What Others Have to Say
Erin and her team have been a godsend to our family. My son has made great progress with his wonderful tutor, Stefanie. I highly recommend Nashville Dyslexia Center! —Lea M., Smyrna TN
NDC has been so amazing for our son who has moderate dyslexia. We have been homeschooling our kids for 5+ years and started out as his Barton learning partners but realized that we needed expert help with his reading challenges. We made the transition to NDC over a year ago and our son has made SO much progress. His teacher is so experienced and so patient. Learning to read has been very hard and frustrating for him in ways that we won’t ever truly understand as typical readers. His teacher has been so flexible both with scheduling to find the optimal time of day for him to learn as well as being so creative in finding different ways to overcome barriers to tough concepts. Erin has been very supportive as director of NDC and the communication has been very thorough. We could not be more pleased to have NDC on this journey!
—Don, Nashville, TN
I can’t say enough good things about the Nashville Dyslexia Center, Erin, and our tutor Mary Jane! It has been a real game changer for my 12 year old dyslexic son. Just this past month for the first time ever I saw him pick up a book to read just for fun! Today he came home from school to tell me he had gotten third place in his 5th grade spelling bee!!! What!?! This from a kid who was barely reading at a third grade level at the beginning of the school year! My heart could explode with pride!! The program works and the tutors are great!
–Melissa B., Berea, KY
Thank you doesn’t seem to do justice when sharing gratitude for all that the NDC, Erin, and our son’s tutor, Stefanie Z., have done to help our family. Our son has always had a deep love of books and storytelling. He could easily listen to someone read to him all day long, or dictate his latest novel as I write it down for him. But reading on his own or writing at any length made him simply shut down. Then, after finding Erin and learning more about dyslexia, it was like a weight was lifted off and a barrier that my son couldn’t explain was busted wide open – like someone understood him and could explain what he couldn’t.
Now, after just a year working with his tutor steadily through the Barton program (which we affectionately call “decoding class” in our family), his confidence level has skyrocketed. He enjoys working with Stefanie twice a week and feels so much more at ease when trying his hand at reading and writing. The tools he’s been given and the knowledge he has gained are life changing for him! He tells us he feels like dyslexia is a gift, not a burden. He has learned that there are so many others out there with the same unique qualities he has and believes that he can use his gift to do something amazing too. What a joy it is to hear him say things like that 🙂 Thank you, thank you from the very bottom of our hearts, Erin and Stefanie!
–Stephanie., Spring Hill, TN
Seeing R open that book all on her own and read a chapter today was emotional! It’s amazing how far she’s come with you!! Although we always have books available, we’ve been reading to her and have not asked her to read on her own since she did it over a year ago for kindergarten. What a difference to hear her sounding out and figuring out each word, rather than guessing as she used to!!
I’m so grateful we’ve been able to do tutoring and homeschool so that reading feels joyful for her, goes at her pace, and is not forced!
–Jennifer, Brentwood, TN
Our daughter was truly at a difficult crossroads when we found NDC. Despite her love of school, her confidence was waning, and she was constantly afraid to be called upon in class. She could not read her own handwriting. She stopped reading. She constantly wondered why she worked so hard and did not see results at school which made her so sad. Our 9 year old has been with NDC for a few short months. Last week, she volunteered to read aloud a very long and complicated part in a play in front of her class. After she finished, she fell back in happy exhaustion having proven to everyone, including herself, that she could read, confidently and fluently, carefully sounding out the words she did not recognize. This moment was gifted to us by Nashville Dyslexia Center. This is only the beginning of her journey with dyslexia, but we have a plan now and a direction that has given her the hope she needed. We cannot be more grateful for NDC. It is so hard to ask for help and receive a difficult diagnosis, but NDC has eased our burdens with solid instruction based in kindness, patience and grace.
–Megan R., Nashville, TN
I would highly recommend working with the Nashville Dyslexia Center. My 7 year old son has shown improvement in his fluency, spelling, and his self-confidence. His tutor continuously encouraged him and made learning fun and engaging. I received thorough and detailed notes after each lesson, informing me of what they worked on, areas where my son struggled or showed improvement, and suggestions for things to work on at home. The communication, professionalism, and care that the Nashville Dyslexia Center exemplifies is remarkable and they have gone above and beyond to meet the needs of my son.
—Kristi H., Franklin, TN
Because of you, he’s starting to love to read. With his improved understanding of reading comprehension, he proactively reads without us asking. Thank you!!!
–Penny L., Nashville, TN
If you’re a parent of a child who is struggling in school, doesn’t seem to learn like his/her peers, is struggling to read on grade level or at all, then you have found the right teacher. Erin Paske has rescued us from the abyss of dyslexia. Sometimes just trying to figure out why they are struggling is the biggest hurdle. Once identified, parents often don’t know where to turn. They feel helpless to give their child what they need, and often the school can only do so much. Some disorders, like dyslexia, are not recognized as learning disabilities in certain states, and therefore are not tested for and not treated in the school setting.
Erin utilizes the Barton System, which is a nationally recognized dyslexia program. The Barton System is very systematic and teaches the child to memorize rules that help them decipher words. Words that seem impossible to read are suddenly easy, once you know the rules. Our son is amazed at how well he can read now!
Erin made learning fun with games, play dough words, songs, and customizes the learning to our child. She gave him choices and the breaks that he needed, but maintained discipline to get the work done. Erin was prompt, reliable, accountable, and flexible to our schedule. All around, she was the best tutor we have ever had and really understood our dyslexic and autistic son and how he learned. What a blessing she was to our son!
–Allyson P.,Thompson’s Station, TN
We are so thankful to have found Erin Paske at the Nashville Dyslexia Center. Our son was definitely behind most of his peers in kindergarten. He has worked through the Barton Reading & Spelling System with Erin all summer. We have seen significant gains in his reading. We are confident he will be ready for first grade. The Nashville Dyslexia Center has been the best place for our son!
—Chandler C., Franklin, TN
As a journalism professor for 23 years, I found it heartbreaking to encounter students who were passionate about reporting, had high ethical standards and natural story-telling instincts, yet struggled with reading and writing.
I remember one student in particular. While discussing his poor grades in my office, he admitted he “disliked” reading. Disliked reading? No wonder he didn’t write well. “The more you read, the better you write” was my classroom mantra. I didn’t realize way back then that he may have been struggling with dyslexia. Wanting him to persevere, I suggested he go to the Writing Center, open to all students on campus and tutored by English majors. The sad thing is that there was no Reading Center and he eventually dropped out. His “road to success” had been riddled with bumps and obstacles; he didn’t see any alternative but to abandon his dream.
How many other college students have been, are, and will be cheated out of their future to do what they love because of undiagnosed reading and writing difficulties? Although college is not too late to unlock dyslexia, the earlier a child receives attention, the better.
I wish my student had the opportunity to learn at the Nashville Dyslexia Center.
Erin Paske, my nephew’s wife, has exceptional educational credentials and experience to smooth the path of learning for students who “dislike” reading. I’m impressed with her continual quest to stay abreast on research and tutoring methods for dyslexia. I see the sparkle in her eyes when she describes the latest breakthrough in a student’s progress or discovers a new, evidence-based approach. I highly recommend NDC, not only because it guides children toward success, but perhaps more importantly, it inspires hope in them to realize their dreams.
—Journalism Professor Emeritus of University of Wisconsin – River Falls, Colleen Callahan