FAQs

Most of our students see other specialists outside of tutoring. Tutors, neuropsychiatrists, therapists, schools, and teachers all work together to support students. Each plays a different role, and we can achieve greater success working together. This collaboration is a key driver of success for Dynamic Tutoring Solutions.

Many students are not excited about working on their weaknesses; this is human nature. We focus on getting to know our students first, building a relationship, and identifying their strengths. Once this foundation is in place, we are able to work on confidence and skill building. It doesn’t take long before our students enjoy tutoring, and even look forward to it.

Consistency and building a routine are critical for success. We recommend most students meet with their tutor twice a week. Some students see their tutor more often than that. Schedules can be adjusted in time as students progress.

Tutoring is a commitment. This may mean prioritizing tutoring over other activities. That said, having balance is important for students so we always do our best to fit tutoring in alongside extracurriculars.

All students are different so they progress at very different rates. We work with some students for the course of a school year and others for several years. The rate at which students progress depends on the cadence and frequency of tutoring, their commitment outside of tutoring, and their cognitive flexibility (or attitude), amongst other factors. We track students’ progress over time, but cannot reiterate enough that this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Tutoring can take place in person or remote. There are benefits to each depending on the student. In person tutoring can occur at a student’s home, school or Dynamic Tutoring Solutions office (Lake Bluff or Northfield).

There are a range of tutors in the market today. Dynamic Tutoring Solutions is not on-demand tutoring to complete homework or prepare for a test. Specialized tutoring that supports the student as a whole is an investment and commitment.

An advocate attends IEP/504 meetings with you as your ally, to ensure you understand the information being disseminated and offers advice and support as you work with the school and broader team to make critical decisions about your child’s education.

Yes. We have tutors that have experience working with dyslexic students both in the classroom and as parents. We also have tutors trained in the Wilson Reading System, a structured, multisensory reading and spelling program developed specifically for students with dyslexia. We use research-backed techniques to build foundational reading and spelling skills in a way that is proven to work for dyslexic learners. If your child has been diagnosed with dyslexia — or if you suspect they may have it — we can match them with a tutor who has deep experience in this area.

Absolutely. We specialize in supporting students with ADHD and understand the unique challenges they face in the classroom and at home. Our tutors are experienced in adapting their approach to keep students engaged, breaking work into manageable steps, and building the organizational habits that help students with ADHD stay on track. Academic support for students with ADHD often works best when paired with our executive functioning coaching, and we can coordinate both.

We support students from elementary school through college across all academic areas — reading comprehension, writing, math (including calculus), science, and more. Our tutors are matched to each student based on the subject matter and the student’s specific learning profile, so you are never getting a one-size-fits-all tutor.

Most tutoring focuses on covering that week’s material. Our approach goes further: we build relationships with our students to understand their strengths and areas of opportunity. From there, we work to develop the underlying skills — organization, study strategies, motivation, and learning habits — that allow students to become more independent and confident over time.
We also use a team approach to devise what is best for each student by collaborating with parents, teachers, specialists, and most importantly, the student. Support is not just completing homework – strong communication so everyone on the team is working together to provide consistent support is key.

We use a combination of evidence-based programs tailored to each student’s needs. For reading and spelling, we often use the Wilson Reading System. For math, we use Making Math Real, a multisensory structured mathematics program. For writing, we use Step Up to Writing, a systematic approach that works for both struggling learners and advanced students. These are not generic methods — they are proven programs with strong research behind them.

All students are different so they progress at very different rates. We work with some students for the course of a school year and others for several years. The rate at which students progress depends on the cadence and frequency of tutoring, their commitment outside of tutoring, and their cognitive flexibility (or attitude), amongst other factors. We track students’ progress over time, but cannot reiterate enough that this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Learning is not a fixed journey and it will evolve, as will students needs as work get more complex and demands change. For this reason, we intentionally take a long-term view, supporting students as their needs evolve through different grade levels and academic demands.

Executive functioning tutoring and coaching both focus on helping students build the skills they need to manage their academic and daily lives — things like organization, time management, planning, task initiation, and follow-through. Tutoring tends to be more directly tied to schoolwork and assignments, while coaching takes a broader view of habits, routines, and self-regulation strategies. At Dynamic Tutoring Solutions, our specialists work in both capacities and adapt their approach based on what each student needs most.

Yes—this is one of our core specialties. ADHD directly affects executive functioning, and many of the students we work with have an ADHD diagnosis. Our tutors and coaches understand the specific challenges students with ADHD face around attention regulation, task initiation, emotional regulation, and follow-through. We work with each student to build practical, individualized strategies that translate into real improvement at school and at home.

Some of the most common signs include: difficulty starting tasks or assignments (which often looks like resistance or avoidance), frequently losing or forgetting materials, turning in incomplete work, struggling to manage time accurately, and becoming easily overwhelmed when facing multi-step projects. These challenges often go unnoticed until middle or high school, when academic demands increase. If your child is bright but consistently struggling to keep up organizationally, executive functioning support is often the missing piece.

Sessions are one-on-one and highly individualized. A typical session might include reviewing what assignments are coming up and prioritizing them, breaking a large project into concrete steps with a timeline, practicing a specific skill like note-taking or studying, and reflecting on what strategies are working. Over time, the goal is for students to internalize these skills so they can manage their workload independently. Sessions also address emotional regulation—helping students manage the frustration and anxiety that often come with executive functioning challenges.

We draw from several research-based frameworks. The Rush NeuroBehavioral Center’s executive functioning program is a leading, research-backed curriculum used in school districts across the country. We also use SMARTS EF, which helps students understand their own strengths and challenges and builds skills in goal setting, cognitive flexibility, organizing, prioritizing, and self-monitoring. These programs are combined with individualized strategies specific to each student’s profile.

We also developed our own program, Onit, to help students both find and keep track of their assignments, as well as help them prioritize, break-down larger projects and studying into individual steps, and ensure task completion. Our program then helps students figure out when to complete their school-work based on their other activities, such as sports, doctor’s appointments and daily tasks such as dinner and bedtime.

Over time, our goal is for students to internalize these skills so they can manage their workload independently.

An advocate attends IEP/504 meetings with you as your ally, to ensure you understand the information being disseminated and offers advice and support as you work with the school and broader team to make critical decisions about your child’s education.

Both are legal documents that provide accommodations and support for students with disabilities, but they differ in scope. A 504 plan is typically used for students who need accommodations to access the general education curriculum—things like extended time on tests, preferential seating, or copies of notes. An IEP (Individualized Education Program) is more comprehensive and is for students who need specialized instruction in addition to accommodations. IEPs include specific academic goals, services, and a team of school staff responsible for meeting those goals. Navigating which plan is right for your child—and making sure it is properly implemented—is exactly what our advocates help with.

Not always—but advocacy support is often valuable, especially when a diagnosis is new, when a child’s needs are not being met at school, or when you are heading into an IEP or 504 meeting and feel unsure of the process or your rights. Parents of children with ADHD and dyslexia frequently find that having an experienced advocate in the room leads to stronger plans and more appropriate accommodations. We can assess whether formal advocacy is necessary or whether consultation and coaching for parents would be sufficient.

At Dynamic Tutoring Solutions, we collaborate with parents, teachers, and school specialists as part of a coordinated team. This can include attending IEP and 504 meetings with you, helping you interpret evaluation reports, advising on which accommodations to request, and communicating with school staff about strategies that work for your child. We do not replace the school team—we complement it by making sure families have a knowledgeable, experienced voice in the room.

Yes, absolutely. Many of the families we work with come to us after a plan is already in place but are concerned it is not being fully implemented, that their child’s needs have changed, or that an upcoming annual review is approaching. We can review your child’s current plan, help you understand whether the goals and services are appropriate, prepare you for meetings, and advise on what to request as your child progresses. We also work with the school, specialists and parents to update goals and services to ensure the student’s needs are being met.

Yes. Neuropsychological evaluation reports are detailed and full of technical language, and many families leave their feedback session still feeling uncertain about what it all means for their child’s day-to-day life and schooling. We help translate those findings into a practical action plan—identifying what to prioritize, what to advocate for at school, and what strategies to put in place at home. This is one of the most important steps after an evaluation, and it is a step many families do not get enough support with.

A neuropsychological evaluation is a comprehensive assessment conducted by a licensed neuropsychologist that examines how a student’s brain processes information across a wide range of areas. This typically includes cognitive ability (IQ), academic achievement, attention, memory, executive functioning, processing speed, language, and social-emotional functioning. The results give a detailed picture of a student’s strengths and challenges — and are the most thorough way to diagnose conditions like ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, giftedness, and other learning disabilities.

A neuropsychological evaluation is worth considering when a child is struggling academically despite effort and support, when there are unexplained gaps between ability and performance, when teachers or specialists have raised questions about attention, learning, or development, or when a school has requested testing. It is also valuable when you suspect ADHD, dyslexia, or an executive functioning disorder but do not yet have a formal diagnosis. A diagnosis gives your child access to accommodations at school, more targeted support, and a clearer roadmap for intervention.

Yes. Neuropsychological evaluations are one of the most reliable ways to diagnose ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities. The assessment includes standardized tests that measure attention, processing speed, phonological awareness, reading fluency, working memory, and other areas directly relevant to these diagnoses. The resulting report includes a formal diagnosis (when warranted), a detailed profile of the student’s strengths and weaknesses, and specific recommendations for school accommodations, therapies, and learning support strategies.

Most neuropsychological evaluations involve two to four hours of testing, sometimes spread across two sessions depending on the child’s age and stamina. Before testing, the neuropsychologist will gather background information from parents and often from teachers. After testing, a feedback session is scheduled to review the results with parents. The full process — from intake to receiving the written report — typically takes three to six weeks. Our team can help connect you with a neuropsychologist then support you through the process, ensuring families are prepared at every step.

Receiving an evaluation report is just the beginning. In our opinion, this is one of the most important steps since nothing happens from an evaluation unless you act on it; this is where many families need the most support. Dynamic Tutoring Solutions helps you understand the report’s recommendations in plain language, develop a plan for what to request from your child’s school (whether a 504 plan or IEP), and connect your child with the right tutoring or executive functioning support based on their specific learning profile. We also support families through advocacy at school meetings to ensure the plan is actually implemented. This is a team-based approach and evolves as the student progresses.

What schools provide to students once they are diagnosed with a challenge and have either a 504 or IEP varies by the public or private school. In general, schools will need to provide certain accommodations and modifications for students. There should also be a regular cadence of meetings to ensure that students are meeting the goals outlined in their learning plans.

Parents often work with advocates, who act as your ally, to ensure your child is getting the support they are entitled to. Asking the right questions and using the right terminology to show an understanding of your child’s rights and the education process is critical for long-term success.