Frequently Asked Questions

The face-to-face dyslexia assessments are completed in Sydney in Mosman. Otherwise an online dyslexia assessment can be completed via Zoom from across Australia or around the world. Bookings can be made directly into the calendar of Barbara Hoi here or by contacting Sydney Dyslexia by email. The cost is $220 with an email summary.

It helps to first know how to recognise a dyslexic student, so a professional dyslexia assessment will help you find out how your child or student learns – and if dyslexia is the reason for the challenges.

As most struggling students are visual or tactile learners, they will greatly benefit from a different teaching approach – other than MultiLit, MiniLit, sounding out or drilling phonemic awareness. Although that approach may have been of benefit for many students, it leaves most dyslexic children behind.

Dyslexic students will gain excellent reading, writing and comprehension skills when words have a picture, usually self-mastered in Plasticine and have become meaningful to them. Mastery comes by using their creative gifts to learn.

The courses are all based on focusing skills and other tools that are essential to learn, remember and recall information.

We have found that the most profound changes are achieved with small daily steps – and we deliver training to a parent to support their child on this journey. Further information is available on our programs for children here

Most work is done at home (daily about 30 min) and we recommend you document everything your child does, the triumphs and the challenges.

That will be a great reference point to witness changes.

That way your child will stay motivated and loving the progress.

We don’t work with an individual unless we have completed a dyslexia assessment. Only then do we know if this creative, visual program will work. Only then can we tailor the program to the specific learning style, goal and project of that student.

The reason is that this method is probably unlike anything else they have tried in the past. The majority of dyslexia programs are based on fixing phonemic awareness. These individuals, however, are not auditory learners and sounding out is the hardest way for them to learn to read and write. 

It’s the way most schools teach literacy, hoping that with much practice, dyslexic students slowly get better. Some do, but they still have trouble with comprehension and speed, which holds them back and stops their confidence.

We have a track record of achieving results for people with dyslexia including children, teenagers and adults.  Our success comes through working with you (or your parents) about what you are looking to achieve and developing a structured approach to lead to improvements using your strengths and natural learning styles as a foundation. We have many Dyslexia Success Stories from past clients.

Any kind of help, especially a way that teaches children the way they learn best, is welcome.

We have dyslexia-trained tutors and facilitators who will certainly help to establish the tools and strategies very effectively. Often they have become tutors after having seen the effect on their own child – and trained as a result.

Most of the deep and lasting transformations come, when a student applies these tools daily, reinforces the neural pathways that a tutor or teacher has helped establish and ultimately corrects the challenges of dyslexia, without losing the enormous talents.

Some parents find it challenging to help their children, may not have enough time and patience for the homework after the schoolwork – and would appreciate a tutor or teacher to take over.

Many tutors become a great support for these children.

On top of the online program, you can get a tutor weekly/fortnightly or monthly to support you and your child – and guide them along their passion project.

If you are interested in becoming a dyslexia tutor yourself, contact us.

It does not take more than 30 minutes a day, five days a week to gain the literacy levels to improve your life.

Much of what we do can incorporate reading material you have to or want to learn anyway.

I have learned from experience with my dyslexic clients that motivation is a main component of learning.

However, many students have given up trying to read, write or improve at school – simply because they didn’t succeed before, despite working much harder than the average peer.

Most interventions in the past have been phonics-based and focused on repeating the same way, just more intensively.

Once they learn that they are dyslexic, very bright and most likely visual learners, they recognise that a different approach will give them a different result.

They need to know that it will still take work, but now they will get the results they need to catch up – and quite often overtake their peers.

It will be the passion project that will keep them motivated and moving forward.