Susan Louchen, M.S., CALT, is an experienced Certified Academic Language Therapist in private practice, providing the proven, Orton-Gillingham based Multisensory Structured Language Therapy that enables students with dyslexia or related conditions to read and write with age-appropriate independence.
Academic Language Therapy
Ms. Louchen conducts an interview with a parent, and reviews student's testing reports, educational records, unassisted schoolwork samples, and enrollment screening data. If not already done, parents are encouraged to seek a comprehensive learning disability evaluation. Enrolled students begin with a series of academic assessments which establish baseline measures used in gauging progress.
Based on the individual needs of each student, Ms. Louchen implements the research and evidence based Multisensory Structured Language Therapy for: phonological and phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, handwriting, spelling of regular and irregular words, basic grammar and mechanics. When a student's core skills are solid, reading comprehension, basic composition, test-taking and study skills are integrated for grade level independence. As advocated by the American Academy of Pediatrics (PEDIATRICS 2011), daily, individual, MSLT is highly correlated to dramatic and lasting achievement in reading, writing, and number-sense skills for students with dyslexia.
Education and Background
Ms. Louchen studied Therapeutic Recreation at Temple University (BS, 1981) and Virginia Commonwealth University (MS, 1983), and worked as Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist with individuals who had neurologically based physical disabilities. Ms. Louchen later worked in customer service and management at both manufacturing and retail operations, followed by several years caring for children
As an elementary school volunteer, then employed as a Special Education Assistant, Ms. Louchen worked with students who struggled with academics. In 2005, after completing the course Diagnosing Dyslexia taught by Susan Barton in conjunction with the University of San Diego, Ms. Louchen returned to graduate school for post-graduate professional training at Old Dominion University’s Darden College of Education (2007), and became a highly-qualified Virginia licensed K-12 Special Education Teacher with endorsement for teaching students with Specific Learning Disabilities.
After working as a Special Education teacher for several years, Ms. Louchen then pursued the extraordinarily effective Multisensory Structured Language Therapy graduate training through the IMSLEC accredited Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center to become a Certified Academic Therapist (2014), and recognized by IDA as a Certified Dyslexia Therapist. In addition, after meeting advanced professional training requirements, Ms. Louchen earned the prestigious Academic Language Therapy Association designation of Certified Academic Language Therapist/CALT (2015 ).
Ms. Louchen is an active member of the Academic Language Therapy Association , Decoding Dyslexia, IDA, and continues to participate in professional development to remain up to date with the latest science based research and practice for dyslexia and related conditions.