Is an SLP Qualified for Dyslexia?

As a parent, discovering your child has dyslexia can feel overwhelming. You might wonder who is the best person to help them find success in school. While many tutors offer reading help, Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are often the most qualified professionals to treat dyslexia.

Here is why an SLP is the right choice for your child’s reading journey in 2026.

Dyslexia is a Language Problem

Many people think dyslexia is about seeing letters backward. However, experts like those at the International Dyslexia Association explain that dyslexia is actually a language-based learning disability.

Since SLPs are experts in all parts of language—how we hear sounds, how we speak, and how we understand words—they are uniquely trained to fix the "glitch" in the brain that causes reading struggles.

1. Experts in "Phonology"

The biggest hurdle for children with dyslexia is "phonological awareness." This is the ability to hear and play with the individual sounds in words (called phonemes).

SLPs spend years studying how sounds are made and processed. They know how to teach a child to hear the difference between "bat" and "pat" and how to blend those sounds into words. This is the foundation of reading, and no one understands it better than an SLP.

2. Building the Bridge from Speech to Print

Reading is simply the act of turning spoken language into written symbols. SLPs help children connect the sounds they say to the letters on a page. Because they understand the "science of reading," they use methods that are structured and multisensory.

3. More Than Just Decoding

Reading isn’t just about sounding out words; it is about understanding what those words mean. Children with dyslexia often struggle with:

• Vocabulary: Learning new words.

• Syntax: How sentences are put together.

• Morphology: Understanding prefixes and suffixes (like "un-" or "-ing").

An SLP works on all these areas at once. This ensures that when your child learns to read a word, they also understand how to use it correctly in a sentence.

4. Supporting the "Whole Child"

Dyslexia often comes with other challenges, like difficulty following directions or expressing thoughts clearly. Because SLPs are trained in broad communication, they can help your child with these "hidden" parts of dyslexia that a standard reading tutor might miss.