Do you know where one may find an online class that teaches how to diagnose dyslexia? I am a tutor and would like to expand my skills.

Dr. Pierson's Response: 

I am not familiar with an online course that addresses how to diagnose dyslexia. I do have information here on diagnosis. One suggestion would be to "apprentice" with someone who has experience and expertise in diagnosis of dyslexia. You could go to the IDA website and under 'Find a Provider' for your state, you might be able to find someone who is willing to train you.

I would also suggest attending the annual IDA national (or state-level) conference if you can as there you might be able to get more comprehensive information.

Relative to intervention (albeit this is more than you asked), online training in Orton-Gillingham (O-G) can be found here, but O-G is only the tip of the iceberg, as I am sure you know. You'll want to get training in the role that oral language plays in reading, spelling, and writing, as well as teaching morphological awareness, reading comprehension strategies, strategies for writing expository text, to name a few. I have a lot of information on DyslexiaHelp that outlines all of the areas that we need to be attending to when working with kids (and adults) with dyslexia. Not everyone needs the same treatment, but we need to be mindful to conduct a comprehensive assessment as that will set baseline data for developing an individual intervention plan, as well as to not miss any important underlying skills (http://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/professionals/dyslexia-school).

I applaud your interest in wanting to expand your skills. If you find a good online course, I would appreciate knowing about it!