In 1969, a group of concerned parents whose children needed special tutorial help formed The Dyslexia Foundation of Memphis. The Foundation offers remediation for children with average to superior intelligence who have been found to have one of the forms of Dyslexia. After evaluation and recommendation, families may apply for Foundation Programs specifically designed for children with Dyslexia.

The materials and teaching techniques used in Foundation programs are based on those developed by Charles L. Shedd, Ph.D. for the remediation of dyslexic individuals. Dr. Shedd’s material uses the alphabetic-phonetic-structural-linguistic approach to literacy. This four-fold format progresses step-by-step from simple to complex language units at a pace set by each student’s personal needs. Frequent repetition is used to insure mastery of the material. The material incorporates into its framework the development of all language skills - reading, writing, spelling, word meanings, and grammar. Instruction is also provided in Auditory Discrimination, Social Values, and Math.

Dr. Shedd’s techniques utilize trained volunteer tutors, a one-to-one basis (one tutor for each student), a multi sensory approach, and close professional supervision. Multi sensory means not only are the visual and auditory senses used in learning, but also tactile (sense of touch) and kinesthetic (sense of muscular movement).

The extensive staff required to provide one-to-one tutoring is recruited from among parents of students. All tutors are trained in special, required workshops and continuing instruction is given in conjunction with each tutoring session. Parent participation brings the cost of remediation within the reach of most families and educates the parents in the child’s needs outside the program.