Frequently Asked Questions

At Austin Learning Solutions we are more than a tutoring service. The true heart beat of ALS is supporting students with dyslexia, dysgraphia and auditory processing deficits through quality multisensory instruction. ALS has experienced teachers that specialize in training students with dyslexia to be successful lifelong readers. We provide remedial instruction and training that rewires the brain to help students overcome reading struggles. Consistency is key to a child’s progress, so we work closely with the parents and train them in our methods.

We highly encourage parents to sit-in on their childs’ first sessions until they feel like they have the tools needed to support their child at home.

Aside from serving students with reading challenges, we also offer cognitive training and executive functioning skills through an intensive therapeutic brain training program called PACE (Processing and Cognitive Enhancement). Not all brain training programs are created equal. However, PACE is head and shoulders above the rest because it builds and strengthens the processing skills that are necessary to make learning easier and faster. We have seen students’ confidence and cognitive abilities grow and make life changing progress through this program.

We meet with students in our office between the hours of 8am and 6pm, Monday through Friday. We are not open on weekends. We write a "please excuse" note for all students that meet with us during school hours.

As parents, you are legally allowed to have your child come to ALS during the school day once a week for one-on-one private sessions. In the rare event that your child's school has any an issues with that, they can contact us for more information.

Our teachers are trained in a variety of reading programs. So we have the ability to pick and choose the best strategies from from each program to create lessons that are best for your child. We use the  Phonographix program as our main program when teaching phonics. Our instruction and methods are aligned with the Science of Reading which is backed by years of scientific research. Many other popular phonics programs, commonly adopted by school districts and other providers, tend to use a multitude of rules and encourage blends and letter names. We find these methods to be a hurdle for struggling readers. We do things differently because we keep it simple, hands on, and most importantly, effective!

We incorporate a multisensory approach to phonics lessons that combine visual, auditory, handwriting and kinesthetic-tactile activities. A multisensory approach can help focus a child’s attention and enhance their memory and ability to learn.

Our goal is to work ourselves out of a job with you! It’s hard to say exactly how long we will be working with your child, since every learner is so different. On average, we work with students from six months to a year. We DO NOT lock families into a contract. We invoice weekly or monthly depending on your preference.

Yes! We now offer optional academic diagnostic evaluations administered by a licensed diagnostician. This evaluation can be a powerful tool for getting your child the services they need at school. It plays a vital role in understanding a child's educational strengths, weaknesses, and specific needs. It provides valuable information for educators, parents, and professionals involved in the child's education to support their learning and academic success.

If a diagnosis isn't something you want or need for your child, the first step before beginning lessons at ALS is coming in for a basic screener assessment. This allows us to meet the child where they are on their reading journey and provide appropriote instruction and intervention. Since screeners do not diagnose, it lets us know if a child is "at risk" in certain areas. While an official diagnostic assessment can answer many questions, we also believe both assessments (diagnostic or nondiagnostic) provide crucial information about a child's processing skills and ability. 

Overall, assessments and screeners provide valuable data enabling us to make informed decisions, track progress, and ensure that every child receives the appropriate resources and interventions to thrive. 

Basic screener assessment takes about 1-2 hours to complete, depending on the child's age. 

Edcuational diagnostic evaluation takes 1.5-2 hours to complete.