Dyslexia Support: Where To Start

Does my child need a diagnosis to get support?

No. Support should start as soon as the concern is raised. Education department guidance for parents says help for a struggling reader should begin when the concern is raised rather than wait for a formal diagnosis, and healthdirect gives the same advice.

The map of support

Source of support	What it is good for	What it is not for
Your child's school	Daily adjustments in class, small group reading help, a written learning plan	One to one teaching at the depth a child with dyslexia often needs
AUSPELD and the SPELD organisations	Free, reliable information for parents and a list of evidence-based programs	Regular teaching for your child
Australian Dyslexia Association	Information for parents and a directory of professionals	Advice on your child in particular
Learning Difficulties Australia	Finding a teacher or professional by need, age and online or in person	Information written for parents
Parent groups	Other parents' experience, and company	Clinical advice; check claims against a source
A teacher, tutor or speech pathologist	The regular, explicit teaching that improves reading and spelling	Replacing what the school must provide

What support does the school have to give?

Australian schools must support a student with dyslexia. The Disability Standards for Education 2005 are made under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Under them, a school must consult the student and their family and make reasonable adjustments so the child can take part in learning on the same basis as other students. Healthdirect gives examples: audiobooks, speech to text and predictive spelling, and not being asked to read aloud. These are written into an individual learning plan.

School adjustments have a limit: they give a child access to learning, but they do not teach reading. Many schools also run small group reading programs, and these are a good start, but a child with dyslexia often needs more teaching than a group can give. The guide to what to ask your school for covers the meeting and the plan.

What do the dyslexia organisations offer parents?

AUSPELD is the national body for the SPELD organisations, the not-for-profits for specific learning difficulties. Its free online guide, Understanding Learning Difficulties, is a thorough, plain source for parents and includes a list of evidence-based programs. The SPELD organisations run information services for parents, and at least one answers parents' questions by phone and email at no cost.

The Australian Dyslexia Association is a not-for-profit with information for parents and a directory of allied health and education professionals. Learning Difficulties Australia is an association of teachers, speech pathologists and psychologists, and its search finds a professional by area of need, age and whether they work online.

Volunteer parent groups, such as Dyslexia Support Australia on Facebook, are where other parents share what worked. They are not run by the organisations above, so treat advice there as a lead to check, not a recommendation.

Who does what for a child with dyslexia?

A psychologist usually makes the formal diagnosis. A speech pathologist assesses and teaches reading, spelling and the spoken language underneath. A tutor trained in structured literacy can teach reading and spelling, and a general tutor helps with homework and subjects. A GP decides whether a Medicare plan applies, and is the first call if your child's confidence or mood is suffering. How a tutor and a speech pathologist differ, and what each costs, is on tutor or speech pathologist.

What about your child?

A child with dyslexia is more likely to develop low self-esteem, healthdirect notes, so how they understand dyslexia matters as much as the teaching. The guide to talking to your child about dyslexia covers what to say. For daily reading and spelling, see helping at home and what to read together.

Where does Dr Lauren fit?

Dr Lauren Crumlish (PhD), Certified Practising Speech Pathologist, works online with children and teenagers up to 18, Australia wide. She assesses reading, spelling and the language skills underneath, and teaches from what she finds. She does not diagnose dyslexia. Dyslexia therapy with Dr Lauren is $193 a session. A Medicare rebate may apply with a doctor's referral, for a limited number of sessions a year, if your GP decides your child is eligible. Dr Lauren works with a small number of families and has limited availability.