KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach - 2 August 2018 - The lack of expert instruction and properintervention to rectify the reading problems of dyslexic children before theyfall behind in traditional schooling can lead to irreparable harm, lowself-esteem and a widening gap that becomes increasingly difficult to close.

Dr Choy Su-Ling and Ms Yap Jo Ling, first two Malaysian AOGPE-trained therapists.

This has negative societalimplications and it is a crucial responsibility of parents to ensure that theirdyslexic children are able to read proficiently to ensure their quality oflife.

The Orton-GillinghamApproach -- the highly structured evidence-based approach to teaching readingand recognized by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), is nowavailable in Malaysia with the opening of Altuz Academy, a premiereducation centre for dyslexia intervention.

All Academic LanguageTherapists at the academy receive the vigorous training and supervisedpracticum accredited by the Academy ofOrton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE) and IDA.

"It is critically importantthat remedial specialists, educators and teachers working with dyslexicstudents be vetted, highly trained in an evidence-based approach with oversightand accountability. Literacy training should be comprehensive, accredited by aninternational organization and include a supervised practicum period. Thereshould also be ongoing professional development for the sake of the childrenwhom they work with," said founder of Altuz Academy, Dr Choy Su-Ling.

Dr Choy, together withcentre manager Yap Jo Ling, created history in the international dyslexiacommunity by being the first two AOGPE-trained academic language therapistsfrom Malaysia.  They will continue to beobserved and audited by the AOGPE to meet and maintain the high standards ofteaching.

The Orton-Gillinghamapproach was developed in the 1920s by Dr Samuel Orton, a doctor who firstdiscovered dyslexia, together with Anna Gillingham, a gifted teacher andpsychologist. This approach has been further supported by over 100,000 scientificstudies over 70 years that conclusively showed that a reading approach shouldinclude five important pillars: phonemic awareness, systematic phonics,fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

In the hands of a skilled instructor, this is a powerfulinstructional approach that benefits students of all ages and abilities so thatlearning becomes a rewarding experience. The key features of this approach aremultisensory, sequential, incremental, cumulative, individualized, based onphonograms, and explicit.