Realizing your child may be struggling in school is often a slow process. You notice difficulties but between you and the teacher, they are usually explained “away.” For instance, you may hear, “it’s a maturity issue,” “let’s not put so much pressure on him” or “I’ll bet we will see a big difference over the summer.” But deep down, you feel that your child, who seems to work so hard and constantly struggles to keep up, will eventually begin to fail. In fact, 20 to 30 percent of students entering school will struggle to learn to read, according to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). But if you continue to deny the problem, you are not alone. The IDA says that 44 percent of parents who noticed their child exhibiting signs of difficulty with learning waited a year or more before acknowledging their child might have a serious problem.

For a long time, the education system has, with no intended malice, fragmented professionals who devote their practice and talent to help children. The professionals are seen as separate specialties with limited access to other professionals who, together, can actually coordinate and collaborate a plan of achievement for your child. This fragmentation process has long left parents to discover who can help, why they can help and if they really are the best person to help.

So, what’s a parent to do? If you believe your child is struggling there are 5 experts you need to know in order to quickly and effectively intervene. You may not use all experts at once, but understanding who can help you, and why, is critical to making good decisions which will put your child on the path to success.

The beginning of the journey begins with a qualified educational diagnostician. You will want to make sure the evaluation process begins with a detailed conversation about your child and that the diagnostician designs a customized testing protocol for your child based on historical and current data. A good evaluation lays the groundwork for future intervention and sets all other support services in motion. The evaluator you choose must explain the findings and recommendations to you in language you can understand and apply. Too often, the parent will get the results of the evaluation and truly be lost without a complete interpretation. The process yields a tremendous amount of information, identifying the root of the problem and also identifying strengths and helps to awaken talents in your child.

Academic remediation is most likely the next step in the process so you must identify a remedial specialist who is highly knowledgeable about structured language techniques. There is a science to teaching reading and many tutors are more generally trained rather than specifically proficient in the deep background of how to teach reading. For 85-90% of poor readers, prevention and intervention programs that employ structured language techniques, provided by well-trained educators, can increase reading skills to average reading levels, according to Dr. Reid Lyon of the National Institute of Health.

A good speech/language therapist can play a vital role in accelerating success. Working in concert with the tutor, the student receives lessons in auditory processing (putting meaning to what is heard), phonemic awareness (understanding the code of our words), understanding language and its usage, and applying these skills to create a linguistically-rich student.

Often overlooked is the contributory value of an occupational therapist, who will address psychological, social, and environmental factors. OTs help to improve cognitive and comprehension skills, as well as coordination. You will want to employ the resources of an OT if your child has, for example, trouble with handwriting, doesn’t like the feel of certain clothes or the texture of certain foods or has difficulty socializing in a group.

An educational advocate is a tremendous resource to families. Look for an advocate who wants to build partnerships with your child’s school, all the while, ensuring your child’s rights are being met regarding school-based services and programs. You need an advocate that has a proven track record, who can accurately speak for you and your family about viable options for your child in accordance with the law.

Students do not outgrow reading disabilities. We know that 30 minutes a day of intervention for a first grader can produce dramatic gains in skill development. That same child, without the early intervention, takes 2 or more hours per day by the time they reach the 4th grade. If your student is struggling with reading, it is important not only to get help right away but to get the correct help. These 5 experts can change the course of your child’s life by helping to increase skills, interests and self-esteem.