Choosing the Right Support for Your Child’s Needs - Specialization Matters.

Whether you are looking for a tutor to do homework or for support based on an identified learning difference, it absolutely matters what training and experience the tutor or specialist has.

 Here are a few tips;

* Ask what licenses, credentials and specialized training the tutor or specialist has. You would never hire an attorney or doctor without asking for this information and seeing their degrees hanging on the wall of their office. The same applies to hiring a tutor or specialists. Sadly there are people working in this industry without the proper licenses, credentials or training. It is a form of malpractice and you should not allow your child to be a victim. 

* Know what kind of tutor or specialist your child needs. If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia or other learning differences, the report from the neuropsychologist will often recommend certain programs to remediate or support your child. For example, a child diagnosed with dyslexia will greatly benefit from a tried and true remediation program  called Orton-Gillingham.  The right tutor/specialist for a child with this diagnosis should be trained and experienced in using Orton-Gillingham.  If such recommendations were not included in the report provided after an academic evaluation, ask. If a patient is diagnosed with cancer, the patient and doctor will want to ensure that the treatment provided is specific to the diagnosis and that the healthcare provider administering that treatment is trained and experienced. While it may sound extreme, the same is true when addressing a learning difference. Just this last spring the parent of one of my students shared with me that she had been in her son’s classroom for end of year presentations and she was shocked to see two students she knew had been diagnosed with dyslexia who were continuing to struggle only to have the parents discover that the tutor that had been supporting their child for more than a year lacked the appropriate training and licenses to support a student with dyslexia. Unfortunately, COVID seems to have made this a common issue in the industry. Be specific in what you are looking for and ask to see credentials and licenses.

* Make time to follow the frequency suggested by the specialist.  In most cases, a trained and experienced specialist will administer initial assessments to a new student in order to gather insights into the individual learning style, strengths and areas of need.  Based on the results of these initial assessments, the specialist will recommend that a student schedule a specific number of sessions per week and length of each session; a recommended frequency and duration of each session. 

A child diagnosed with dyslexia should be seen three to five days a week during remediation for 30 to 60 minutes depending on age and ability to attend. More frequency during the early stages will lead to greater success in the long run.  

Younger children and children with ADHD do better with shorter, more frequent sessions while older, normally developing students can work for longer periods of time with less frequency. 

Even a tutor focusing on homework support will best serve your child when they are seen with proper duration and frequency. I have seen many students who did not dedicate themselves to the proper frequency only to make slow or little progress.

* Stay clear of tutors/specialists who over promise. The reality is that learning differences take time and hard work to treat and there is no effective long lasting treatment that will cure a learning disorder. I recently lost a client to a specialist who claimed that their weekend boot camp style treatment would resolve dyslexia in one weekend. While it may sound absurd, this client fell for it only to see a spurt of growth that was not sustained. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.  

* Finally, properly trained tutors and specialists are expensive. The typical reading specialist has at least one masters or license. Typically these degrees and licenses are two year programs beyond an undergraduate degree.  Be prepared to pay them for their expertise. You get what you pay for.