Why Traditional Tutoring Hasn’t Worked
Most tutoring follows the same formula: sit with the child, help them finish tonight’s homework, review for tomorrow’s test, and repeat. It solves the immediate problem but doesn’t address the reason the problem keeps showing up. If your child learns differently, has gaps in foundational skills, or processes information in a way that standard instruction doesn’t account for, more of the same approach won’t change the outcome.
Academic support at Mind by Design is built differently. Our team understands learning differences, and many of the students they work with have been through evaluations that reveal exactly where the academic gaps are and why they exist. That context changes everything about how support is delivered.
What This Actually Looks Like
Your child’s academic support specialist starts by understanding their learning profile, either from a psychoeducational evaluation or through an initial intake that identifies their academic strengths and gaps. From there, sessions focus on the specific skills your child needs to build, not just the assignment that’s due tomorrow.
That might mean strengthening foundational math concepts that were never fully solidified, building reading comprehension strategies that fit how your child processes text, or developing writing skills through approaches that work with their cognitive profile rather than against it. Sessions are hands on, adaptive, and tied to what’s actually happening in your child’s classroom.
We also coordinate with your child’s teachers when helpful, and if your child is working with other providers on our team (a literacy specialist, an executive function coach, a therapist), everyone stays aligned.
Academic Support at a Glance
- Session length:
Tailored to your child’s needs (typically 25 or 50 minutes)
- Typical frequency:
1 to 3 sessions per week
- Progress updates:
Written updates every 3 months
- Ages:
Elementary through high school
- Evaluation required?:
No. We do an informal baseline assessment at intake, and formal evaluation data makes ongoing support even more targeted.
- Insurance:
Academic support is an educational support service and is not covered by insurance. See our Billing & Insurance page for details.
What We Help With
Reading Comprehension
Building the strategies your child needs to understand, retain, and respond to what they read.
Written Expression
Developing the ability to organize thoughts, get them on paper, and communicate clearly through writing.
Math Foundations and Specialized Math Instruction
Strengthening the conceptual understanding and procedural skills that more advanced math depends on, with specialized instruction tailored to how your child learns best.
Study Skills
Learning how to study effectively, organize information, and build the habits that support steady academic progress.
Homework and Assignment Management
Building routines and strategies for completing work independently, without it becoming a nightly battle.
Why Academic Support at Mind by Design Is Different
The tutors at most learning centers don’t know how your child’s brain processes information. Our team does. When your child has been evaluated at Mind by Design, their academic support specialist has access to the cognitive and academic data that explains why certain subjects are harder than others. They know whether processing speed, working memory, language processing, or attention is a factor, and they adjust their instruction accordingly.
And if your child also works with our executive function coaches, literacy specialists, therapists, or speech language pathologists, the whole team is connected. Your child’s academic support isn’t operating in a silo. It’s part of an integrated support system designed around one student.
Your Child’s Academic Support Team
Our academic support specialists are education professionals with experience working with students who have learning differences. They understand how to adapt instruction to different learning profiles and how to make academic content accessible for students who need a different approach.
Maddy Reader
Academic Support Specialist
Maddy is passionate about empowering students by embracing their creativity and building their problem solving skills. She brings an enthusiastic, student centered approach to every session.
Jen Spiteri
Education Support Specialist
Jen has dedicated the last 19 years to working in the elementary classroom. She has helped create math curriculum and provided coaching and support to math teachers during the summers.
Erin Garvey
Literacy Specialist
Reading and writing can feel frustrating or overwhelming for many students. Erin loves helping to demystify the process and make literacy more manageable, meaningful, and enjoyable.
Students Who Get the Most Out of Academic Support
This service is designed for students who are falling behind in specific academic areas and need targeted support to close the gaps. Many of the students we work with have learning differences like dyslexia, ADHD, or processing challenges that make standard classroom instruction insufficient on its own. Some have recently been through an evaluation and are implementing the recommendations. Others simply need a more personalized approach to academic skill building than their school can provide.
If your child needs specialized reading or writing support specifically for dyslexia, our Literacy Support & Intervention program may be a better fit.