Mississippi centre takes free dyslexia support into schools so families don’t have to choose between work and therapy

A rehabilitation centre in north Mississippi is sending its dyslexia therapy into schools, so pupils there don’t have to travel to the centre for appointments. The service is free, and parents don’t have to take time off work. WTVA reported the scheme on 10 November.

The Regional Rehabilitation Center (RRC) is in Tupelo. According to WTVA, getting specialist dyslexia support has often meant parents leaving work and children missing hours of class to get to the centre.

How it works

Candy Mitchell is a certified dyslexia therapist with the RRC. She taught for 25 years before moving into the role. Now she travels to schools in the area, including East Union and Ingomar. WTVA says she runs 50-minute sessions several times a week.

She told the station the change helps working parents:

“…a lot of parents don’t have flexibility in their jobs,” Mitchell said. “So having the therapist in the school is a wonderful asset and addition for them…”

The sessions happen during the school day, so pupils can use what they’ve just practised in their next lessons. A nine-year-old pupil told WTVA she remembers what she was taught in the morning and keeps using it in class. She said she is feeling more confident. (We are not naming her because she is a child.)

WTVA says the work is personal for Mitchell: her own son had dyslexia years ago, at a time when early help was harder to find.

Who pays

The RRC does not charge its clients or their insurance companies. It relies on public donations, including money raised by the annual Celebration of Hope telethon. WTVA is hosting this year’s telethon on 15 November, and its report was part of the station’s coverage ahead of it.

Mitchell was frank about why the funding matters. She told WTVA that many families “can’t afford the testing, can’t afford the extra help”. She also said the support is expensive.

The centre’s own dyslexia page says dyslexic people’s reading and spelling can improve a lot “if they are taught differently”. It also says there is no time limit and no cap on the number of appointments for dyslexia therapy there.

The RRC offers other services as well, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, audiology and early childhood intervention.

Why it matters

This is a small, local story, but it touches on problems many neurodivergent families face. Getting help often depends on money, on whether parents can leave work, and on whether a child can miss lessons. Here, the help goes to the school instead of the family going to the help.

There is a catch. The service is only free because people donate. A model that depends on donations is generous, but it is not the same as a guaranteed right to support. WTVA’s report doesn’t say how many pupils or schools are currently covered, or whether there is a waiting list.

A note on language: WTVA describes dyslexia as “a language-based learning disability”, which is a common term in the US. At Neurodivergent News, we see dyslexia as a difference in how people process language, not a deficit.

This piece summarises reporting by WTVA. Read the original articles for the full story.