Here to help: Business sprouts from mum’s desire to assist kids
After her own son was diagnosed with Dyslexia, one former teacher is starting a tailor-made program to help other kids.
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When Toowoomba resident Amy Deane became a qualified teacher, she hoped to use her skills to help educate all children.
But when the mother-of-three’s oldest child Luke began struggling in prep, she realised there was so much more to learn.
“When Luke was in year 3, he was provisionally diagnosed with Dyslexia and we were told we had to wait two more years before he could start the program,” Ms Deane said.
“I started delving really deeply into it, became really passionate about early intervention and discovered how beneficial it is to children with learning difficulties.”
The former teacher went back to the books and began studying an extensive course in Multisensory Structured Language (MSL).
“Even as a teacher I’d never heard of this course but it takes the visual auditory kinaesthetic-tactile pathways and uses them simultaneously to enhance the child’s memory and learning of the English language,” Ms Deane said.
“The course really spoke to my soul because it covered everything that my son had been struggling with.”
And now she’s opening her own business Sprouts Reading Clinic – a private practice that will offer tailor-made and structured programs for children with Dyslexia who require assistance with spelling, writing and reading.
“Not only am I a teacher but I’m also a mother of a Dyslexic child so I’m compassionate and can really empathise with what these kids and their parents are going through,” Ms Deane said.
“It was heartbreaking to watch Luke struggle at school so I really want to help others and build their confidence back up again.”
Using a holistic approach, the owner of the new reading clinic said she hopes to incorporate mental health strategies to assist with anxiety and low self-esteem too.
Ms Deane said the 45-minute sessions will be interactive, fun and engaging to create a positive learning environment for participants.
“From my experience in the classroom I know what it’s like if kids aren’t engaging so we’re going to make it fun by incorporating things like nerf guns to ensure they don’t dread coming to the sessions,” she said.
“It’s not just about building their confidence up in literacy and learning but it’s also about building them up.”
The loving mum said Luke, who is now 12-years-old, inspired her to start the business and help others.
One-on-one sessions are $80 and groups of three children are $45 per child.
Currently looking for a space to house the business, Ms Deane said she is now accepting pre-bookings online at sproutsreadingclinic.com.
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Originally published as Here to help: Business sprouts from mum’s desire to assist kids
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