Oregon's First Home for Children with Dyslexia.
Since 1960, Language Skills Therapy has connected Oregon families with highly trained
Orton-Gillingham therapists — one child at a time.
Oregon's oldest nonprofit dyslexia network.
With roots going back to a time before dyslexia was recognized in Oregon schools.
Dorothy Blosser Whitehead
Oregon's Pioneer in Dyslexia Education
Language Skills Therapy traces its roots to 1960, when Dorothy Blosser Whitehead — a pioneer in dyslexia education — began working with dyslexic children at a time when little was understood about why bright children struggled to read.
Dorothy brought the Orton-Gillingham Approach (OG) to Oregon —a structured, explicit, multisensory method of teaching reading that is widely recognized as essential for children with dyslexia. She began tutoring children directly, training others, and building what would become Oregon's first and oldest OG tutoring network.
In 1991, she received the Samuel T. Orton Award — the highest honor in the field of dyslexia education.
Her work shaped not only this organization, but dyslexia education across Oregon for decades to come.
A Nonprofit Network Built on Over
60 Years of Trust
Language Skills Therapy is Oregon's oldest nonprofit network of independent Orton-Gillingham therapists.
We carefully match each child with a therapist based on their learning profile, needs, and goals. Our therapists are trained in structured, evidence-based approaches and bring both expertise and compassion to their work.
Through individualized instruction and a thoughtful matching process, we help students build skills, confidence, and independence.
Our Approach
We believe effective intervention must be:
Evidence-based — grounded in structured literacy research
Emotionally supportive — we understand what families have been through
Carefully matched to each child — never placed randomly
Every child is different. That's why we take the time to understand each family's situation and connect them with the right OG therapist — not just the next available one. Our tutors are trained in the Orton-Gillingham Approach (OG), a structured, explicit, multisensory method that is widely recognized as essential for children with dyslexia.
Why Families Come to Us
Families often find us after months — or years — of watching their child struggle. Many have already tried other approaches that didn't work. Some are just receiving a diagnosis and don't know where to turn.
They come to us because they need someone who truly understands dyslexia — and knows exactly who can help.
What they find is a 60-year-old nonprofit with a careful, personal matching process and a network of independently certified specialists who have chosen this work as their life's calling.