Jen Parra

By Meredith Knight

As school systems, teachers, and parents still struggle with online learning it’s been business as usual at Multisensory Reading Center. “We originally offered sessions online to help families outside the local area with no access to qualified dyslexia therapists,” said Jen Parra, MSRC founder. “Local families could also save time doing online sessions rather than having one more place to go in a busy family schedule. It’s been a huge help this year for parents to have something already in place and working seamlessly for their child’s learning.”

Experienced clinicians in 20 MSRC locations walk families through the process of learning how their children learn best. MSRC clinician Karen Bruton witnessed firsthand what this intervention can do when her own son—like 20% of school-age children—struggled to learn to read because of undiagnosed dyslexia. “He was a bright boy who was very verbal, yet unable to read,” she said. “Now he’s completing his Master of Divinity and continuing to his PhD.”

A long-time special education teacher, certified academic language therapist, and licensed dyslexia therapist, Jen established MSRC in 2015 to offer dyslexia therapy and tutoring to anyone challenged by dyslexia across the country—and around the world. “Students come to us feeling defeated, with little confidence in their reading ability,” said clinician Amanda Bush. “In time, they go from feeling broken down and defeated to feeling positive and full of possibilities, with a whole new outlook on school, their capabilities, and themselves.”