The Reading and Language Learning Center is a private speech therapy practice treating children with speech, language, and reading disorders. We are conveniently located in Vienna, Virginia, with a second location in Washington, D.C., and a third location in Chantilly, VA. Our services include 1:1 in-person therapy, 1:1 teletherapy, group therapy, and social skills groups. We offer teletherapy in Maryland, Indiana, and Missouri as well as Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Founded in 2002 as a center for the treatment of dyslexia and language deficits in children. We have created and successfully implemented a Structured Literacy Reading Program to treat students with dyslexia.
The RLLC therapists have more than 80 years combined experience working in the field as Speech-Language Pathologists. RLLC employs Master’s Degree level Speech-Language Pathologists who are fully licensed or are working toward their Certificate of Clinical Competence as well as Speech Language Assistants. We ensure a high quality of treatment and customer satisfaction.
Interested in joining our team of skilled SLPs?
Are you a D.C. , VA, or MD licensed SLP looking to help children and adults with speech, language and reading disorders? Come join us and keep growing your professional knowledge with our amazing team!
Founder Stories
The Reading and Language Learning Center is a private speech therapy practice treating children with speech, language, and reading disorders. We serve all of Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. Our offices are conveniently located in Chantilly, Vienna, and Washington, D.C.
Carla Askew and Susan Danker founded the practice.
We believe clear communication forms the foundation of our lives, of humanity. With language, we create connections with others, show empathy, ask for help, learn, grow, and let people know we love them.
We live in a world of words.
And when children can’t read or spell, it hurts their ability to communicate and live in that world with teachers, parents, and friends.
Some children have trouble spelling in second or third grade or they talk late. Others can’t follow directions while other children their age can. Although it’s quite normal for children to struggle with reading and language, these inabilities can leave affected children feeling sad, confused, and insecure. Some children require extra support and we help through our areas of expertise: language and learning disabilities, reading disorders, accent reduction, cognitive rehabilitation, phonemic awareness, speech and sound disorders, and diagnostic testing.
Our Method Sets Us Apart
Thankfully, it’s possible to improve these situations. In college, we both witnessed how the speech pathology profession helped people to overcome reading and language challenges so they could better communicate.
Although our practice and methods fix an immediate problem, the results positively impact a child’s life well into adulthood.
That’s why it’s important to address these issues sooner rather than later. Waiting to get help can make it harder for children to learn the necessary methods to improve communication and can make school feel harder than it needs to be.
That’s why we created our Structured Literacy method Sounds2Print™. This program is a multisensory approach that incorporates Orton Gillingham spelling rules to support children overcoming reading challenges, such as dyslexia.
Our Company Core Values
1. Client Centered
2. Loyalty
3. Community
4. Excellence
Carla Askew’s Story
Do you remember when your child took his or her first steps, ate a first bite of food, or experienced another first in life? Witnessing such vital positive transformations in the area of language—and knowing we had a part in that for a child—lights me up.
I became a speech language pathologist, because I love witnessing the transformation of a child from one who struggles with communication to one who feels self-confident with speaking, reading, and writing.
Today, I’m a proud co-founder with Susan Danker of our speech pathology practice and a methodology that improves reading and language skills in children.
I’m a people person and love interacting with our clients, the parents, and the staff at schools, because they care about the positive transformation of children. Susan and I are committed to educating you about how this work can help their children, because helping children earlier in life improves their chances for success as adults.
Susan Danker’s Story
When I was younger, I used to draw pictures of a nurse to show what I wanted to be when I grew up. My desire to help people showed up early in life.
Later, I had the opportunity to observe children in language centers, and I saw how babies interacted with their parents. They communicated at such a young age—despite not being able to speak yet—and that inspired and amazed me.
We love to hear how our work benefits children. Psychologists test children before and after they come to work with us. The positive changes the psychologists note often astound them. I have to say that feels pretty good.
We’re specialists in helping children with dyslexia and struggles with reading.
There is truly nothing more that I love than helping a child named Tommy…
When Tommy first became a client, he couldn’t read a sentence. He struggled with reading words on a page. Often, it appears to the child that the words are swimming around on the page, so it’s hard for them to see the words in order. We play a lot of fun games to teach children the methods to handle this challenge.
One day, we heard those magic words.
“He can read!”
Tommy had read his first sentence in our offices.
That’s the power of speech pathology.
Those a-ha moments when a child has a breakthrough feels great and is part of the reason why I do this work.
Serving Children and Adults with Speech, Language and Reading Disorders
Our Clients
Our Clients
Areas of Expertise
Areas of Expertise
