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Cypress Dyslexia Services offers intensive reading, spelling, and writing interventions for dyslexia and dysgraphia.

Cypress Dyslexia Services

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About

Remediation for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia

What's the difference between reading tutoring and dyslexia therapy?

While both aim to improve reading skills, they address different needs:

Reading Tutoring:

May focus on a specific reading skill such as comprehension strategies

Immediate help with homework, studying for a test, or grade improvement on an assignment

Beneficial for students just needing extra practice with typical reading development

Can be done by a reading specialist or general education teacher

Short term, can be done as needed

Dyslexia Therapy:

Comprehensive literacy program addressing all areas of reading, spelling, and writing

Systematic, researched based instruction designed specifically for individuals with dyslexia

Remediation with a specific level of intensity that aims to rewire the brain

Requires the skills of a licensed therapist with extensive training in dyslexia and dysgraphia

Longer term as it addresses the root cause of the learning disability

Interventions are provided by a highly trained therapist who is both a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist (CALT) and a Licensed Occupational Therapist. This professional combination creates a unique skill set for remediating dysgraphia and dyslexia.

Cypress Dyslexia Services uses a Structured Literacy Program that follows the Science of Reading. The curriculum is Orton-Gillingham based and designed for teaching students with dyslexia and other specific learning disabilities.

The program is multisensory, systematic, cumulative, intensive, and diagnostic. Each student receives interventions that are specific to his/her needs. This program meets the highest standards of ALTA (Academic Language Therapy Association) and IMSLEC (International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council) certification for Dyslexia Therapy.

Dyslexia interventions are explicitly taught through direct instruction. Sessions are one-on-one and can be done in person or online. The Neuhaus Basic Language Skills program is used for dyslexia therapy and is supplemented with special Occupational Therapy interventions to address handwriting skills and academic executive functioning skills.

Please keep in mind that for best results, dyslexia therapy sessions require a specific level of intensity. To ensure solid dyslexia remediation, once-a-week sessions are not offered. Intensive instruction, practice, review, and reinforcement of concepts are used to build automaticity. Reading tutoring gives help once a week, but will not remediate dyslexia.

Dyslexia remediation differs from reading tutoring in the level of intensity required. In order to achieve the best results, three or four sessions per week are recommended. Simply practicing reading once a week will not fix the underlying neurological differences of a learning disability. Therefore, remediation is a more frequent and longer-term commitment. Completing a full dyslexia program usually takes 2 - 3 years.

Dysgraphia interventions focus on handwriting skills, spelling, and the process of written expression. While learning to decode words (reading) can be complicated, the process of writing requires even more executive functioning skills. It can be much more demanding and often takes longer to develop than reading skills.

Generally, medical insurance does not cover dyslexia therapy. Insurance companies view dyslexia as an "educational" issue rather than a medical one. However, dyslexia treatment is an IRS-eligible expense. This means HSA funds can be used to pay for eligible dyslexia treatment costs, such as specialized interventions. To ensure your expenses are eligible, you'll likely need a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) from a physician.

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