An estimated one in five children in Illinois struggle to read due to the learning disorder dyslexia. Forty to 60% of children with dyslexia have a parent with the same disorder.
Two local sisters are dedicated to supporting children with dyslexia by offering diagnostic testing and one-on-one instruction, then training and hiring teachers to do the same using the latest, research-based methods.
Maggie Block and Kate Morris, who grew up in Lincoln, Illinois, soft-launched Dyslexia Specialists of Central Illinois, 975 South Durkin Dr., in the fall of 2022. Through word-of-mouth and social media promotion, their business is growing and they are looking to expand further.
"We'd like to have steady, manageable growth and within five years, a building with multiple offices and 10 to 15 reading coaches providing after-school therapy. I think that's very attainable for us," said Block, a certified speech-language pathologist who holds a clinical-doctorate degree from Kansas University Medical Center with an emphasis in dyslexia. She also owns Metro East Therapy, Inc., a private practice located in Edwardsville, where she offers diagnostic literacy testing.
"We know there are an immense number of children who need reading and writing help and parents who are looking for resources," said Block, who noted that less than 35% of Illinois third-graders read at grade level. "We train and hire reading specialists and elementary teachers who already have a good foundation of literacy. We support them in using a structured-literacy program that is systematic, explicit and sequential."
Morris, of Chatham, holds a master's degree in early intervention deaf education and worked as a deaf educator in public schools before choosing to stay at home with her three young children. For the last several years, she has trained in the science of reading.
Dyslexia Specialists of Central Illinois serves children at the office, in schools, in homes and via teletherapy to clients across the state. The reading coaches also offer services to area private schools that have no reading specialists on staff.
"The business started with just Kate, and we now employ nine teachers as reading coaches and have several in training," said Block. "This is a great opportunity for them to earn supplemental income while doing what they love – helping children learn to read."
Children can be clinically diagnosed with dyslexia as early as kindergarten, but most of their clients are between 6 and 10 years old, with a few in junior high and high school. The length of therapy varies greatly based on an individual child's circumstances. On average, if a child is seen two times per week, treatment lasts a minimum of 18 months.
Block commutes from her Collinsville home to work at Dyslexia Specialists. As for locating their business in Springfield, she commented, "My sister and I grew up in central Illinois, our parents now live in Springfield, and we both feel strongly about serving this community and growing our business here.
"I think that we are the epitome of the American dream and small business," she continued. "We are just two, local females who started up a business from nothing, put ourselves out there, invested our own time, money and resources. If you reach out to us with an inquiry, you'll either talk to me or my sister directly. We want to be in the community, and we would hope that other people who are pro-small business would take a look at us over larger franchises."
The business is offering summer sessions to help children with dyslexia as well as any child who could improve their reading skills. "For parents who are considering summer school or tutoring for their kids, these sessions would be a great option," said Block.
