Teenagers

Dyslexia In Teenagers: Therapy For High School Students

Dyslexia in teenagers does not go away, and it is not too late to work on it. Dr Lauren Crumlish (PhD), Certified Practising Speech Pathologist, works online with high school students up to 18 on the reading and spelling that every subject leans on. Sessions are $193.

Online, Australia wide, up to 18 years
Dr Lauren works with your teenager directly, one to one
Reading and spelling teaching, not homework help

Apply Now What changes in high school

A teenage girl smiles and waves at her laptop screen during a video call.

The short answer

Is It Too Late To Help A Teenager With Dyslexia?

No. Dyslexia is lifelong, and a teenager with dyslexia can still become a more accurate reader and speller with explicit teaching. A 2026 review of 34 studies of word reading teaching for adolescents found gains in decoding, spelling and reading comprehension. It did not find a clear gain in reading speed.

That is the honest picture for a high school student: accuracy can be taught at any age, speed is harder to shift, and technology and exam adjustments exist for the part that stays slow. Nothing on this page promises a result for your teenager.

What Changes About Dyslexia In High School

Sources read 15 November 2026

Dyslexia in high school looks different because the job of reading changes. In primary school a child is learning to read. In high school reading is how every subject is taught and tested: a science textbook, a history source, a maths word problem, an exam question read against the clock. healthdirect notes that dyslexia is often not picked up in the early years of school , so some teenagers reach Year 8 or 9 before anyone names it. For what works and what does not at any age, see dyslexia treatment.

What the teaching works on in high school

Dyslexia therapy for a teenager works on the reading and spelling skills that assignments and exams rely on. Which of these a teenager needs comes from the first assessment.

What high school asks	What the teaching works on
Long, unfamiliar words in every subject	Splitting a long word into syllables and reading each part accurately
Words built from parts	Prefixes, roots and suffixes, such as "photo", "bio", "-ology" and "-tion", so a part is read and spelt the same way wherever it turns up
Subject vocabulary	The sounds, spelling and meaning of the words a subject uses, starting from the spoken word
Spelling in written answers	Spelling patterns that were never secure, taught from speech to print
Reading accurately enough to follow the text	The gaps in sounds and letter patterns that still make reading inaccurate

Teaching word parts has research behind it for students who find literacy hard: a review of 17 studies found it improved vocabulary and spelling among other skills. How spelling is taught is set out on spelling and writing help.

What sessions do not cover

Sessions with Dr Lauren do not cover homework, assignments, essays for a subject, exam revision or subject tutoring. The aim is the reading and spelling underneath that work. The assignments themselves stay with your teenager, the school and, where one is needed, a tutor.

Starting high school with dyslexia: Year 6 into Year 7

A new high school does not know your child yet, so support that was in place in primary school does not carry over by itself. Before Year 7 starts, tell the new school in writing that your child has dyslexia or a reading difficulty, pass on any reports, and ask who coordinates learning support and which adjustments will carry over. The guide to dyslexia at school has the questions to ask.

For the teenager: what sessions are like

Dyslexia has nothing to do with how smart you are. It makes reading and spelling harder to learn, and both can still be taught. Sessions are one to one with Dr Lauren by video from home. She sets the goals with you, starting from what you want to be able to do, and nobody asks you to read aloud in front of a class.

Around The Sessions

Technology, Exam Adjustments, Confidence And Your Part

Four things sit around the sessions for a high school student.

Technology

Text to speech reads a set text aloud, and dictation turns speech into writing. Both let a teenager keep up with what a subject is teaching while reading and spelling are still being taught. They are supports, not a replacement for teaching.
Exam adjustments

Australian schools must make reasonable adjustments for a student with disability, and dyslexia can count. For NAPLAN a school can arrange extra time, rest breaks or approved assistive technology, but the reading test cannot be read aloud to a student. Adjustments for senior exams need evidence and take time to arrange, so ask the school early.
Confidence

A 2018 review of 34 studies found that poor readers are at higher risk of anxiety than their classmates. A teenager who has struggled for years can come to believe they are not clever. A plain account of what dyslexia is, and what it is not, helps.
The parent's part

Dr Lauren works with a teenager directly. She assesses, sets the goals with your teenager, runs each session and checks progress. Your part is smaller than it would be with a young child. How much you take part, and what is shared with you, is something to agree at the start.

More on each: assistive technology for dyslexia , whether dyslexia counts as a disability , what to ask your school about adjustments and how to talk with your child about dyslexia . The anxiety finding is from a review of 34 studies of poor reading and internalising problems , and the NAPLAN rules are on the NAPLAN adjustments page .

Fees

What Dyslexia Therapy For A Teenager Costs

Every child starts with an assessment. Where reading or spelling is the concern it is $890 or $1,290.

Therapy and tutoring

Session

45 minutes of therapy, plus 15 minutes of preparation and notes

$193

Apply Now

The first assessment

$890

Mid-Length Assessment

A focused look at reading, spelling and the language underneath
$1,290

Long Assessment

A fuller look at both language and literacy

Dyslexia tutoring with Dr Lauren is the same session at the same fee. 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. See fees and funding for what Medicare, private health and the NDIS cover, and how online dyslexia therapy works for the steps and the first assessment .

A teenage girl with long brown hair sits at a desk and looks up, with an adult's hand resting on her shoulder.

Teenagers And Dyslexia

Questions About Dyslexia In Teenagers

Is 15 or 16 too old to start dyslexia therapy?

No. Dr Lauren works with teenagers up to 18. Dyslexia is lifelong, but reading and spelling accuracy can be taught at any age. A 2026 review of 34 studies with adolescents found gains in decoding, spelling and reading comprehension from word reading teaching. Reading speed was harder to shift, which is where technology and exam adjustments help.

Can dyslexia first show up in high school?

Dyslexia does not begin in the teenage years, but it is often noticed then. healthdirect notes that dyslexia is often not picked up in the early years of school. A child can get by on memory and effort until high school asks for longer texts, harder words and timed writing.

Can my teenager get exam adjustments without a diagnosis?

Sometimes. Adjustments at school are based on a student's needs, and the Department of Education says the national data collection on adjustments is not limited to students with a medical diagnosis. For senior exams, the curriculum authority sets the evidence it needs, and a formal diagnosis, usually from a psychologist, may be asked for. Therapy with Dr Lauren does not need one: every teenager starts with her assessment, which is not a diagnosis.

Will Dr Lauren help with assignments or exam study?

No. Sessions teach the reading and spelling that assignments and exams rely on. They do not cover homework, assignments, essays, exam revision or subject tutoring. Those stay with the school or a subject tutor.

What if my teenager does not want help?

Dr Lauren sets the goals with the teenager, so it matters that they have a say in starting. Show them this page and ask what they would most like to find easier, whether that is spelling in written answers or getting through a set text.