Staff at the Alison Lawson Centre Victoria are all dedicated professionals who have experienced the problems and difficulties associated with learning difficulties or dyslexia firsthand. This is one of our most important and relevant qualifications that all staff in the Centre must have. It is relevant because those individuals who have to cope with dyslexia know it is hard to explain the day to day problems they experience and the impact these have on their lives with someone who has never endured these issues themselves.

As parents the most frustrating part of dyslexia is that it impacts on everyday life and education and isn’t isolated to the classroom alone. For people struggling to cope with dyslexia the struggle is ongoing in every aspect of their working and home life. We understand this as we have personal experience of all the issues our clients must contend with.

While empathy and understanding from experience are perhaps the first qualifications our staff possesses, this is also supported by qualifications in teaching, psychology, counselling and professional practice with many years of practical experience helping change the lives of our clients. As our treatment is a one to one collaboration with the client it is important that all staff have excellent communication skills. These must include the ability to manage the many different behavioural issues that are often associated with dyslexia/learning
difficulties and do so with infinite patience and flexibility.

Most of the staff are bringing years of teaching to bare in their treatment sessions and we recognize that for teachers it is very difficult to understand how dyslexia/ learning difficulties may present in the classroom; how to recognize it and what to do ,when it does present. The staff at the Centre work as an effective team to ensure that all clients receive the best possible support and obtain the best outcome from their treatment. The relationship that builds between the client and therapists is one that has been positively recognized in many of our feedback results and has played a significant role in motivating clients to complete the treatment and refer other family members or friends.

All staff are available to talk to and are happy to offer advice and support even after the treatment has been completed. Our dedication doesn’t end when you leave, it is ongoing.