Empower Dyslexia

Dr. Gina Forchelli is a Licensed Child Psychologist and Nationally Certified School Psychologist at the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) within the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA.  She is the Co-Director of Postdoctoral Training at LEAP and an Instructor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Forchelli received a dual B.A.in psychology and music at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. She completed her M.Ed. in School Psychology at Teachers College-Columbia University in New York, NY.  Before returning to complete her Ph.D., she worked as a school psychology intern within the White Plains School District in NY. Her Ph.D. was completed at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Forchelli specializes in pediatric neuropsychological, psychological, and educational assessment of children and adolescents with learning, emotional, and behavioral concerns.  She works closely with children with Dyslexia and other Specific Learning Disorders, AD/HD, Developmental Tr

Adrianne Meldrum is the founder and owner of Math for Middles, an online math tutoring center focused on serving students with the gifts of dyslexia, ADHD, and autism. She’s a certified teacher and has been tutoring students since 2006. She received multisensory math training from Marilyn Zecher and is close to achieving trainer status. Adrianne is married with three boys. She lives in Boise, Idaho where she enjoys the outdoors. Currently she’s a graduate student at Bridges Academy working towards a Masters of Cognitive Diversity in Education.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Empowerdyslexia)

We’ve gotten a lot of requests to find out what does an FIE (Full Individual Evaluation) entail.In the studio today: Dr. Heather Stephens. •Since 2001, Dr. Heather Stephens has conducted over 1000 individual educational evaluations through her company, Academic Evaluation & Diagnosis. Since developing her independent practice, Dr. Stephens has consulted with hundreds of different school districts and private schools, colleges, and universities. She frequently works in consultation with other specialists and has provided professional development training for numerous organizations and private schools. •Dr. Stephens has over twenty years of experience in the field of education. Dr. Stephens earned a Master of Teaching in Special Education from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. She holds an additional Masters in Psychology and a Doctorate of Education in Supervision, Curriculum, and Instruction-Elementary Education with an interdisciplinary minor in Reading from Texas A&M Unive

Today we speak with Emily Hanford.Emily Hanford is a senior correspondent and producer for APM Reports, the documentary and investigative journalism group at American Public Media. She’s been covering education for more than a decade. Her work has appeared on NPR and in The New York Times, Washington Monthly, Los Angeles Times, PBS NewsHour and other publications. Her audio documentary and article “Hard Words: Why aren’t kids being taught to read?” won a 2018 public service award from the Education Writers Association. She is based in the Washington, D.C area. https://www.apmreports.org/documentariesHere are a few pieces she has written about reading:Op-Ed in the New York Times Why Are We Still Teaching Reading the Wrong Way?:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/opinion/sunday/phonics-teaching-reading-wrong-way.htmlFollow up to Hard Words on APM Reports website What to do if your child's school isn't teaching reading right?:https://www.apmreports.org/story/2018/10/08/what-to-do-if-your-childs-sc

Today’s show topic is about dyslexia, obviously, but today our guest shares a story that we hear so often. The story of love and dedication from parents who would do anything to make sure that their children have the proper support to be successful. A story that gets to see the history over decades in special education and reading remediation. The vast personal experience and firsthand knowledge of how the Lindamood reading intervention was developed.This podcast was sponsored in part by Pediatric Associates of DallasSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/Empowerdyslexia)

Rachel and Stephen recap their trip to Washington, D.C.and they also speak to the founder of Mom’s 4 FAPE Marilyn Muller.Marilyn Muller - Massachusetts Marilyn is the mother of Lauryn, a bright 12 year old dyslexic. When her daughter struggledto acquire reading and writing skills in kindergarten, Marilyn decided that Lauryn’sexperience would not mirror that of her half-brother Jake, and so advocating for heracademic & emotional well-being became Marilyn’s 2nd full-time job. Lauryn attended local public school grades K-3, and just completed 5th grade at The Carroll School after being unilaterally placed there by her parents. Marilyn is committed to spreading awareness and facilitating positive change through her tireless advocacy efforts.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Empowerdyslexia)

Virginia Spencer is the Principal of Lumen Advocacy LLC, a Special Education and parent Advocate with experience in Kansas, Illinois and Texas. She represents students in 19 school districts and 3 regions and is familiar with the challenges of securing appropriate school services under the IDEA. She has a background in parent training for ARD meetings, negotiating curriculum differentiation and non-attorney representation at dispute resolution. Additionally, she provides presentations to groups or organizations-such as the IDAAustin as well in-service training to private related service providers and is a certified NAMI presenter for the Parents and Teachers as Allies programThis podcast was sponsored in part by Pediatric Associates of DallasSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/Empowerdyslexia)

Show #31 ADHD with Dr. Chris Dreiling, MD, FAAPDr. Dreiling sought out a liberal arts education as an undergraduate, as he knew he would be focusing on science in medical school. Within the Plan II major at UT-Austin, he had study concentrations in biomedical ethics and film history. Dr. Dreiling decided on pediatrics as his held during his third year medical school rotation and has not regretted it for a single moment. Dr. Dreiling has been happily married for 17 years to his wife, Rachel, who is a pediatric nurse practitioner, actress, and awesome mom. He has been blessed with two healthy and energetic children who keep them quite busy. Outside of the office, he continues to engage and study film and music and enjoy traveling with his family. He has played piano since he was six years old, and always tries to find time to practice!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Empowerdyslexia)

Two high school students from a small town in Texas beganworking on a school project about Dyslexia. They soon began tofeel an overwhelming passion about Dyslexia because one of theparticipants Lily was diagnosed at a young age. To expandknowledge about Dyslexia and the issues that many students facethey decided to start the 1-in-5 necklace campaign. 1-in-5 peoplesuffer from Dyslexia.Lily just graduated from Midlothian Heritage High School. During her senior year she joined FCCLA and decided to do a STAR EVENT with her best friend, Genesis. After, throwing around many ideas they chose Dyslexia as their topic to compete in the advocacy category. As the project went on more and more opportunities presented themselves. Lily will be attending Tyler Junior College in the fall under General Studies for her first year. She also just got a job working for American Dance and Drill Team.Genesis is a senior in High School. Last year I was president of FCCLA and decided to a STAR event project with Lily. We took our pass

Join Empower Dyslexia as we speak with Amber Carter Jones about her journey in parent advocacy.Amber's real job is as an historic preservation consultant working throughout the state of Arkansas. She is a specialist in Federal and State Historic Tax Credits and listing properties to the National Register. Amber's three daughters are all affected by dyslexia, however, it was her youngest child, Rory, age 16 now, who struggled the most and could not figure out reading or spelling at all, the way her school was teaching it. The typical struggles with getting this child the appropriate educational services led Amber to become a passionate dyslexia advocate for other students and families affected by dyslexia. She is a founding member of the Arkansas Dyslexia Support Group which provides free advocacy services to parents of students with Dyslexia. The group has been effective at the state legislature with the passage of two dyslexia laws and four literacy laws passed concerning the Science of Reading for

Today we had the honor to speak with Speaker of the Texas House Dennis Bonnen.  We speak about all of the new laws passed this year and his own struggles with dyslexia.Speaker of the Texas House Dennis Bonnen (District 25) The Honorable Dennis Bonnen was unanimously elected Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives on January 8, 2019. Speaker Bonnen has served in the Texas House of Representatives for over 20 years, representing southern Brazoria County and the entirety of Matagorda County. Prior to his election as Speaker, Bonnen served as Speaker Pro Tempore beginning in 2013. He has previously served as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, as a member of the House Culture, Recreation & amp; Tourism Committee, Chairman of the Sunset Advisory Committee and the House Special Purpose Districts Committee, Vice Chairman of the Joint Committee of Oversight of Higher Education Governance, Excellence and Transparency; and as a member of the Natural Resources Committee. Speaker Bonnen resides with

Joining us in the studio today is Jennie Wegner and Michael Vitullo, who are currently attending college and happen to have learning differences/disabilities.Michael Vitullo graduated as a top 10 student in the Class of 2016 from The Shelton School of Dallas. He is currently a student at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Spanish. He has studied abroad for a semester in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At Southwestern, he serves on the Honor Code Council and is an elected official in the Kappa Alpha Order Fraternity. He was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia in the 2nd Grade and later diagnosed with Dysgraphia in the 4th Grade. He is spending this summer as an intern at a law firm in Dallas and plans to pursue law school following college graduation.Jennie is a sophomore college student at Abilene Christian University majoring in special education elementary. She was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 5 and struggled with school ever since. She danced her whole life a

Please welcome back Penny Stack, OTD, OTR/L, CLT Today we speak about Understanding the WHY of Dyslexia.Penny has over 30 years of experience as an occupational therapist that include working with children who have special learning needs. Penny is also a mother of a child with dyslexia who has success in overcoming the real world difficulties living with dyslexia. Out of her own child’s needs, Penny founded Dyslexia Center of Tulsa serving Oklahoma since 2011. Nationally recognized as an expert in the team approach for the treatment of dyslexia, Penny is a professional speaker for PESI. Penny is certified in Handwriting Without Tears, received her Doctorate Degree in Occupational Therapy from Loma Linda University and Master’s in Occupational Therapy at Samuel Merritt College Penny has dedicated her research to dyslexia and its impact on occupation: The lived experience. Penny is a member of the Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association.https://dyslexiatulsa.c

Please join us as we speak to Terrie Noland about 4 myths in education about Dyslexia.        Terrie’s greatest strengths lie in the ability to motivate, inspire, and create enthusiasm in others to be passionate educators that support the diverse needs of students.  Terrie serves as the Vice-President of Educator Initiatives for Learning Ally where she works to develop engagement programs, professional learning services and communities for educators.  Her passion is working with educators to create dynamic classrooms and recognizing educators in their tremendous efforts. She has more than 25 years of experience as both a motivational leader and developer of content for educators and administrators. Terrie’s focus for the past six years has been on the pedagogical practices needed to create effective environments for struggling readers and students with dyslexia. She has the opportunity to lead and facilitate groups numbering in the thousands helping to build better understanding of working with struggling rea

Please join us as we speak to Dr. Sally Fryer Dietz about Dysgraphia.Sally is a recognized expert whose insight, experience and opinion are sought after by scholarly publications, news media, reporters, journalists and others who want to include her expert commentary to their broadcasts, programs and articles.Sally received her Doctorate in Pediatric Physical Therapy from University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas in 2016, her Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine in 1980, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development from San Diego State University in 1979. She is licensed to practice physical therapy in both Texas and California.She is certified in Sensory Integration and Praxis Testing (SIPT), and has Technique and Diplomat Certification in CranioSacral Therapy through the Upledger Institute in Florida. In addition, she is trained in visceral manipulation, lymphatic drainage, vestibular and concussion rehabilitation, Dyna

Please join us as we speak to Penny Stack, OTD, OTR/L, CLT about Dyslexia: The Lived Experience.Penny has over 30 years of experience as an occupational therapist that include working with children who have special learning needs. Penny is also a mother of a child with dyslexia who has success in overcoming the real world difficulties living with dyslexia. Out of her own child’s needs, Penny founded Dyslexia Center of Tulsa serving Oklahoma since 2011. Nationally recognized as an expert in the team approach for the treatment of dyslexia, Penny is a professional speaker for PESI. Penny is certified in Handwriting Without Tears, received her Doctorate Degree in Occupational Therapy from Loma Linda University and Master’s in Occupational Therapy at Samuel Merritt College Penny has dedicated her research to dyslexia and its impact on occupation: The lived experience. Penny is a member of the Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association.https://dyslexiatulsa.compenny@

Empower Dyslexia "ask the advocate" with special guest Daphne Corder.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Empowerdyslexia)

It was 3 years ago this month that they filed a lawsuit against Leander ISD in Cedar Park, TX., for failing to provide their son a Free and Appropriate Education (A.K.A. FAPE), to address his unique educational needs. The appointed Hearing Officer (Judge) found in their favor. It was the first time a parent had won against LISD in Texas Education Agency history. LISD appealed that decision.  The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in their favor, confirming their son is eligible for Special Education.Here is the link if you are interested in reading the decision:https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca5/18-50160/18-50160-2019-05-15.htmlSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/Empowerdyslexia)

Please join us as we speak to Julie McKinley a mother of a child with Dyslexia.  Julie is a fierce advocate for children with learning disabilities. She serves on the Special Education Committee at Plano ISD and is an admin for North Texas Dyslexia, The Dyslexia Initiative, and Dyslexic Houston Facebook groups. Julie work for Frito Lay and serves as President of the Employee Resource Group (ERG) EnAble.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Empowerdyslexia)

Show #18 We have more questions for  Dr. Tim Conway.  Dr. Tim Conway from The Morris Center discusses the neurobiology & functional neuroanatomy of Dyslexia, evidence-based peer-reviewed research he and his colleagues from the University of Florida, Florida State University and The Morris Center conducted, as well as the Neuro-development of Words - NOW!®) company's intervention programs for Dyslexia, Dysgraphia Dyscalculia and SLD in Reading comprehension difficulties.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Empowerdyslexia)