A remedial therapist is a person who helps students to overcome learning disabilities. They focus on assisting individuals who suffer from conditions that interfere with learning, such as ADD, ADHD, and those with language and reasoning disabilities such as dyslexia (difficulty with reading, writing, and spelling) and dyscalculia (difficulty with mathematics).
When learning problems go undetected, children develop feelings of hopelessness, and as they become increasingly aware of their ‘failure’ and lack of achievement, they spiral downward and are eventually labelled as lazy or ‘problem’ children. Emotional problems that develop in children with learning difficulties can be more debilitating than the learning difficulty itself.
That is why social and life skills should not be considered less significant than academic achievement.
Remedial therapists usually examine their patients’ workbooks for indications of their problems, and then test them to confirm or diagnose them. They make use of various remedial aids and methods and advise teachers and parents on ways to assist the students concerned. They make use of eye-movement cameras, tachistoscopes (which measure reading perception) and intelligence and diagnostic tests.