, they are helping to literally rewire the brain and create new neuropathways to access written language.
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The training required to become a Certified Academic Language Therapist is extensive. CALTs must hold a master’s degree, complete two years of rigorous training through an IMSLEC-accredited program such as Scottish Rite or Neuhaus Education Center, log 700 supervised clinical hours, and pass a national certification exam through the Academic Language Therapy Association.
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For parents, understanding the difference between dyslexia therapy and other forms of support is empowering. Choosing an approach that is therapeutic rather than simply supplemental ensures your investment of time and resources produces lasting change for your child.
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