Eastside Reading & Language Therapy, LLC


Specializing in the evaluation and treatment of dyslexia and other language-based reading difficulties.


Leslie Crossan M.A., M.S., CCC-SLP

Bachelors Degree in History: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Masters Degree in Linguistics: Northeastern Illinois University

Masters Degree in Speech-Language Pathology: Saint Xavier University

Leslie Crossan is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist who has almost ten years of clinical experience with both children and adults. After working in a private clinic which served a variety of communication needs, Leslie opened her own practice to provide specialized treatment and assessment for children with language-based reading disorders.

Evaluations

We provide comprehensive reading evaluations that are tailored to your child and will assess their strengths and weaknesses in reading and spelling. Information is gathered from formal standardized tests, as well as parent and child interviews, previous evaluations, school work, and report cards.

Our evaluation process is as follows:

  1. A free consultation at which we determine if a reading evaluation is appropriate or if we should refer you to another specialist. If an evaluation is recommended, and desired, we will schedule one as soon as possible.

  2. Evaluations vary in length but are generally two to four hours, not including the initial consultation. Testing is often done in two or three sessions depending on your child’s age and needs. Our goal is to assess your child at their best. By scheduling multiple testing sessions, we are able to get a more complete picture of your child, while also reducing cognitive fatigue.

  3. A follow-up meeting will be scheduled for approximately two weeks after testing has completed. Results and recommendations will be discussed at the follow-up. If treatment is recommended, an individualized treatment plan will also be developed. We want to provide you with the information and tools to help your child improve their reading skills and overall academic experience.

What we do

Therapy

After a diagnosis of dyslexia or another reading disability has been made, treatment can begin.

  1. The initial consult gives us the opportunity to learn about your child, their history, previous evaluations, and their diagnosis. After the consult, we will develop a treatment plan together. This includes:
    • Discussing and selecting the intervention program that is appropriate for your child and your family. The programs we utilize for reading and spelling intervention include: Wired for ReadingⓇ, Wilson Reading SystemⓇ, and Spell-Links.
    • Deciding the frequency of intensive therapy for your child.
    • Establishing expectations and goals for therapy
  2. Therapy itself will be structured, explicit, individualized, multisensory, and intensive. Your child’s progress will be closely monitored so we can focus on the methods, explanations, and exercises that are most helpful to them. Throughout therapy the following areas will be addressed, with varying emphasis:
    • Phonological Awareness
    • Phonemic Awareness
    • Alphabet/Letter Knowledge
    • The History of English
    • Sound/Symbol Associations
    • Syllable Shapes
    • Morphology
    • Fluency
    • Syntax
    • Semantics
    • Spelling
    • Reading Comprehension

Request an Appointment or Ask a Question

Available on-line forms