ACCESS Academic Therapy, or specialized tutoring for children with learning disabilities, provides an individualized approach specific to each student's learning needs. Tutoring addresses reading, spelling, comprehension, written expression, study skills and organizational strategies. Because intensity of instruction is a critical factor when remediating a disability, it is recommended that students be tutored a minimum of three times a week. ACCESS tutoring focuses on remediating a student's deficit, not the completion of homework. While working to remediate a student deficit, ACCESS works with the student’s school to recommend appropriate modifications. ACCESS also evaluates tools or software that may help a student compensate for a specific weakness.

ACCESS academic therapy was recently recognized as Runner Up for Best Tutoring Services in the 2011 Savvy Kids Awards and was also honored as the 2010 Little Rock Family Favorites Silver Award winner for tutoring services. It is an honor to be included on this short list of the best tutoring services in Central Arkansas.

Click here to see why 9-year-old Nelson Pierce's mother said this about his ACCESS academic therapy: "In a year he far surpassed anyone's expectations... Now he reads on his own. We catch him up at night, staying up reading. Not only does he read, he understands what he reads."

Tutoring vs. Academic Therapy
Tutoring is often designed to assist students with a specific subject area, develop study skills or complete homework. Academic Therapy is an intervention program designed for students who have a specific disability in the areas of reading, reading comprehension and/or written expression. Academic therapists are not only professionals working with children who learn differently, but are highly trained in specific approaches that are designed for children who have specific reading and writing disorders.

ACCESS academic therapists strive to provide a network of support for struggling students through:

Intensive reading instruction using a nationally recognized multi-sensory phonics approach.

Written expression instruction to target organization of thoughts and writing mechanics. 

Instruction in study skills and organizational strategies.

Interactive Metronome, an assessment and treatment tool used to improve the neurological processes of motor planning and sequencing.

Educational technology training to assist students with the use of specific piece of equipment or software application.

More on Susan Lockhart, M.Ed., ACCESS Academic Therapist
Lockhart joined ACCESS in November 2006. She is responsible for working with students who have learning differences, using a multi-sensory approach specific to each child and his or her unique needs. Her therapy sessions focus on remediation of reading, spelling, comprehension and/or written expression. Susan started at ACCESS as a teaching assistant in one of the preschool classrooms for a year and a half before filling her current position as academic therapist. She enjoys “being able to interact with [ACCESS’] unique population of students on a daily basis and being a part of their growth and learning processes. It's very rewarding for me not only to help them learn, but to learn from them.” Susan received a master’s degree in counseling at the University of New Orleans. She is certified in The DuBard Association Method™.