About Me

​I attended high school in San Juan Unified District, college at American River College, and Sacramento State University for my undergraduate work.  I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1988.  I met my husband in 1990, an Air Force pilot.  We left Sacramento to live all over the United States and the world: Morocco, Ukraine, England, Alaska, Idaho, South and North Carolina, and Texas.  We have four children.  While living in Ukraine (2009-2012), my children attended and I worked at a missionary kids' school in Kyiv.  During our time in Kyiv, I worked as an ESL instructor, writing mentor, and Resource Room Coordinator, helping students close the gap in an otherwise advanced student body.  Primarily from homeschooling my children and working with other homeschooled and public school children in areas of frustration, I have gained years of instructional experience.  In the past 25 years, I have taught co-op classes in writing, literature, and study skills.  I worked in DoDEA Europe and held positions as a Chapel Education Coordinator, Children's Church Director, and Middle School Intern.  I finished my Masters in Education in 2012 from Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA, the same year we returned to the Sacramento area.  I served on the Board of Directors for Dyslexia Alliance, a non-profit group serving the greater Sacramento area in resources, education, and advocacy for dyslexia.  I am board certified as an educational therapist, recognized by the International Dyslexia Association as a dyslexia specialist, and a published author.           

Publications

The Dyslexia Guide for Adults: Practical Tools to Improve Executive Functioning, Boost Literacy Skills, and Develop Your Unique Strengths (Sept 2021) 

Education and Professional Certifications

  • Master of Education, Regent University, VA
  • Board Certified Educational Therapist (BCET) #10237, Association of Educational Therapists 
  • Structured Literacy/Dyslexia Specialist (C-SLDS) #E181085, The Center for Effective Reading Instruction 

Skills 

​I am trained and experienced in multiple Orton Gillingham programs and have experience administering various assessments, screening tools, and reading inventories, spanning grades K – adult.  I have extensive hours instructing people with dyslexia one-to-one in reading, spelling, and writing.  Regarding assessments, my experience in interpreting the results spans from more than twenty years of personal observation and study and academic courses and practicums, dyslexia training, and mentors.  I have extensive experience writing individual assessment reports, coupled with expertise in methodology and instruction.  

Training 

  • Orton Gillingham since 2003
  • Institute of Excellence in Writing (IEW) since 2007
  • ​​Wilson Reading System 
  • Lindamood Bell's Phonemic Sequencing (LiPS) and Visualizing and Verbalizing
  • Certificates in the following courses from Dyslexia Training institute in San Diego: Dyslexia In-Depth Course: What is Dyslexia?, Reading Comprehension Course, and Overview of the Orton-Gillingham Approach
  • Making Math Real: The 9 Lines Intensive
  • Slingerland Screening Tests for Identifying Children and Adults with Specific Language Disability
  • Certified in Barton Reading & Spelling at the Masters Level

Relevant Graduate Course Work

Advanced Educational Assessments
Assessing and Teaching Reading
Assessments for Educational Therapists: Practicum
​Reading Assessment and Instruction: Practicum
Language Acquisition
Philosophy and Issues in Education
Principles of Educational Therapy
Psychology of Human Learning
Methodologies of Instruction
Multicultural Education
Techniques of Educational Therapy
Technology in Education
Understanding Learning Differences

Conferences and Workshops

  • Association of Educational Therapists (AET) San Francisco Workshops
    • Fear No Art! Hands-On Art Workshop To Address What Gets In The Way Of Learning (2023)
    • Reading, Writing and Learning in the Modern World, Dean Philips (2020)
    • Slow Processing Speed and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, Dr. Ellen Braaten (2018)
    • Executive Functioning, Dr. G. McCloskey (2107)
    • New Frontiers for ADHD, Dr. Stephen Hinshaw (2106)
  • Association of Educational Therapists (AET) Annual Conferences: 
    • Virtual (2022) - What Influences Learning? An Exploration of Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Factors
    • Virtual (2021) - Advocacy in Education: Supporting Unique Learners
    • Virtual (2020) - The New Normal: Supporting our Clients and Ourselves
    • ​San Francisco, CA (2019) - Motivation and Mindsets: Shaping Attitudes and Instruction
    • San Francisco, CA (2016) - Cultivating Wisdom While Embracing Change  
  • International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Annual Conference, Dallas, TX (2015) - Reading, Literacy & Learning Conference

Speaking Engagements/Presentations

  • Executive Functioning in the Classrooms (2021), Cornerstone Christian School
  • Dyslexia/Language Struggles (2019), South Sutter Charter School Family Conference
  • Created in God's Image: Supporting the struggling learner (2019), Cornerstone Christian School
  • Dyslexia (2017), Sacramento County Department of Education
  • Introduction to Dyslexia (2017), Department of Motor Vehicles headquarters in Sacramento
  • Strategies and Curriculum (2017), Roseville City School District

Professional Memberships

Volunteer Positions Held

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National Conference Co-chair, Association of Educational Therapists (2021 - present), USA 
Study Group Leader and Supervising Mentor, Association of Educational Therapists (2019 - present), USA
Vice President and Treasurer, Dyslexia Alliance (2014-2017), Sacramento, California
Chair of Philosophy and Foundations, ACSI Re-Accreditation Steering Committee, Kiev Christian Academy (2011-2012), Ukraine
President, Wayne Montessori, parent cooperative (1999-2000), Goldsboro, North Carolina
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