a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization 1020 22nd Avenue, Meridian, MS 39301
Evaluations and Therapy
Receiving the screener letter from school can feel devastating
When your child receives a letter from his/her school stating he/she failed a Dyslexia Screener, it can feel overwhelming.
Illuminations will help you find a path forward.
In accordance with Mississippi Code Ann. § 37-173-15, each local school district must screen students for dyslexia in the spring of kindergarten and the fall of Grade 1 using a State Board of Education-approved screener.
The screener must contain the following components: phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, sound-symbol recognition, alphabet knowledge, decoding skills, encoding skills, and rapid naming. If the student fails the screener, the parent or legal guardian will be notified of the results of the screener.
Your child may have received two letters: one in their kindergarten year, and one in their first-grade year.
What do you do now?
Call or email! When you contact Illuminations, one of our knowledgeable staff members will be able to answer your questions regarding dyslexia, dyslexia evaluation, tutoring, and dyslexia therapy.
What you should know:
- Keep In Mind: Schools do not have to evaluate for dyslexia; they only have to screen children to determine who might be at risk.
- Expect Success: Children with dyslexia can learn how to read and write successfully.
- Start Early: Dyslexia therapy is available to your child in person and on-line even as you wait for results of evaluation.
What our therapy looks like:
- Personalized, one-on-one structured literacy sessions
- Direct, systematic instruction
- Family partnership & at-home support
- Ongoing progress monitoring & data-driven lessons
Therapy
What about school?
What is Dyslexia Therapy?
Your child may be receiving remediation at school. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, all students not making progress should receive "tier" interventions. As a parent of a child with dyslexia, look for instruction that is:
Intensive
Very frequent for sufficient time.
Explicit
All skills for reading, spelling, and writing are explained, directly taught, and modeled. Children are discouraged from guessing at words.
Systematic and cumulative
The concepts follow a logical, sequential order, from simple to more complex; each new concept builds upon previously introduced concepts, with built in review to aid memory and retrieval.
Structured
Step-by-step procedures for introducing, reviewing, and practicing concepts.
Multi-sensory
To link listening, speaking, reading, and writing together; we involve movement and “hands-on” learning.
What is Dyslexia Therapy?
What is Dyslexia Therapy?
- Alphabet instruction
- Recognition of letters/sounds
- Categories
- Rapid Automatized Naming
- Learned Words
- Reading accuracy and fluency
- Comprehension
- Grammar and writing
- Cursive handwriting
- Phonological awareness
- Etymology (language of origin)
- Oral language development
- Vocabulary
- Spelling rules
- Affixes and word roots
All in one-hour sessions designed for mastery, quick pace, and FUN!
What curriculum is used?
What curriculum is used?
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 95% of children can achieve grade-level grading success with specialized help early. The core of Illuminations methodology evolves from the Orton-Gillingham based methods: a scientific, universally-successful, specific teaching approach that combines auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning modalities.
Most of our therapists are trained in Alphabetic Phonics or a derivative, Neuhaus Basic Language Skills, earning master's degrees and certifications by the Academic Language Therapy Association. Some are certified by the Children's Dyslexia Centers, and others by the Center for Effective Reading Instruction and the International Dyslexia Association. All our therapists are highly trained to deliver structured literacy in direct, systematic lessons designed for your child.
Illuminations offers individualized support to help children and adults overcome learning challenges and achieve their academic goals.
We support readers of all ages — whether they’re just getting started or building advanced skills — and we do it with compassion, expertise, and individualized care.
Our services include:
- Dyslexia therapy
- Math tutoring and math therapy
- Handwriting
- Academic tutoring
- Reading comprehension instruction
- Test preparation
We have a team of experienced and qualified tutors who work with each client to create a personalized plan tailored to their individual needs.
We can deliver therapy in-person or online.
We are a Lexercise Certified Structured Literacy Provider.
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