Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who can review your child's IEP and tailor instruction around those specific goals and accommodations. Tutors work collaboratively with families and schools to reinforce skills targeted in the IEP, whether that's reading fluency, math computation, speech and language development, or social-emotional learning. Communication with your child's school team ensures tutoring complements classroom instruction and tracks progress toward documented objectives.

Students in special education often struggle with foundational skills like phonemic awareness, decoding, number sense, and executive functioning—challenges that compound without targeted support. Many students also face difficulties with attention, memory, processing speed, or social communication, which can impact learning across all subjects. Personalized tutoring addresses these root causes directly, using evidence-based strategies like multi-sensory instruction, explicit teaching, and frequent practice with feedback to build confidence and competence.

In a classroom of 16-20+ students, teachers have limited time to differentiate for individual needs—but personalized 1-on-1 instruction allows tutors to slow down, repeat concepts, adjust difficulty in real time, and use teaching methods matched to your child's learning profile. Tutors can also provide immediate feedback, celebrate small wins to build motivation, and focus entirely on your child's pace and goals without managing a room full of different learning levels. This focused attention often leads to faster skill growth and stronger retention.

The first session focuses on getting to know your child—their strengths, interests, challenges, and learning style. Tutors will review any available information about your child's IEP, past assessments, or academic history, and may do some informal assessment to understand current skill levels. This foundation helps the tutor design a personalized plan and establish trust with your child, setting the stage for productive, engaging sessions moving forward.

Progress is tracked through multiple methods: regular check-ins on IEP goals, skill assessments aligned with your child's curriculum, work samples, and observations of increased confidence or independence. Tutors share updates with families and can communicate with schools to ensure progress is documented and celebrated. Measurable improvement in areas like reading fluency, math facts, task completion, or social skills becomes visible within weeks of consistent tutoring.

Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who have expertise in special education, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and evidence-based instructional strategies. Many have backgrounds in special education teaching, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, or related fields. All tutors are vetted for subject knowledge and experience working with students who have diverse learning needs and IEPs.

Contact Varsity Tutors to share information about your child's age, grade, IEP goals, and specific challenges. You'll get matched with a tutor experienced in your child's areas of need, and you can schedule a first session at a time that works for your family. Most families see meaningful progress within the first few weeks when tutoring is consistent and aligned with their child's learning goals.