About Designed with a Purpose
Every individual has been designed with a purpose. The key to success is understanding and equipping students based on their unique set of strengths and weaknesses. Designed with a Purpose was created as a private tutoring program focused on meeting the needs of students from elementary through high school with learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD, weak executive functioning, and anxiety.
Our process includes a parent interview and a careful assessment of the student's needs. Dr. Irwin then recommends a program and tutor best suited for the student and crafts a structured approach to tutoring with an emphasis on the remediation of weak processing and academic skills. Tutoring sessions are held at the Designed with a Purpose's facility and, pending permission, on the campus of the student's school. Lessons are tailored to meet the needs of the child in either one-on-one or small group settings. In addition, resources and updates are provided to parents on a regular basis.
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Strategies are determined individually and can include:
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Wilson Reading instruction
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NILD Therapy
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Multi-sensory instruction
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Math instruction (from beginning number sense through high school algebra and geometry)
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Homework help and study skills
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SAT and ACT exam preparation
Beginning in August 2022, Designed with a Purpose began offering a hybrid homeschool for a limited number of students. The Hybrid Homeschool meets twice a week during the school year for in-person instruction and includes curated content for the other days of the week. If you are interested in learning more, we invite you to read about this program and reach out to us about availability.
Meet Dr. Debbie Irwin, Founder of Designed with a Purpose
Dr. Debbie Irwin is the founder of Designed with a Purpose. Her experience includes working with preschool to college-age students in the areas of reading, math, written expression, and executive functioning. Debbie has spent most of her career working with students with various learning needs including learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD, and anxiety. In addition to developing and overseeing support services and programs for students with learning needs within K-12 Christian schools, Debbie has served as a consultant for numerous private schools and provided workshops for parents, faculty, and administrators both locally and regionally.
Debbie has co-authored the book Serving Students with Learning Disabilities in Christian Schools: A Program Management Manual for Teachers and Schools (ACSI, 2007, available on Amazon) and published Teachers’ value beliefs and usage of one‑to‑one devices for students with dyslexia: A descriptive study (2022). Debbie has a B.S. degree in Special Education, a M.S. in Reading, and an Ed.D. in Curriculum & Instruction - Learning Design & Technology.
Feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn.
Our Private Tutors
Bethany Weir
Bethany Weir teaches history, writing, and literature at our Hybrid Homeschool. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a minor in History from Clemson University. After college, she worked for over 10 years at a marketing agency before transitioning to teaching. She has three years of experience teaching and tutoring children and has additional training in Orton-Gillingham.
Dick Mitchell
Richard Mitchell retired from full-time teaching after 25 years, first in Maryland, then in South Carolina. His main teaching focus has been History and Bible. Richard strives to help students better understand the world and come to know the God who made and runs it. He is a private tutor and oversees our Learn at School for some of our hybrid homeschool students at Designed With A Purpose.
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Gwen Bozeman
Gwen Bozeman teaches at our Hybrid Homeschool and also provides private tutoring. Gwen holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, with over 18 years of experience in the classroom. She has additional training in Orton-Gillingham, Wilson Reading System, NILD, Levels 1 and 2; Lindamood-Bell: Seeing Stars, On Cloud Nine, and Visualizing and Verbalizing; Handwriting Without Tears.
Andrea Vernon
Andrea Vernon is a private tutor at Designed with a Purpose. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Spanish and additional training in NC-CALP (Certified Academic Language Therapist) and Orton-Gillingham. She has worked in the school environment for over 12 years in various capacities, including as an elementary teacher and private tutor.
